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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2014-04-24 Housing & Human Services MIN Ashland Housing and Human Services Commission Minutes April 24, 2014 CALL TO ORDER Chair Joshua Boettiger called the meeting to order at 4:35in the Siskiyou Room at the Community Development and Engineering Officeslocated at 51 Winburn Way, Ashland OR 97520. Commissioners Present:Council Liaison Joshua BoettigerPam Marsh, absent Heidi Parker, left a 5:10 SOU Liaison Connie Saldana Michael GutmanAndrew Ennslin Regina Ayars, absent Rich Rohde, absentStaff Present: Coriann MatthewsLinda Reid, Housing Specialist Sue CraderCarolyn Schwendener, Admin Clerk Gina DuQuenne Approval of Minutes Saldana/Parkerm/s to approve the minutes of the March27, 2014 Housing and Human Services Commission. Voice Vote: All Ayes; minutes were approved as presented. PUBLIC FORUM Kathy Kennedy,Landlord and citizen of Ashland was present to listen and participate in the Student Fair Housing Discussion. HollySmithintroduced herself stating that she is in Pat Acklin’s PlanningIssues class at SOU.She will be participating in a presentation to the Housing and Human Services Commission at a future meeting. Christy Wright, Fair Housing campaign manager for ASSOUwas present. STUDENT FAIR HOUSING DISCUSSION Reid acknowledgedthat the Council voted to direct the Housing and Human Services Commission to study and develop a recommendation on whether students should be added as a protected class in the City’s Fair Housing ordinance. The Council also directed the Commission to discuss other ways aside from the designation as a protected class thatwouldprovide better protection for students. Ennslin and Wright expressed theirappreciation that the Council considered the request of making students a protective class and directed it to this Commission for discussion. The Commissioners discussed their different experiences with living next door or renting to SOU students. Their experiences were everything from respectful and wonderful to rowdyanddrunkenness. The consensus was that it has not always been pleasant to live next door to students.The commissioners suggested looking at innovative ways to diminish some of the problems. They were interested in learning howother college communities have addressed similarissues. Is there a certification process to assure landlords of responsible renters? Christy Wright recently had a discussion with Janay Haas,author of the book entitled “Landlord Tenant rights in Oregon.” She is a criminal justice professor at SOU and has been an attorney for landlord tenant disputes for about twenty years. “Ms.Haas is very enthusiastic about helping us withthis project”, stated Wright. The Commission encouraged the idea of educating students who may never have been tenants before. They would support a class that would raise the awareness of what it is to be a good tenant. Currently ACCESS offers a six week“Ready to Rent”class. After completing the class theparticipantsget a certificate that can be showed to landlords confirming their intent to be a good tenant.Another ideais to have a funddesignated as asecurity deposit for landlordsthat would give some guarantee they would get their money. The question was proposed “Why do property owners reject students?” Kathy Kennedy clarifiedthat being alandlord is a business model;it’san investment on someone’s part.Ms. Kennedy said alandlord wants a good tenant.To find those tenants a landlord will use criteria such as references, qualified income and good credit history. Ms Kennedy explained she has had both good experiences and bad experiences with students as well as with working people. She questions whether a protected class is necessary and suggested doing a surveywith Ashland landlords.To her knowledge she has not noticedlandlords practicingdiscriminationagainst students and would like to seeinput from landlordsto confirmtheir truly is a discrimination problem. Wright acknowledged that creating a protectedclass is not going to stop landlords from screening their applicants and finding good tenants. What is important is that fair standards apply to everyone and that landlords don’t unfairly singleout students. The next step is to talk with ACCESS regarding their Ready to Rent program and class availability. Wright would like to work with Ms Kennedyon organizing a focus group with students and landlords. They will put information together and set a date and time. BRIEF OVERVIEW OF AFFORDABLEHOUSING PROGRAM Reid gave an overview of the City of Ashland Housing program explaining affordable housingis one component of it. In general terms affordable housing refers to a household’s ability to find housing within their financial means. The standard measure of affordability as defined by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is when the cost of rent and utilities (gross rent) is less than 30% of household income.When gross rent levels exceed 30% of income it places a significant burden on household finances. Here are three maintypes of Affordable Housing 1.Workforce Housing 2.Low-Income Housing 3.Subsidized Housing Federal financing is offeredthrough Rural Development, HUD and the National Housing Trust Fund. State financingcan be through Oregon Housing Tax Credits, Low-income Housing tax credits, Vertical Housing Program and Pass through Revenue Bond financing. The City of Ashland has a Housing Trust Fund which currently has between $140,000 and $170,000 in it. These funds can be used in a variety of ways. SOCIAL SERVICEGRANT RECOMMENDATION TO COUNCIL REVIEWAND APPROVAL Reid explained that it is the responsibility of this Commissionto come up with a Social Service Grant process recommendation to the Council attheir June 3, 2014 meeting. The Commission would like to develop a strategic plan for the Social Service Grant money. The following is the grant proposal to the Council including what the Housing and Human Services Commission will do. Work with staff to develop program specific Strategic Plan with measurable goals and objectives to inform the decision making process in awarding social service grant funds. Work with Council to define broad priorities for the use of the funds and measurable goals. Review the previously drafter strategic plan for the use of Social Service Funds to see if there are priorities identified which are still relevant. Engage current and former grantees, social service organizations and the public in reviewing the current process, elicit suggestions on potential changes to the process and to gain feedback on potential goals Utilize the socialservice inventory and gaps analysis and other pertinent demographic reports to inform goals and objectives Draft a short strategic plan to be reviewed periodically and revised as needed. Provide a recommendation regarding the exiting process of granting Social Service Grant funds. The Social Service Grant money comes from the General Fund. The Commission discussed what themost efficient use of funds would be and if the pastuse of funds address the unmet needs.Reid will type up a bullet point addressing this concern. At the next meeting Commissioner’s can vote onapprovalof the proposal. COMMISSION GOAL SETTING DISCUSSION The Commission worksunder the directionof the Council but would also like the Council to further thegoals they are interested in working on. Theyagreed that the end of August would be a good time for the goal settingmeeting. Put on next month’s agenda to finalize the date and time. CDBG ANNUAL ACTION PLAN REVIEW AND APPROVAL Reid developed a Final Action Plan for the use of CDBG funds for the Program year 2014. The Action Plan describes what the City isdoing with the grant money and if itmeets thegoals in the Five Year plan. Once it’s approved Reidwill send itto HUD fortheir approval and then the City receivesthe grant agreement and funding. The public hearing was open for comment. No one was present to speak. Saldana/Gutmanm/s to approve the Final Action Plan for the one year use of the CDBGfunds. Voice Vote; All Ayes, motion passed. LIAISON REPORTS DISCUSSION Staff -Reid reported that the public hearing on the Normal Avenue plan is scheduled to go to the Council forfirst thth and the second reading is scheduled for May 20. reading onMay 6 APRIL 23RD AGENDA ITEMS Quorum Check –Reid will be at aHUDtraining in Portland and will not be able to attend. Brandon Goldman will be the staff liaison for the meeting. Agenda items -Presentation by city recorder and city attorney -rules that govern commissions and committees Brandon will talk about the normal plan in relations to zone change, annexation and how it works with the city’s affordable housing . UPCOMING EVENTS AND MEETINGS Housing and Human Services Commission regular meeting –May 22, 2014, 4:30 pm in the Siskiyou Room of the Community Development Building located at 51 Winburn Way ADJOURNMENT -The meeting was adjourned at 6:02p.m. respectfully submitted by Carolyn Schwendener