HomeMy WebLinkAbout2010-07-22 Housing MIN
ASHLAND HOUSING COMMISSION
MINUTES
July 22, 2010
CALL TO ORDER
Chair Steve Hauck called the meeting to order at 4:30 p.m. at the Community Development and Engineering Services Building
located at 51 Winburn Way, Ashland, OR 97520.
Commissioners Present: Council Liaison
Nikki Pons Eric Navickas
Nick Frost
Richard Billin Staff Present:
Steve Hauck Linda Reid, Housing Specialist
Jody Waters Carolyn Schwendener, Account Clerk
Commissioners Absent:
Regina Ayars
APPROVAL OF MINUTES
The minutes of the June 25, 2010 meeting were approved as presented.
PUBLIC FORUM
No one was present to speak
Chair Hauck announced that he is resigning from both the Housing Commission and the Transportation Commission effective
immediately. His health has taken a turn for the worse and he will be moving out of the City into more affordable housing due
to health care costs.
The Commissioners will greatly miss him and wished him well.
REPORTS AND UPDATES
Liaison Reports
Council – Navickas reported that the Council is continuing to work on the Croman Mill project. The last Council
meeting was taken up with classification of offenses. Previously the City had no classification for offenses; it was left
up to the judge’s discretion. The Council established classifications to include four tiers. Initially staff proposed that
the camping ban would be a class two offense which would be a $360.00 fine but council agreed to reduce that to a
class four offense with only a $90.00 fine.
Parks –Hauck reported that the Parks Commission is moving forward with the purchase of the Clay Street property
using their share of the meals tax money.
School Board – The Board is preparing for the upcoming November measures and discussing how the past measures
will affect their budget. The School Board is mainly dealing with budget issues at this time.
Planning – No report
SOU- No report
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Staff – Reid reported that Project Homeless Connect was held on the 25 of June and went quite smoothly. Last year
they served around 400 people and this year the total was 547, a nice increase. Had a great volunteer turn out raising
over $9,000 in donations.
Reid received a letter from HUD stating that they accepted the City’s Consolidated Plan and approved it along with
the 2010 Annual Action Plan for the use of CDBG funds.
ASHLAND HOUSING COMMISSION MINUTES
July 22, 2010
The CDBG Recovery Act Program (CDBG-R), in which the City is completing energy efficiency upgrades to homes
occupied by low income residents, currently has 16 participants underway. Four of the participants needed further
repairs outside of the scope of the program and requiring more than the $3,000 per household grant amount. The City
has been able to partner with the Housing Authority to utilize City of Ashland Housing Rehabilitation funds
administered by that agency, as well as with Access, Inc’s weatherization program to leverage funds to complete need
repairs and stretch the CDBG-R dollars.
HOMELESS SHELTER PRESENTATION AND DISCUSSION
Commissioner Pons gave a power point presentation regarding Homeless Shelters. Pons explained that there are homeless
people, houseless people and nomadic people. They each have different needs. She proposed the question “Who is Ashland
willing to support?” Pons would like to see some kind of hostel style shelter focused on transportation, communication and
facilitation of employment.
The Commissioners discussed Pons presentation. Reid announced that on Wednesday August 11, 2010 the Hope House, a
Salvation Army transitional shelter, is having an open house for their shelter expansion that has been thirteen years in the
making. This is an example of how long the process can take. A Council goal is to evaluate the homeless population and their
housing needs. Reid met with City Police Chief, Terry Holderness who is from Fontana California. Mr. Holderness stated that
Fontana had a very successful homeless reduction program. The program received support from all the service providers
within the community. They agreed to tie their services to various programs to create accountability and responsibility of the
participants.
Navickas encouraged the commissioners to find a way to address these needs without placing further financial stress on the
City’s budgetary resources. Research other municipalities and find what other resources they have found. It would be good
information to give to the Council.
HOMELESS LIAISON REVISITED
Frost reminded the Commissioners that homelessness is a huge area of concern and is under the Housing Commission’s
purview. The original idea was to create a non voting position for someone who could come to the meetings and report on what
is going on in the homeless community. It was decided to form a sub committee to discuss the liaison position. Hauck
appointed Waters, Frost and Pons to the Ad Hoc subcommittee.
COUNCIL GOAL REVIEW
Reid said it’s important to keep in mind that the Council sets goals and the council will be more likely to facilitate the
completion of the housing commission’s goals if they are related to, or help support the council’s goals. A current Council goal
is to conduct a comprehensive study of Ashland’s homeless population, but city staff has not received further direction to move
forward with that assessment at this time. The Commissioners’ agreed that this is the starting point to dealing with homeless
issues and solutions need to take the results of an assessment into account. What is Ashland’s population and what are their
needs.
Navickas encouraged the Commissioners to do as much outreach and education to the Council to help make them more aware
of these needed services.
ANNUAL GOAL SETTING
The annual goal setting meeting will be at the regular October meeting.
AUGUST 26TH, 2010 MEETING AGENDA ITEMS
CDBG
Potentially moving the regular meeting time and date in the Fall
Elect a new Chair and Vice Chair
Brandon Goldman will do a presentation of the Land Use Ordinance and how it pertains to affordable housing.
The City Council meeting where the HAJC will ask for fees waiver will be on August 17, 2010
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UPCOMING EVENTS AND MEETINS
Next Housing Commission Regular Meeting
4:30-6:30 PM Thursday August 26, 2010 Community Development Building
ADJOURNMENT - The meeting was adjourned at 6:00 p.m.
Respectfully submitted by Carolyn Schwendener
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