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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1996-10-30 Housing MIN ASHLAND HOUSING COMMISSION MINUTES OCTOBER 30, 1996 CALL TO ORDER The meeting was called to order by Chairman Jack Ware. Other Commissioners present were Medinger, Hill, Tiffany and Kenefick. Absent members were Hauck, Mahanay, Sea, and Vaughn. Staff present were Madding and Yates. APPROVAL OF MINUTES AND FINDINGS Hill moved approval of the minutes of the September 25, 1996, Tiffany seconded the motion and the minutes were approved. PRESENTATION BY DEBBIE PRICE Madding introduced Debbie Price, State of Oregon, Community Development/Independent Consultant. Price explained how the various state funding resources have shrunk and the needs have increased, but the State's funds are not the main source of funding. There may be a definition change in how the dollars may be used in each community. She explained that the state programs are changing. Some of the programs are explained in her handout. She wants to let the Commission know there are tools they can use and she would like to try to help the Commission define their role as a Housing Commission. Ware said the Commission is interested in being a vehicle by which citizens could come to them and find out what programs are available for home ownership and rentals. Price wondered if Community Development Corporations had been discussed. Kenefick asked if the Commission had the money, would Price have a model? Price explained there are CDC's in operation around the state. She has found that those entities have a place, a building, and staff. Ware asked about the first time buyer program and Price said she will know next week if there will be funding. She will get the information back to the Commission. Hill asked what Price would do if she was sitting on the Housing Commission. What would she do with the $100,000? Price responded that she would figure out what she could sell as the greatest need in anyone's opinion. She would use census data, business people, builder's knowledge, then make a case. The commission needs to decide what they want the need to be and see what information keeps coming to the surface. There will be one, two, or three items that will keep popping up. The first thing the state looks at is backing a program if a need can be supported. Hill said, assuming their greatest need is first-time home ownership,what do they do next? Price answered, if that is the need, and she really believed in that, she would need to prove it over and over and over again. She would have all the information available for those who try to disprove it and her role as a commission member would be to keep proving it to create change. Hill wondered if there were any published media programs to get communities to be more acceptable to affordable housing. Price said negative reaction is very typical in every community and there is no model for making people more understanding. It requires putting a face on the people needing affordable housing and constant education. Price mentioned that one of the problems of giving "gap" financing buyers/renters is that the money is not recaptured. Home ownership is a focus by the State at this time as is money for rehab needs, according to Price. PRICE SAID SOMEONE ADVISED HER ONCE: GIVE ME SOMETHING I CAN'T DISPROVE AND I'LL SAY YOU PROVED IT. Kenefick wondered if we sent a letter to every rental in Ashland asking what their rent is, then that would be the beginning of building a base for proof of a need. Price agreed. MADDING'S PRESENTATION Madding visited a couple of organizations while in California. One group was the Northbay Ecumenical Homes in California which is a private enterprise. The Commission could use this an example to follow. Madding questioned them about where they got their money. They told her that two-thirds of the money is in the private sector and about one-third is in the non-profit foundation sector. Because about 99 percent of the non-profits go to foundations for money, they decided instead to go the private sector. They do a Community Assisted Shared Appreciation (CASA) program which is approved by Fannie Mae. They do not build homes. They pull together the right people and create funding. They act as the bank. The houses sell at market and owners pay taxes. When the house sells, CASA takes 60 percent of the appreciation. Madding handed out information regarding this program. The Commissioners discussed this idea and thought they could glean something from it. Medinger talked about doing a test case and Ware suggested contacting Klamath First Federal to put a deal together and perhaps tap into the affordable housing trust fund to make it work. Medinger said Waldorf School raised $200,000 in an afternoon by getting people to roll over their IRA's and invest it in a self-directed IRA. Madding did not know if a municipality can run something like this. Kenefick noted this was not too much different than the information she brought Madding from Salt Lake City. She liked the idea of the CASA program because it would not feel as threatening to the public as when new affordable housing is built. This program does not look like growth and could be good public relations. ANNEXATIONS Madding thought it would be appropriate to have the small group that met with John McLaughlin previously to meet with him again. Where does the Commission wish to spend its time? FUTURE MEETINGS There will be a meeting on November 20, 1996 at 4:00 p.m. at the Council Chambers since the regular meeting would fall the day before Thanksgiving. There will no December meeting. Ware, Medinger and Tiffany will plan to meet with McLaughlin. ADJOURNMENT The meeting was adjourned at 5:50 p.m. ASHLAND HOUSING COMMISSION 2 MINUTES OCTOBER 30, 1996