HomeMy WebLinkAbout2013-08-28 Housing PACKET
Joint Housing Commission and
Ad Hoc Steering Committee
Meeting
August 28, 2013
4:00 – 5:45pm
Council Chambers-1175 East Main Street
1. (4:00) Approval of Minutes (5 min)
July 24, 2013
2. (4:05) Public Forum (5 min)
3.(4:10)Liaison Reports discussion (15 min)
Liaison Reports
Council(Pam Marsh)
Staff(Linda Reid)
SOU (Andrew Ensslin)
General Announcements
4.(4:25) HNA Update and Next Steps(10 min)
Linda Reid, Housing Program Specialist
5.(4:35) Housing and Human Services Commission Timeline (10 min)
Linda Reid, Housing Program Specialist
6. (4:45) Business License Registry/Short Term Rental Update (10 min)
Linda Reid, Housing Program Specialist
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7.(4:55) September 25 2013 MeetingAgenda Items
Commissioner items suggested(5 min)
Quorum Check – Commissioners not available to attend upcoming regular meetings
should declare their expected absence.
8.(4:55) Upcoming Events and Meetings
Next Housing Commission Regular Meeting
4:00-5:45 PM; September 25, 2013-Council Chambers
Next Homelessness Steering Committee Regular Meeting
4:00-6:00 PM; September 11, 2013-Ashland Library
9. (4:55) Adjournment and Showing of Fair Housing Documentary
“Brick by Brick”. (60 Min)
In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, if you need special assistance to participate in this meeting, please contact the
Community Development office at 541-488-5305 (TTY phone is 1-800-735-2900). Notification 48 hours prior to the meeting will
enable the City to make reasonable arrangements to ensure accessibility to the meeting (28 CFR 35.102-35.104 ADA Title 1).
ASHLAND HOUSING COMMISSION
DRAFT MINUTES
July 24, 2013
CALL TO ORDER
ChairRegina Ayars called the joint meeting between the Housing Commission and the Homelessness Steering
Committee to order at 4:00 p.m. at Council Chambers located at 1175 East Main St. Ashland, OR 97520.
Housing Commissioners Present: HSC Members Present: Council Liaison
Regina Ayars, Chair Laura O’Bryon Pam Marsh
Michael Gutman Graham Lewis
Barb Barasa Sara Hopkins-Powell, Co-Chair SOU Liaison
Gina DuQuenne Heidi Parker Andrew Ensslin
Rich Rohde, Co-Chair
Connie Saldana
Staff Present:
Paula Sohl Linda Reid, Housing Specialist
Regina Ayars Carolyn Schwendener, Admin Clerk
APPROVAL OF MINUTES
DuQuenne/Gutman m/s to approve the minutes of the June 26, 2013 regular Housing Commission meeting. Voice
Vote: All Ayes; minutes were approved as presented.
Hopkins-Powell/Parker m/s to approve the minutes of the July 10, 2013 Ad-Hoc Homelessness Steering Committee
with one correction. Voice Vote: All ayes; minutes were approved with correction.
PUBLIC FORUM
Abby Hogge/1700 Parker Street/Asked the Housing Commission to consider focusing on the affordability of the
ownership market. According to the City website families earning a decent wage in our area still cannot afford to
purchase homes here. By supporting local home owners by allowing them to host short term guests helps support
the city, tourists and home owners alike, stated Hogge. Hogge strongly urges the Commission to support Short
term rentals in residential zones.
Michael Dawkins/646 E Main/is a ten year member of the Planning Commission. Dawkins suggested that like
Aspen Colorado the affordability of homes in Ashland is slowly going away due to land values becoming so
extreme. What used to be affordable has become unaffordable. Dawkins idea is when a house is removed on a
property only the footprint of the house that existed can be utilized in rebuilding. The city has enough vacant lots
to meet the desires of those who might like to move in to our community and build larger homes, said Dawkins. By
capping the existing footprints this would help with the inventory of smaller more affordable homes.
HOUSING AND HUMAN SERVICES COMMISSION ORDINANCE
Three drafts were presented to the Commissioners. Staff prepared the initial draft in May which was reviewed by a
subcommittee consisting of two members of the Housing Commission and two members of the Homelessness
Steering Committee. Their recommended changes were added and then a third draft was created in response to
further input from the Community Development staff.
The items of discussion were; membership total and better definition of what was meant by the term “Community
Development”. Staff also added an additional power and duty “To evaluate, review, and recommend to the Planning
Commission and City Council innovative land use strategies targeted at promoting a broad variety of housing
types.”
A discussion followed. Though most Commissions within the city have a membership of seven the Commissioners
did not see the benefit of consistency to all Commissions with that number. Due to the amount of work the group
would like to accomplish and the need for sub committees a larger amount of people to utilize would be beneficial.
Due to the added duties and powers it was suggested to begin the Commission with nine members and then
evaluate it in six months. In the past the Homelessness Steering Committee has not had trouble maintaining their
membership at nine.
The Commissioners agreed that they liked the additional powers and duties included in item “H” of the ordinance
(To enhance cooperation between the public and private sectors by promoting integrated approaches that provide
decent housing, a suitable living environment, and expanded economic opportunities for low and moderate income
persons) and item “J” (To evaluate, review, and recommend to the Planning Commission and City Council
innovative land use strategies targeted at promoting a broad variety of housing types)
Housing Commission recommendation;
Gutman/DeQuenne m/s to accept draft number three with the change of the membership back to nine.
Voice Vote; All ayes motion passed unanimously.
Homeless Steering Committee recommendation;
Graham/Rohde m/s to accept draft number three with the exception of the change of membership from
seven back to nine. Voice Vote; All ayes motion passed unanimously.
Reid explained that currently this ordinance is in legal review. Reid will send forward the Commission’s
suggestions to Legal which will then go to the City Council. The first reading before City Council will be
August 20, 2013. The ordinance then goes back for Legal review and on to City Council on September 3, 2013 for
second reading. It takes thirty days before an Ordinance goes into effect which would be October 3, 2013. A
resolution will be going forward at the same time to dissolve the homelessness steering committee. This resolution
dissolves the Housing Commission.
The Commissioners agreed that it would be important for each of them to communicate to the Mayor the
importance of appointing members so as possible so they do not lose momentum.
Fair Housing Presentation
Louise Dix is the Southern Oregon representative for the Fair Housing Council of Oregon. The Housing
Commission is interested in making Student status a protected class under Ashland’s Fair Housing Ordinance and
invited Louise Dix to give a presentation on Fair Housing. Attached is the presentation that Dix presented.
Dix acknowledged that Bob Lohman from Corvallis is the one who handles issues regarding students. Dix
suggested that they invite Mr. Lohman in for a discussion. We need to discuss with him what the pros and cons
are. Currently no jurisdiction has students as a protected class though some do have age as a protected class
which does partly address students. The Commissioners agreed it would be good to have communication with the
different groups that would be impacted by this.
The Commissioners thanked Dix for the great information she provided.
LIAISON REPORTS DISCUSSION
Marsh – Councilor Marsh was not present
Staff – Reid mentioned that there was a good training at the Homeless task force meeting about mental health first
aid.
General Announcements – Ayars announced that there will be an open house tomorrow for the six affordable
units at Hyde Park located at 2272 Dollarhide. The project was funded though the Community Development Block
Grant funds.
August 28, 2013 Meeting Agenda Items
Quorum check; all members confirmed they will be here
UPCOMING EVENTS AND MEETINGS
Next Housing Commission Regular Meeting
4:00-5:45 PM; August 28, 2013 – Council Chambers – joint meeting
Next Homelessness Steering Committee Regular Meeting
4:00-6:00 PM; August 14, 2013-Ashland Library
ADJOURNMENT - The meeting was adjourned at 5:50 p.m.
Respectfully submitted by Carolyn Schwendener
Housing Commission Memo
Title:Housing Commission/Homelessness Steering Committee Updates
Date: August 28 2013
Submitted By: Linda Reid, Housing Program Specialist
Housing Commission Items:
Update on the Housing Needs Analysis/Next Steps on identified Potential Strategies
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At the regular council meeting held on August 20, the City council approved first reading of an
ordinance adopting the 2012 Housing Needs Analysis as a technical supporting document to the City of
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Ashland Comprehensive Plan. Second reading of the ordinance is scheduled for September 3 2013.
Once adopted the potential strategies to alleviate some of the housing issues identified may be taken up
as goals or priorities by the Planning Commission and City Council. The next steps for the Housing (or
Housing and Human Services) Commission can prioritize which land use strategies the group would like
to adopt in their annual goal setting meeting in advance of the Council’s goal setting.
Students as a Protected Class: Strategies for getting feedback from property owners
In speaking with Bob Loewen for the City of Corvallis, that City has used age criteria as a way to
protect students from discrimination in rental housing transactions. Loewen stated that landlords can
require a co-signer or require a larger deposit for anyone that does not meet their rental criteria; however
the landlord must apply this policy to anyone that does not meet their criteria, not just students.
Update on Short Term Rental
The City Council on Monday night decided not to pursue municipal code changes that would allow
these types of lodging facilities in R-2 and R-3 (high density) zones. Short-term home rentals are a type
of lodging in which the owner or business manager of the property is not required to live on-site and the
visitor rents the entire dwelling, typically for a few days. (Any rental over 30 days is considered a long-
term rental under the Municipal Code and is not regulated by the City.) These types of lodging facilities
are permitted in the City’s employment and commercial zones, although there aren’t a whole lot of
houses that can be used for that purpose in those zones. The Council did express an interest in taking
another look at this issue as it relates to R-1 (single family) zones and will likely do so in the near
future.
Changes to the Business License Ordinance
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The Council did not come to a decision at their regular meeting held on July 16, consequently the item
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has been moved, the first reading is now scheduled to take place on September 17regular meeting.
Homelessness Steering Committee Items:
Timeline for Council Review and Enactment of Housing and Human Services Ordinance
The first and second reading of an Ordinance creating the Housing and Human Services Commission
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has been rescheduled for the September 3 and September 17 regular council meetings. Upon council
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approval of second reading the ordinance will become law by October 17. Barbara Christensen has
sent our emails to each of you to see if you are interested in being considered for a seat on the new
commission. Staff is unaware of whether current commission/committee members will have the ability
to make recommendations regarding future members of the new commission.
Housing Commission Memo
Title:Housing Commission/Homelessness Steering Committee Updates
Date: August 28, 2013
Submitted By: Linda Reid, Housing Program Specialist
Staff has looked at other City’s Rental Registry applications and with the recommendations from the
2007 Rental Needs Analysis came up with a list of questions to include on an application for the City.
What type of information do we want to collect?
Street address of the rental unit(s)
Number and types of rental units within the rental property
Number of bedrooms per unit
Maximum number of occupants/tenants permitted for each rental unit
Rent amounts for each unit (inclusive or exclusive of utilities (water, gas, elec.)
Age of unit(s)
Vacancy period in the prior year
Contact info:-Name, residence address, telephone number, e-mail address, mobile telephone
number, and facsimile number of:
All property owners of the rental unit(s)
Property manager, agent, or on site manager