Homelessness and Affordable Housing · Homelessness and Affordable Housing ... Want to hear this presentation? Visit our website at https: ... Manufacturing jobs dwindle

Faith Partners for Housing SW WA

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Homelessness and Affordable Housing

Making Connections

• Started meeting in late 2015• Response to:

• Changing experiences at the WHO• Courtyard Village and similar situations• Surge in requests for rental assistance at St.

Vincent de Paul

You can make a difference

Why We’re HereFAITH PARTNERS

FOR HOUSING

Some Reasons to Be Here

• More people living on the streets• Tent “cities” on our sidewalks• WHO and other shelters full every night• 2200 schoolchildren homeless• In 2016, only 30% of families and 45% of

individuals requesting shelter were served

"The King will reply, 'Truly I tell you, whatever y ou did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.‘” Matthew 25:40

“Why do these, our brothers and sisters, have no place to live? Why are these brothers and sisters of ours homeless?” Pope Francis, Sep 24, 2015



Who Are the Homeless? Are Homeless Moving to Vancouver?

• Over 80% of ourhomelesshad an addressin Clark County

We Don’t See Everyone

For every person living on the street, another 8 or 9 people are…

living in their car

“doubled up” orcouch surfing

staying in a shelter

� Chemical dependencies� Long-term unemployment� Serious mental illness� Near-minimum wage job � Family problems – domestic violence, LGTBQ,

divorce, etc.� Credit problems and evictions� Underemployment – cannot find full-time work� Dependent on Social Security or SSI

More risk factors � more likely to be homeless

Some Risk Factors for Homelessness



A Continuum of Causes

9

Some people have many barriers, some just a few.

Is This Different?

• Did you see all these kinds of homelessness 30 years ago?

• How about 10 years ago?

The 1960s

� Dependent on Social Security/SSI

� Underemployment – cannot find full-time work

� Credit problems and evictions

� Family problems – domestic violence,

LGTBQ, divorce, etc.

� Near-minimum wage job

� Serious mental illness

� Long-term unemployment

� Chemical dependencies

“De-institutionalization”: closure of mental hospitals

The 1970s





















Chronic Homelessness


Repeated or lengthy periods without shelter and a disabilityUsually have multiple risk factors

The 1980s










Manufacturing jobs dwindlePublic housing funds slashed > 50%

The 1990s










More living-wage jobs lostCredit issues





LGTBQ, illness, divorce, etc.





Situational or Family Homelessness

Have barriers – less than ideal renters

Situational Homelessness



The 2000s










More low-wage and part-time workLess housing built during the recession

Affordability in Vancouver

Average Rentin Clark County

Monthly income: 40hr/wk minimum wage WA












Why is Rent So High?

Vacancy Rate

What Will Happen Next?

Vacancy Rate

Minimum Wage Increase in WA

?

What Will Happen Next for Seniors?



Economic Homelessness

� Dependent solely on Social Security/SSI

� Low-wage job (or even medium-wage)


No barriers to renting other than inadequate income.

Different Reasons, Different Solutions

“Housing First”- Stable housing- Health care

Affordable Housing- Low-cost housing- Transportation

Transitional Housing & Shelters- Mentoring- Case Management

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Situational Homelessness


Clark County’s Affordable Housing Gap

Not enough low-cost housing

Longer shelterstays

More people on the street

3000 to 6000 units short 3000 to 6000 units short

As People of Faith, What Can We DO?

Let’s take a look at filling the housing gap



Good News: We Have Builders

Apartments & Multiplexes

• (VHA)

• REACH

• Second Step

Houses

• Habitat for Humanity

• Proud Gr

New Methods:

• It can take years to assemble funding, so…• Developers need “patient” land

and buildings

• Nonprofits can buy or lease land• Contributing can be affordable!• A lasting legacy

Builders Want “Patient” Land

Faith Partners for Housing Contact: Mark Maggiora

Be Open to Affordable Housing

• Learn about projects planned for your neighborhood• Who will live there?• Will support services be needed?• Are traffic & parking plans adequate?

• Engage with developer, city, county to make it work• Share the facts – talk to your neighbors, church

groups, neighborhood groups

Faith Partners for Housing Contact: Denny Scott

Want to rent to low-income?Worried about risk?

Two programs toreduce landlordrisk:

• Share ASPIRE

• Second Step Story Street

Can start with a single unit.

Rent to Low-Income Households

Faith Partners for Housing Contact: Kathy Iberle

• Rent subsidies paid directly to

landlord

• Participants become model

tenants via RentWell

education, case management

• Landlord has 24/7 support

from case mgrs



• Homeowner rents a room to another person• Expands housing within existing units• Provides extra income & companionship

• Safety• Background checks on both landlord & renter• Match people who are likely to do well together• Formal, written agreements• Mentor/mediator available

• Pilot program in 2015 placed 20+ people• Less than $2000 per household!

• Permanent program would be $50K per year

Possibility: Shared Housing Different Kinds of Tiny Houses

A HutNo plumbing

Shared bathroomsNo kitchen

No heatOften no electricity

A HouseToilet/Sink

ShowerKitchen

HeatFull electricity

A CottageToilet/Sink

Shared showersShared kitchen

HeatFull electricity

Quixote Village in OlympiaPortland homeless village A tiny house on AirBnB

Land and permits are part of the cost

We’ll probably need more than one solution:• Rent-a-room programs (Shared housing)• Recovery programs (e.g. Oxford House)• Zoning changes to allow smaller houses• Inclusionary zoning – require low-cost housing• Tax credits & incentives to for-profit builders• Non-profit housing developments. Co-ops?• Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs)• Living solutions with Shared

showers/laundry/kitchen (SROs or cottages)• Maintain existing homes owned by low-income• And more…

Many Possible Solutions

• Turn your worksheet over• Write your dream for our community

What is my dream?

36

I will pour out my spirit upon everyone;

your sons and your daughters will

prophesy, your old men will dream

dreams, and your young men will see

visions. Joel 2:28.



• The homeless are a diverse group.• There’s a continuum of reasons for

homelessness.• Different reasons require different

solutions, but…• Homelessness is much higher when

there’s not enough affordable housing.

There are things we can do…Where will you go?

We’ve Learned… Question and Answer

Documents

Homelessness and Affordable Housing · Homelessness and Affordable Housing ... Want to hear this presentation? Visit our website at https: ... Manufacturing jobs dwindle