Homelessness and Affordable Housing Making Connections Why We re Here FAITH PARTNERS FOR HOUSING 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 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 you 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 Visit our website at https://affordablehousing465.wordpress.com/ 1
Who Are the Homeless? Are Homeless Moving to Vancouver? Over 80% of our homeless had an address in Clark County We Don t See Everyone living in their car For every person living on the street, another 8 or 9 people are staying in a shelter doubled up or couch surfing Some Risk Factors for Homelessness LGTBQ, divorce, etc. Dependent on Social Security or SSI More risk factors more likely to be homeless Visit our website at https://affordablehousing465.wordpress.com/ 2
A Continuum of Causes 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? 9 The 1960s The 1970s De-institutionalization : closure of mental hospitals Visit our website at https://affordablehousing465.wordpress.com/ 3
Chronic Homelessness Repeated or lengthy periods without shelter and a disability Usually Dependent have on multiple Social Security/SSI risk factors The 1980s Manufacturing jobs dwindle Public housing funds slashed > 50% Chronic Homelessness The 1990s More living-wage jobs lost Credit issues Situational or Family Homelessness Have barriers less than ideal renters Underemployment Situational cannot Homelessness find full-time work LGTBQ, illness, divorce, etc. Visit our website at https://affordablehousing465.wordpress.com/ 4
The 2000s More low-wage and part-time work Less housing built during the recession Affordability in Vancouver Monthly income: 40hr/wk minimum wage WA Average Rent in Clark County Affordability in Vancouver Affordability in Vancouver Monthly income: 40hr/wk minimum wage WA Monthly income: 40hr/wk minimum wage WA Average Rent in Clark County Average Rent in Clark County Visit our website at https://affordablehousing465.wordpress.com/ 5
Affordability in Vancouver Why is Rent So High? Monthly income: 40hr/wk minimum wage WA Vacancy Rate Average Rent in Clark County What Will Happen Next? What Will Happen Next for Seniors? Minimum Wage Increase in WA Vacancy Rate? Visit our website at https://affordablehousing465.wordpress.com/ 6
Economic Homelessness No barriers to renting other than inadequate income. Economic Homelessness Different Reasons, Different Solutions Affordable Housing - Low-cost housing - Transportation Economic Homelessness Dependent solely on Social Security/SSI Low-wage job (or even medium-wage) Transitional Housing & Shelters - Mentoring - Case Management Housing First - Stable housing - Health care Situational Homelessness Chronic Homelessness 26 Clark County s Affordable Housing Gap As People of Faith, What Can We DO? 3000 to 6000 units short 3000 to 6000 units short Not enough lowcost housing Longer shelter stays Let s take a look at filling the housing gap More people on the street Visit our website at https://affordablehousing465.wordpress.com/ 7
Good News: We Have Builders Apartments & Multiplexes (VHA) REACH Second Step Houses Habitat for Humanity Proud Gr Builders Want Patient Land 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 New Methods: 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 Rent to Low-Income Households Want to rent to low-income? Worried about risk? Two programs to reduce landlord risk: Share ASPIRE Second Step Story Street Can start with a single unit. Rent subsidies paid directly to landlord Participants become model tenants via RentWell education, case management Landlord has 24/7 support from case mgrs Faith Partners for Housing Contact: Kathy Iberle Visit our website at https://affordablehousing465.wordpress.com/ 8
Possibility: Shared Housing 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 Different Kinds of Tiny Houses A Hut No plumbing Shared bathrooms No kitchen No heat Often no electricity A Cottage Toilet/Sink Shared showers Shared kitchen Heat Full electricity Land and permits are part of the cost A House Toilet/Sink Shower Kitchen Heat Full electricity Pilot program in 2015 placed 20+ people Less than $2000 per household! Permanent program would be $50K per year Portland homeless village Quixote Village in Olympia A tiny house on AirBnB Many Possible Solutions 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 What is my dream? 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. Turn your worksheet over Write your dream for our community 36 Visit our website at https://affordablehousing465.wordpress.com/ 9
We ve Learned 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. Question and Answer There are things we can do Where will you go? Visit our website at https://affordablehousing465.wordpress.com/ 10