[Vision2020] Affordable Housing Crisis Bearing Fruit

[Tom Hansen]

Proof once again that some peoples' concerns extend beyond corporate 
America's bottom-line.

Right on queue with Moscow . . .

http://moscowcares.com/120108_FairAffordHsgCommFundReq.htm
 
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>From today's (December 3, 2008) Spokesman Review -

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Affordable housing crisis bearing fruit 
Rebecca Nappi 
Staff writer
December 3, 2008

The displacement of low-income residents two summers ago by upscale 
developments in downtown Spokane became a civic emergency. Meanwhile, the 
region's business leaders, especially those in North Idaho, were 
brainstorming ways to house lower-income workers who support the region's 
tourism.

The real estate boom that forced some from their homes seemed unstoppable. 
But stop it did: Monday, the country was officially declared in a 
recession. The boom became a bust.

But good news surfaced at Tuesday's annual meeting of the Spokane Low 
Income Housing Consortium. The affordable housing crisis of 2007 forced 
the region's best housing experts to work together on solutions. They are 
now committed to sharing resources, and they plan to lobby together for 
increasingly limited state and federal housing funds.

 
"The infrastructure is in place now to deal with this crisis," said Cindy 
Algeo, executive director of the consortium. It is estimated that 400 
units must come online every year for 10 years to meet the region's 
affordable housing needs. 

Within the next few months, plans will be announced to meet that demand:

•On Dec. 17, a regional affordable-housing task force will present its 
final recommendations for addressing low-income housing. Among its 
expected recommendations: Ten percent of all new housing in the region 
should be set aside for affordable housing.

•At the end of January, a regional 10-year plan to reduce homelessness 
will be completed. One expected strategy will be to get homeless people in 
permanent housing as quickly as possible, reducing time in transitional 
housing.

None of the housing experts Tuesday downplayed the challenges. 

"People are skittish," Algeo said. "There isn't much incentive for 
investors. It's very challenging to put together financing for low-income 
housing."

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Seeya round town, Moscow.

Tom Hansen
Moscow, Idaho
 
"For a lapse Lutheran born-again Buddhist pan-Humanist Universalist 
Unitarian Wiccan Agnostic like myself there's really no reason ever to go 
to work."

- Roy Zimmerman


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