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<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2><SPAN
class=156140706-04122008>Donovan,</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2><SPAN class=156140706-04122008>Assume
that you have the opportunity, and I suggest that you do have the opportunity,
to participate in a process of creating a [partial] solution to Moscow's
"affordable housing" crisis, what more do you feel is needed to address the real
needs?</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2><SPAN
class=156140706-04122008></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2><SPAN class=156140706-04122008>Beyond
the concept of 1/3 of a family income going towards rent, what are they getting
for their $500/mo? What do they need to get? Is affordable housing
about a roof over one's head, or should their be social opportunities built-in
as well?</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2><SPAN
class=156140706-04122008></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2><SPAN class=156140706-04122008>Is
$500 for 500sf affordable? What about $500 for 1000sf + a community center
+ garden space + private outdoor space + whatever? Could you define your
expectations more clearly?</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2><SPAN
class=156140706-04122008></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2><SPAN class=156140706-04122008>Part
of the issue is the question "What is missing?", but an equally important part
is "What is the Community willing to do to participate?" What <U>value</U>
does the Community place on providing affordable housing? Apparently
Moscow's Council feels it's worth $15000-$40000 to do something towards it, and
how far will that go? I'm curious about what citizens are willing to do
too.</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2><SPAN
class=156140706-04122008></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=156140706-04122008><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2>Let me
know your thoughts.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=156140706-04122008></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=156140706-04122008><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2>Mark
</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=156140706-04122008><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff
size=2></FONT><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial><FONT color=#0000ff><FONT size=2><IMG
style="WIDTH: 148px; HEIGHT: 99px" height=219 alt="" hspace=0
src="cid:156140706@04122008-3772" width=47
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<DIV class=MsoNormal><B><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Agency FB'"><FONT
face=Arial><FONT size=2><FONT
color=#0000ff>mark.r.seman.architect<o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></FONT></SPAN></B></DIV>
<DIV class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Agency FB'"><FONT
face=Arial><FONT size=2><FONT color=#0000ff><SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN><SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN><SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>9 2 8 . 9 2 5 , 7 6 1
7<o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Tahoma size=2>-----Original
Message-----<BR><B>From:</B> vision2020-bounces@moscow.com
[mailto:vision2020-bounces@moscow.com]<B>On Behalf Of </B>Donovan
Arnold<BR><B>Sent:</B> Wednesday, December 03, 2008 7:52 PM<BR><B>To:</B>
vision2020@moscow.com; Tom Hansen<BR><B>Subject:</B> Re: [Vision2020] Affordable
Housing Crisis Bearing Fruit<BR><BR></FONT></P>
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<DIV>I think the term "affordable housing" is a hoax and mostly a
fraud as most of Moscow's affordable housing is so restrictive or
expensive we have lots of empty apartments and units while still
having lots of people that are spending 50%+ of their income on
housing. <BR></DIV>
<DIV>It is mostly a scam for property owners and companies to get
subsizdies from the government without really providing anything of
benifiet to the community. </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>My supposedly "subsidized" apartment in Moscow was $515 a month.
Tell me, please, how that is affortable housing in Moscow? I can find
unsubsidized apartments in Moscow for less than this. Why is our
government forking over taxpayer funds to apartments that charge
the market rate?</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Second, the requirements for housing are also extremely
restrictive, you have pull a Houdini to fit into the narrowly
described income bracket. If your income is a
hair too much over poverty you get disqualified. If it is too
little, you cannot afford the rent and you get disqualified. The
apartments are $500 a month, you must make $1500 to qualifity as
affording the rent, but if you make much over $1500, then you make too
much to live there, understand?</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Also, almost all of these places have a clause that you are
prevented from attending college full time and living in low income
housing (That is about 80% of Moscow's poor right there alone). Which
means you are stuck in low income housing because you cannot get a
better education for a better paying job. </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>I personally think it is a violation of a persons rights to forbid
them from attending college if they live in low income housing. Those
are exactly the people that need better education for a better job to
get out of government funded housing (DUH!). </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>In my opinion, the only legitimate low income
housing are those facilities that charge 1/3
of the family's gross income. If they did that, only poor
people would use them and it would be affortable for everyone living
there. </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Best Regards,</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Donovan</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><BR><BR>--- On <B>Wed, 12/3/08, Tom Hansen
<I><thansen@moscow.com></I></B> wrote:<BR></DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE
style="PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: rgb(16,16,255) 2px solid">From:
Tom Hansen <thansen@moscow.com><BR>Subject: [Vision2020]
Affordable Housing Crisis Bearing Fruit<BR>To:
vision2020@moscow.com<BR>Date: Wednesday, December 3, 2008, 9:40
AM<BR><BR><PRE>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
---------------------------------------------------------
>From today's (December 3, 2008) Spokesman Review -
-------------------
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."
---------------------------------------------------------
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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