Speak up for low-income housing at Dec. 14 City Council meeting

Yesterday I heard from an advocate for Salem's homeless who asked me to publicize this important message:

Advocate for low-income housing on Monday!

The Salem Housing Advisory Committee is asking that the City set aside 25% of the repurposed State Hospital property for low income housing.  The Salem Housing Commission will receive this recommendation on Monday. 

Date: 12/14/2015 
Time: 6:30 PM -‎ 10:00 PM  (Housing is first hour or so of meeting)
Location: City Hall, Council Chambers, Room 240.

Let's show up en masse in the early part of the evening to support more low income housing in Salem.

How about signs "Off our steps, off the streets-housing for the homeless now!"
Rally the troops....call or e-mail friends, other churches, etc.....

Show them the homeless have more advocates than the City ever realized!!!

Great idea. Salem's Mayor and City Council have been talking about solving this town's homeless problem for many years, but action has been minimal. 

There's a couple of ways you can urge City of Salem officials to embrace the Salem Housing Advisory Committee recommendation that 25% of the 48 acres on the State Hospital North Campus should be repurposed into affordable housing.

(1) Speak up in person for the homeless and others who need affordable housing at the Monday, December 14, 6:30 pm meeting of the Salem Housing Commission in the Council Chambers at City Hall. (Eight of the nine Commission members are Salem's eight city councilors.) 

The agenda shows that public comments will be heard at the beginning of the meeting. Three minutes is allowed for each commenter. Read the staff report about the State Hospital affordable housing proposal to learn more about what's being recommended. Or click on this PDF file.
Download Salem Affordable Housing Staff Report

(2) Email the Salem City Council, Mayor, City Manager, and other city officials at [email protected]

Tell them you support the proposal of the Salem Housing Authority Committee to allocate 25% of the repurposed State Hospital property for affordable housing. The Committee documents the need in its recommendation, as summarized by Salem Community Vision in a recent post:

SALEM HOUSING ADVISORY COMMITTEE RECOMMENDS
12 ACRES OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING AT THE NORTH CAMPUS

On Monday night the Salem City Council (meeting as the Salem Housing Authority) will hear a recommendation from the Salem Housing Advisory Committee to plan for 12 acres of affordable housing at the North Campus site on Center Street. 

Their report to Council notes that there are currently 5,254 residents on the Housing Choice Voucher waiting list.

Here's the takeaway quote from their report:

"Despite incentives and demand, private developers are not building apartments for poor people [in Salem]. Vouchers (housing subsidies) are useful, but not when there aren't enough units. In 2012, Salem had a significant deficit of nearly 6,400 affordable housing units for households earning less than $25,000 ... Given that the vacancy rate in Salem is near zero,and that one in four of those nearing retirement age has no retirement savings and no children, the situation is unlikely to improve without substantial public sector commitment sustained over the long term ..."

The currrent plan for the North Campus is to tear down all of the buildings except for the Dome Building and possibly Yaquina Hall and to offer it for sale to a developer. It seems like the Salem Housing Advisory Committee recommendation offers the Council an opportunity to consider a better plan to meet a real need in our community.

If you support the Housing Advisory Committee recommendation, consider testifying at the meeting on Monday night at 6:30 pm at City Hall or send comments to [email protected]et

Comments

[JT]

I wonder if this low end housing was proposed for in your high end south Salem area would you be so for it? I bet a lot of homeless could be helped with the money you could donate from the sale your Mini Cooper.

Save Howard Hall, save the trees! What about saving that field where families play soccer, softball and frisbee golf? Walk dogs, fly kites and bird watching amongst the walnut trees?

A housing project would transform cozy ol' D street into a just another soulless depression hole.

Still want me to come?

[Mary Ann Baclawski]

I can't make the council meeting, but I already e-mailed my councilor. Salem has to do more for the homeless. This can be one piece.

[Brian Hines]

JT, the proposal is for affordable housing to take up 12 acres of the 48 acre North Campus site. So there's plenty of room left for the planned park/open area. And I don't think "housing project" is the right word for what's being recommended.

Regardless, this is just a recommendation of the citizen committee that advises the Salem Housing Commission. If what the committee suggests isn't seriously considered, what's the point of having citizen advisory committees?

If there are good reasons not to follow the recommendation, fine. Let's hear the pros and cons of the proposal and go from there. Salem needs more mixed use developments with a variety of housing options: single family, condos, duplexes, apartments, etc. The North Campus is an excellent opportunity to do this, with a mix of affordability also.

[JT]

Trees, field and lively hood. Your politics change by location.

[Logan]

His politics change by location? Really? Do have any examples of that JT?

I've looked back over years of this blog and I'd have to say Brain seems to be extremely consistent in his views.

Perhaps you are mixing him up with someone else?

Or perhaps you don't realize how short sighted you are being in your opinion. Why so angry at the thought of affordable housing? Are you one of those people that actually think only crack heads and ex-cons need affordable housing? Verses say, your neighbors grandmother might be a more likely candidate for the need of affordable housing options in Salem. Artist might be, students and teachers surely are. Craftsmen, laborers and their families. Is the idea of sharing a bit of the 48 acres with those HUMANS so awful to you?

Nobody is advocating for a new "ghetto" JT, which you seem to be implying. What you should consider doing is showing up and saying you'd throw your support behind a mixed use proposal or something verse just slamming the door shut on people who have a valid need that we would be irresponsible as a community to (continue) to completely ignore.

Here, read over this: it at least gives you an idea behind something that might be better suited for your support: http://www.highgroundnews.com/features/MixedUse12314.aspx

Again though, try not to just "ASSUME" that the economically challenged are not the kind of people you want in your neighborhood. Being poor, doesn't mean you can't care for property. It doesn't make you a bad neighbor or a drug addict.

[Scott Whelden]

Salem Oregon city counsel should be ashamed for not addressing This city wide problem. This is the capitol city of Oregon. Home of no weekend bus service. Endless debates on how much to charge and for how long we can park downtown. Who know how much money they have blown changing their mind over and over. Tearing down signs, reinstalling new ones then tear them down too. Our homeless need our help and support. Stop not looking at them and say hi, it goes a long way, but they need real help. Something sorely lacking in Salem. Our local homeless shelters for men are a joke here. No help whatsoever to assist them getting ahead. Just rigid misguided rules that keep them from helping themselves. As far as Marion County helping forget it. Their to busy investing in their police dept and jail they need to keep full. No services to help. Just the same runaround, go here, go there, call them. On and on. Salem City Counsel wake the >>>> up. Our city needs help and competent governing.