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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Student of the Month award presented to Phoenix Ash-Potts ... Shocking facts about electrical safety ... Lithia water fountain on Plaza turned off ... Student of the Month award presented to Phoenix Ash-Potts ... Shocking facts about electrical safety ... Lithia water fountain on Plaza turned off ... COUNCIL CORNER Council Corner: A place to live in Ashland Comment By Pam Marsh DailyTidings.com By Pam Marsh Posted Feb. 2, 2016 at 12:01 AM By Pam Marsh Posted Feb. 2, 2016 at 12:01 AM » Social News When the Oregon Legislature convenes this week, the state’s housing crisis will be high on the agenda. This is not just a theoretical conversation. Here in Ashland, every day we see real people struggling to find a place to live. For example: Frank is on disability and living on the streets. His income is $733/month. Jake is a single father of three kids and looking for a three-bedroom place. He works as a chef, making $35,000/year. Ivey is a student. She works and receives financial aid, with annual income at $20,000. How will these folks fare in our Ashland housing market? Let’s look at the data. Citywide, 55 percent of us own our homes and 45 percent of us rent. That compares to 62 percent home ownership in Oregon and 66 percent nationwide. As a result, a higher than average number of Ashlanders are dependent on the rental market. Right now, our rental vacancy rate is hovering at 1-2 percent. Most people agree that a healthy rental market has a vacancy rate of about 5 percent, so ours is in big trouble. The very low number of vacancies presents a tremendous obstacle for anyone — even the most affluent among us — looking for rental housing. But, of course, rental issues hit low-income residents the hardest. Eighty-five percent of those at or below the poverty rate rent, while just 40 percent of more affluent residents are renters. And with a countywide poverty rate of 17 percent and a median income below the state average, many of us enter the housing market with few dollars to spare. So how does all this affect the real life humans we mentioned at the top of this column? Budgeting guidelines suggest that rent should require no more than 30 percent of an individual’s monthly wage. That means Frank could afford to spend $219/month on rent; Jake could spend $875; and Ivey can budget $500. To see if our friends can compete in the rental market, take a look at Craigslist. This weekend, listings for 3-bedroom units ranged from $1,400 to over $2,000 and 2-bedrooms started at $875 and up. The least expensive studio was listed at $675, although a few college students were offering to share units at a cost of about $500/month. Ivey, our student, might be able to snag a share or push her budget to get the lowest priced studio. The least expensive 3-bedroom would cost Jake nearly half his monthly income, so that’s out. He’ll need to cram his family into a 2-bedroom or move out of town. And Frank? He’ll remain homeless unless advocates can find him an affordable unit with a significant subsidy. These are discouraging stories and sometimes it doesn’t feel like we’re making any headway on housing. Still, the city of Ashland continues to look for ways to increase the housing supply and, specifically, availability of affordable housing. For example: City grant funding. The city’s social service grant program allocates funding to support community nonprofit agencies. This year, organizations that provide resource and referral services to residents in need of housing were prioritized. In addition, the Maslow Project and St. Vincent de Paul received Community Development Block Grant funding to provide direct financial support for residents experiencing a housing crisis. Land-use planning. Finally approved, the Normal Street master plan calls for modest-sized homes that would support a great, multi-generational neighborhood. Of the homes that will be built, our annexation ordinance requires that approximately 25 percent be affordable. Housing Trust Fund. Ashland’s Housing and Human Services Commission is trying to revitalize the city’s Housing Trust Fund. This structure for this fund was set in place several years ago but it lacks an ongoing source of revenue. When that happens, the trust fund will allow the city to provide targeted assistance to affordable housing projects. State solutions. Through our local legislators, the city of Ashland monitors and, on occasion, weighs in on issues at play in Salem. Several measures will come before the Legislature in February, including one that would give Oregon cities the option of requiring affordable housing as part of new developments. We will be watching for housing initiatives that might be of value to Ashland. Pam Marsh is a member of the Ashland City Council. By Pam Marsh DailyTidings.com By Pam Marsh Posted Feb. 2, 2016 at 12:01 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... 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