Document text
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 Herb Rothschild Jr.: Missing Jon Stewart ... Ticket Availability ... SOU childcare center will reopen ... Herb Rothschild Jr.: Missing Jon Stewart ... Ticket Availability ... SOU childcare center will reopen ... COUNCIL CORNER Council Corner: Affordable housing facts are hard to ignore Comment By Rich Rosenthal DailyTidings.com By Rich Rosenthal Posted May. 26, 2015 at 12:01 AM By Rich Rosenthal Posted May. 26, 2015 at 12:01 AM » Social News City councilors read a slew of agenda item commentaries, master plans, budget reports, contracts, planning documents, etc. Being an unabashed policy wonk, I find most of the content interesting, and I've certainly learned a lot over the past two-and-a-half years. For those who enjoy obscure local statistics, the 2014 citizen survey results and the newly adopted 2015-19 Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Consolidated Plan are must-reads. These documents generally don't attract attention, but they independently identify and quantify a major civic problem: the shortage of affordable housing. The community survey, conducted every two years by the National Research Center, reinforced what we already know: Ashland's quality of life is off the charts. Residents also gave the city high marks for governance, parks, recreation, education and many other important characteristics. However, a notable statistic really stood out, and it, too, comes as no surprise: Only 15 percent of respondents said there is adequate supply of affordable housing in Ashland. Meanwhile, the CDBG Consolidated Plan drills into the depth and breadth of the issue. The report states that between 2000 and 2010, mortgage costs for Ashland homeowners skyrocketed 53 percent and rental costs increased 47 percent but median household income rose only 23 percent, which exacerbated demand. The report also indicates one-third of the 9,325 households in Ashland are burdened by housing costs in excess of 30 percent of the total household gross income — the federal economic definition of "affordable housing." In fact, 22 percent of Ashland homes are burdened in excess of 50 percent of household income. Given these troubling facts, what is the city doing about the problem? Building affordable housing has been a primary City Council goal for over a decade, and a variety of land-use policies, development incentives and partnerships with nonprofit agencies resulted in the construction or rehabilitation of 96 affordable housing units since 2004. However, only nine have been built since 2011 because of economic conditions, the lack of large-scale residential growth and the small amount of available buildable lands in comparison with other cities. The proper policy mechanisms are in place, including a housing trust fund, the formation of a new Housing and Human Services Commission and the receipt of CDBG funds from the federal government, but we're trying to catch a speed boat with a row boat, especially considering that the city's urban growth boundary won't expand anytime soon. Consequently, the City Council must not squander reasonable and feasible opportunities to develop long-term housing units that will be priced within the economic reach of the greatest possible number — even if it means displacing a large tree. Rich Rosenthal is a member of the Ashland City Council. By Rich Rosenthal DailyTidings.com By Rich Rosenthal Posted May. 26, 2015 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... Business Name address Location, ST | website.com Find Southern Oregon Attractions Bars Restaurants Beauty Salons Entertainment Doctors Medical Specialists Contractors Education Lawn Services Lawyers Shopping Travel Tanning Used Cars Wedding Services ▼ Add your business here + Events Calendar Connect with DailyTidings.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Alerts Email alerts RSS feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Propel Marketing Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Mobile Site 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. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2015 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. DailyTidings.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501