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HIGH PRICES Advocates push for action on housing costs Forum will examine options to keep rental and sales prices reasonable Comment By John Darling for the Tidings DailyTidings.com By John Darling for the Tidings Posted Aug. 9, 2016 at 4:13 PM By John Darling for the Tidings Posted Aug. 9, 2016 at 4:13 PM » Social News In an attempt to lessen the impact of the Ashland housing squeeze on renters, housing advocates may push for the city to consider requiring 90-days' notice of evictions and rent increases — and perhaps even suggest the city start putting aside money to spur affordable development. These and other issues will be on the table at an Affordable Housing Forum with the Ashland Housing and Human Services Commission, Unite Oregon and the Interfaith Social Justice Coalition at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 10, in the Gresham Room of the Ashland library. The preliminary findings of an affordable housing survey, mainly in Ashland, will be presented by Michelle Glass of Unite Oregon, formerly Oregon Action and should point the way to future strategies for Ashland, which has an extremely low rental vacancy rate. The forum’s goals are to “give people some positive solutions for the housing crisis, the costs of housing and to present several new tools,” said Rich Rohde, a member of the city's Housing and Human Services Commission and former head of Oregon Action. The forum will look at new housing legislation, inclusionary zoning — which requires affordable housing as a percentage of all new developments — and “shelter options for the homeless,” he said. The city also could fund its Housing Trust Fund, Rohde says. "It’s been part of the budget for 10 years, but they don’t have any money in it," he says. "Such a fund is being used all over the country. It’s a funding tool to address affordable housing and the City Council can make it a priority to put in real funds from a dedicated source.” Many cities, including Portland, have passed laws requiring a 90-day notice of eviction or rent increases. “We’ll be looking at a new ordinance for rental rights, which the Legislature will be studying, so you don’t see situations where (local residents) are being given 30-days' notice to move,” says Rohde. “You can’t find a house in 30 days in Ashland, but 90 days gives you a fighting chance.” City Councilor Pam Marsh, the council liaison to the Housing Commission says Oregon doesn’t allow rent control and that — while she has no objection — she hasn’t heard of any 90-day notice proposal coming before the council. But, she says, the forum is a start on “what we can do about the housing crisis to protect renters and further develop our housing stock.” The city’s Community Development Block Grant, funding provided by the federal government every year that often goes to non-profits, isn’t enough to help much with a housing trust fund and can be used only for certain expenses, says Marsh. “We’re in a housing crisis with the average purchase price of a house here now at $450,000,” says Marsh, who is also the Democratic nominee for state representative for the Ashland area. "We’re only in the beginning stages of dealing with this. So, in the meantime, the 90-day notice seems reasonable to me, and I say that as a landlord." Marsh notes that housing starts were badly depressed in the recession, “so now, we’re behind the 8-ball as population grows." "It’s easy to define the crisis but hard to affect it," she says. "Our housing trust fund has a little bit of money in it from land sales, but there’s no ongoing infusion of money for it. Its potential is to be used to help a developer with upfront costs, land costs and other barriers in the funding stream. It could help keep affordable rentals on the market.” Wednesday’s forum, she says, is “a first step for the community to come together and start a serious conversation and identify the subjects. It’s a scoping meeting, to identify the strands of the discussion going on.” John Darling is an Ashland freelance writer. Reach him at [email protected]. By John Darling for the Tidings DailyTidings.com By John Darling for the Tidings Posted Aug. 9, 2016 at 4:13 PM » 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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