Ashland Housing and Human Services Commission
Minutes August 27, 2015
CALL TO ORDER
Vice Chair Matthews called the meeting to order at 4:44 pm in the Siskiyou Room at the Community Development and Engineering Offices located at 51 Winburn Way, Ashland OR 97520.
 

Commissioners Present:	Council Liaison
Gina DuQuenne	Pam Marsh, arrived at 5:00 pm
Rich Rohde
Heidi Parker	SOU Liaison
Sue Crader	Vacant
Regina Ayars
Coriann Matthews	Staff Present:
Commissioners Absent:	Linda Reid, Housing Specialist
Sue Crader	Brandon Goldman, Senior Planner
Joshua Boettiger

Approval of Minutes
Parker/Rohde m/s to approve the minutes of the July 23, 2015 Housing and Human Services Commission meeting.  Voice Vote: All ayes, minutes were approved as presented.
 
Public Forum
No one from the public spoke
 
Commissioner Fair Housing Training
Louise Dix of the Fair Housing Council of Oregon provided a fair housing training to elected and appointed officials.  Parker asked about chemical sensitivity cases and how those issues get resolved.  Dix explained that the FHCO would work with the tenants and the property owner/landlords to determine accommodations.  A question about fair housing laws and how they apply to the Emergency cold weather Shelter.  Dix explained that because the shelter is temporary is not subject to fair housing laws. 
           
Student Fair Housing Discussion
Reid and Megan Mercier (ASSOU student government liaison) discussed the potential next steps for the student fair housing council directive.  Audience member and Rogue Valley Association of Realtor’s representative Kay Harrison is willing to get information to the RVAR, they meet the third wed. of every month.  Kay doesn’t’ believe that there are any property managers at RVAR, and suggested that the students should do a presentation to SOROA.  Mercier feels that source of income and occupation are bigger issues for college students and that using them as a protected class, rather than student status might be more palatable to the public.  A comment was made that age is another good option.  Reid mentioned that disparate impact is another possibility for protecting students from discrimination if demographically students could be shown to disproportionately be comprised of a protected class. 
Marsh thinks that age would be a hard sell.  Also there is a lot of competition for rental housing. 
Occupation is rising to the top.  Mercier will talk to the demographic department and to the Q (queer resource center and the WMRC to get some demographic info on the student populations and see if there is data to support disparate impact.
                       
Housing Trust Fund Discussion and Next Steps
Goldman provided a brief overview on the history of the AHTF, Goldman noted that when the HTF was created, that language was incorporated to make sure that the HTF eligible uses could be flexible in response to housing market changes.  The framework is intentionally broad with the idea that priority uses would be identified annually.  Goldman also provided an overview of the talking points from the subcommittee meeting held in August which included potential project costs/proformas, and potential properties, and data that supports housing needs. 
                       
Liaison Reports
Pam gave an update on the Normal neighborhood plan Tuesday, September. 1^st.  Developers are saying that the lack of land hampers new affordable housing development.
Water issues were mentioned- with regard to future growth of the community.  Goldman mentioned that the water master plan accounts for future growth and water usage.
Reid announced that the Commission’s annual update to the council was moved to October 20.  Reid also announced that there was a VA mental health summit in September.
 
September 24, 2015 Meeting Agenda Items
Student Fair Housing
Housing Trust Fund
Council Update
 
Quorum Check:
Next Housing Commission Meeting – 4:30-6:30 PM; September 24, 2015
All present at today’s meeting expected to be available for the next regular meeting.
 
Adjournment
The meeting was adjourned at 6:43 p.m.
Respectfully submitted by Linda Reid