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Learn about the City's plan to construct and move the water treatment plant - Clean drinking water is an essential right

Workforce Housing Handbook

The attached handbook was distributed at the February 21, 2006 Workforce Housing Summit. The handbook provides housing and economic data for Jackson, Josephine and Curry County. This data demonstrates that the cost of housing in these regions has consistently outpaced wage increases and as a region we have reached the point where median income families can not afford home ownership. Employers have expressed that the impact of the regions high housing costs has made recruiting and retaining even relatively high wage employees difficult. The economic impacts of high housing costs go far beyond appreciation in equity for existing individual homeowners. The economic growth and vitality of our communities relies on addressing this issue in a comprehensive and lasting way.

The Workforce Housing Summit addressed numerous strategies that can be employed by both public and private interests to address the need for workforce housing. Further information on the Summit's findings can be obtained by contacting Linda Reid at reidl@ashland.or.us.