PORT TOWNSEND — A joint housing oversight board conducted its first meeting in Jefferson County on Wednesday, setting its sights on a facilitator and task force to help tackle the housing crisis.
Port Townsend City Council member Michelle Sandoval and Jefferson County Commissioner David Sullivan agreed to reconvene next week to finalize a request for proposals (RFP) for the facilitator’s position and to review an advertisement and application for Local Homeless Housing Task Force members.
Meeting Tuesday
The two-member Joint Oversight Board on Affordable Housing and Homeless Housing will reconvene at 9 a.m. Tuesday.
“I think we need to get moving on this fairly soon,” Sullivan said in a two-hour meeting Wednesday at the Jefferson County Courthouse.
The Joint Oversight Board, which eventually will add three members from the task force, was created by an interlocal agreement between the city and the county that was signed late last year.
The goal is to “support affordable housing and homeless housing programs” under state statutes that allow cities and counties to use revenue from recording fees to provide housing and homeless services, according to the city-county pact.
The Joint Oversight Board will review documents prepared by the facilitator and task force and forward recommendations to the Jefferson County commissioners.
Jefferson County Administrator Philip Morley, who convened the oversight board meeting, provided a financial summary of the county’s affordable housing and homeless housing funds and shared ideas about the facilitator’s scope of work and task force membership.
“For the next meeting, we’ll review the RFP and try to get that finalized,” Morley said, “and I’ll bring forward a draft advertisement and application for the task force.”
The facilitator will assist the task force in developing a new five-year homeless housing plan, using an existing 10-year plan as a benchmark.
According to the interlocal agreement, the five-year plan must be submitted to Jefferson County commissioners by Oct. 1 for adoption on or before Dec. 1.
Last year, the state Legislature increased recording fees on real estate documents and title transfers to support affordable and homeless housing projects.
The legislation produced a “good bump” in revenue for shelters and other homeless housing efforts and a “very modest bump” in revenue for affordable housing, Morley said.
“We’d be having a very different conversation if it hadn’t passed,” Sullivan said.
Jefferson County ended 2018 with $410,852 in its affordable housing and homeless housing fund, Morley said.
The funds were divided into affordable housing (fund 148) and homeless housing (fund 149) in January.
The 2019 budget shows year-end balances of $151,516 for affordable housing and $330,000 for homeless housing, Morley said.
“These numbers don’t have any kind of reserve that has been set aside,” Morley told the oversight board.
“So that, again, is one of the things this board will need to give some consideration to as a recommendation.”
Morley provided a list of possible membership categories for the Local Homeless Housing Task Force, which will include members of the Joint Oversight Board.
The categories include city and county representatives, homeless or formerly homeless individuals, local housing authorities, nonprofits, civic and faith organizations, schools, community networks, law enforcement and criminal justice officials, businesses, realtors and substance abuse, mental health and emergency health care providers.
“I don’t think it’s going to be a hard task force to fill, personally,” Sandoval said.
“I think there’s a lot of people who are engaged in this issue. We just need to be sure that it is well rounded, well represented and that it’s as diverse as we can make it.”
Sandoval suggested that the task force be composed of about 11 members.
“Let’s see who we can get,” she said.
Sandoval, a former mayor, said she would review the draft RFP with city administration.
Morley suggested that the Joint Oversight Board narrow the scope of work for the facilitator “so that it doesn’t invite a Cadillac.”
“I’m worried about the price tag,” Morley said.
Morley said the Joint Oversight Board should appoint a facilitator by early May.
“I feel the pressure of getting everything together in time for the Dec. 1 deadline for the five-year homeless plan update,” Sullivan said in a later interview.
“It takes a while to advertise things and to get people on board and hire a facilitator.
“We’ve got our work cut out for us,” Sullivan added, “but I think the community’s ready for it.
“A lot of people are.”
During the meeting, Sandoval said she was heartened by the “tremendous outpouring” of community support for the homeless during the recent winter storms.
“I have high hopes that we’ll be able to get the citizens involved — not just nonprofits — but the citizens involved to try to help us with this,” Sandoval said.
Sandoval said local governments should work together on housing issues and identify surplus land for projects to help address the housing crisis.
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Reporter Rob Ollikainen can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 56450, or at rollikainen@peninsuladailynews.com.
