BLYN — Brainstorming solutions to affordable housing and homelessness needs on the North Olympic Peninsula will be the topic of the sixth annual forum on affordable housing and ending homelessness Nov. 16.
The free regional forum will be from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at 7 Cedars Casino on U.S. Highway 101 in Blyn.
Registration will open at 9:30 a.m. with a light continental breakfast.
The agenda includes “Ending Homelessness When There is Too Little Housing,” “The Challenging Process of Acquiring Funding to Develop Housing,” “A New Funding Option: HB2263 – Local Option Housing Levels” and “Housing Levies in Washington State: Bellingham, Seattle, Clark County.”
The sessions will be followed by a round-table discussion, “Coming Up with Money to Build Housing and Operate Housing Programs.”
The forum will bring together housing specialists, advocates and elected officials from Jefferson and Clallam counties.
Among them will be Dale Wilson, executive director of Olympic Community Action Programs; Kay Kassinger, executive director of Peninsula Housing Authority; Wendy Lawrence, executive director of the Makah Housing Authority and member of the Washington Housing Finance Commission; and Kathy Morgan, housing program director for OlyCAP.
Also speaking will be Dave Finlay, past executive director of the Whatcom County Opportunity Council, and Kate Baber, homelessness policy and advocacy specialist with the Washington Low Income Housing Alliance.
At noon, attendees will break for food provided by 7 Cedars catering and the Jamestown S’Klallam tribe.
To ensure adequate food at the luncheon, RSVPs are requested to Laura Jorgensen at OlyCAP via lmjorgensen@olycap.org.
The event is sponsored by Olympic Community Action Programs, Shelter Providers Network of Clallam County, Housing Action Plan Network of Jefferson County, Serenity House of Clallam County and Peninsula Housing Authority, and is hosted by the Jamestown S’Klallam tribe.
