By David Gordon, associate editor
Lack of transportation, complex federal regulations, the lack of a centralized housing agency and the impending loss of major federal funding were all noted Monday evening as contributing factors to an affordable housing crisis here – one that most people are unaware of.
The comments came during a JONAH forum on affordable housing that drew more than 75 people who packed the community room at First Congregational United Church of Christ in Eau Claire. The forum was a follow-up to one in late February that drew about 60 people to a discussion of homelessness and poverty in Eau Claire County.
JONAH (Joining Our Neighbors, Advancing Hope) is a largely faith-based grassroots organization that focuses on social justice issues.
Paul Savides, a long-time JONAH member who organized both forums, said that dealing successfully with problems of homelessness and poverty will require both money and people’s time. He added that the Eau Claire community needs to start acting as if it faces the housing crisis that does in fact exist.
Savides noted that La Crosse has made impressive progress in combatting homelessness by coordinating the groups that are working on various aspects of the problem and aiming for a collaborative approach.
Dr. Kenneth Adler, a founder of the Chippewa Valley Free Clinic and recently an activist in regard to homelessness, said that transportation to area locations where job are located is “the crux of the problem for homeless single men who want work.” Adler said that efforts are underway to acquire a van that can be used to drive people to and from work – an effort that will require a large number of volunteer drivers.
Adler said the cure for homelessness isn’t shelters or “tiny houses.” Rather, he said, it requires an available supply of subsidized rental housing along with intensive case management efforts that refer people to the resources they need to deal with their specific problems.
Ten subsidized rental units have been available here, he said, but federal funding for the local program will end on June 30. Many efforts are underway to secure replacement funds and preserve the “rapid rehousing” program that last year moved 60 homeless families into temporary housing and then into more permanent locations, Adler said , and then quipped that the goal for reducing homelessness here is “ZerEau.”
“What we need to do at the end of the day is prioritize what we want to do and then go out and find the money,” he said, before adding that he was confident that this funding can be found here.
Debbie Gough, who is active with Adler in PORCH, said one problem with current subsidized housing is that eligibility depends on whether a person is truly homeless, as indicated by living in a shelter or sleeping in cars. Living even briefly with friends or family makes that person ineligible under federal regulations, she said.
Another problem, Gough said, is the lack of a single location where people can apply for subsidized housing and get guidance for navigating that process. Bergen County, NJ, is one of the few places that now has such a centralized operation, she said.
Helene Smiar provided information on the Historic Randall Park Revitalization Corp., which she said is really a development corporation that’s looking to rehabilitate older homes in the area as students move out to more modern apartments. The larger goal is to create a supply of affordable rentals in the Randall Park area that would begin to meet Eau Claire’s huge need for affordable housing, she said.
Smiar said the corporation, which has 501(c)(3) status, is looking for an accountant who will provide pro bono guidance on how to make best use of various government programs. She also noted that some funds generated by the Water Street tax increment district are intended for use outside the district’s boundaries and therefore could be utilized to help revitalize the Randall Park area.
Chris Hedlund, program director for Hope Gospel Mission, provided an overview of plans for a new facility on Eau Claire’s northwest side. He said the current building at 8 S. Farwell St. has housing only for single adult men and women and noted that the new facility will be larger and will also provide space to serve women with children.
Note: the large photos that accompany this article were taken by Shannon Joshi and provided by JONAH.