City of Lawrence, Kansas

HOMELESS ISSUES ADVISORY COMMITTEE

November 13, 2012 Minutes (Lawrence City Commission Room)

Members present: Hubbard Collinsworth (at-large), Brad Cook (Bert Nash Homeless Outreach Team), Brent Hoffman (Family Promise), Lt. Matt McCluer (Salvation Army), Trent McKinley (LPD), Cary Strong (Lawrence Business Community)

Members absent: Karin Feltman (LMH), Elyse Towey (LDCHA)

Staff present: Danelle Dresslar, Margene Swarts, Tony Hoch

Public present: CJ Brune, Saunny Scott, Dana Ortiz (Family Promise), Pat Benabe (Coalition for Homeless Concerns), Carol Taylor (The Salvation Army), Mike Brouwer (Douglas County Sheriff’s Office Re-Entry Program), Robert Kortlucke (LCS)

The meeting was called to order at 8:35 am by Chair Cook.

ITEM NO. 1 Introductions

The members of the HIAC and guests introduced themselves.

Swarts introduced Mike Brouwer, who is the new director of the Re-Entry program at the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office. Brouwer will be taking the place of Shannon Murphy on the HIAC.

Brouwer said he was in his second month at the Sheriff’s Office in Douglas County and he was formerly with the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office. He was also an employee for 13 years at Johnson County Mental Health. He said he would be looking into improving the behavioral programming at the jail, as well as working to improve relations with Bert Nash. He said he had lunch with representatives of the Lawrence Community Shelter last week and he is excited about having them as neighbors when the shelter relocation takes place. He said overall he is looking forward to more agency collaboration all around.

ITEM NO. 2 Approval of the Agenda and the October 9, 2012 Minutes.

Motion by Collinsworth to approve the Agenda and the October 9, 2012 meeting minutes of the HIAC; seconded by McCluer.

Motion passed unanimously.

ITEM NO. 3 Housing Vision Reports

A. Non-Housing – LMH Emergency Room Statistics

Deferred. Feltman was not in attendance.

B. Emergency Shelter/Temporary Housing – Lawrence Community Shelter

Cook said LCS is still scheduled to move the end of December or early January. There was a fundraiser over the weekend as well.

Swarts asked Cook about the article in the Lawrence Journal-World that said the shelter was partnering with Berry Plastics in a work program initiative. Cook said the first he was aware of that partnership was also in the newspaper article.

C. Transitional Housing/Supportive Services – LDCHA

No report from LDCHA.

D. Permanent Supportive Housing – Salvation Army Project Able

Carol Taylor, case manager with Project Able Supportive Services, said they are up and running with their Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH) program that was funded under the Continuum of Care program. There are four households currently in the program, and it is targeted towards homeless individuals and families. At least one adult in the household has to be disabled or receive SSI or SSDI. The housing is attached to long term case management services. She said it is hard to gain the trust of someone who is homeless so the case managers work very hard on that relationship. There is an evaluation and assessment, as well as ongoing services through the Salvation Army as well as links to other resources. The program is limited to ten vouchers and there is very intensive case management with each unit.

Collinsworth asked McCluer if the Salvation Army had received any funding cuts.

McCluer said the agency has historically operated with a very bare-bones budget just like many non-profits. There have not been any large political funding cuts that they have felt, and other than the HUD CoC grants for both the PSH program and the supportive services the agency does not have much federal grant funding.

E. Permanent Housing – Community Development Division Housing Programs.

Tony Hoch, Project Specialist in the City of Lawrence Community Development Division, said the City has programs that help keep people in their homes. These programs are funded by Community Development Block Grant funds. These activities include an Emergency Loan program, Furnace Loan program, accessibility improvements program, Weatherization program, and Comprehensive Housing Rehabilitation program. Hoch provided this brochure to the committee. All homeowners must be income-eligible and less than 80% of area median income.

Hoch said up to $25,000 can be used in the Comprehensive Rehabilitation program and this program is not a “Better Homes and Gardens” program. The purpose of the program is to assist income-eligible homeowners to make necessary repairs to their homes to help bring it up to the minimum code standard. These repairs can include plumbing, electrical, foundation, roof, or structural repairs, and while there are times that the necessary repairs may put the homeowner over the program limits, homeowners can also put their own money into the repairs up to a point. There are two versions of the program. One is a forgiveness program where 50% of the loan is forgiven after a homeowner is in their house for seven years post-project. This is a no interest loan with a required monthly payment of $50. It is secured with a mortgage. The only difference in the second version of the program is that no monthly payment is required. This version of the program is for those who are 65 and older.

Hoch said the Emergency and Furnace loan programs have no monthly payment requirements and are limited to $5,000. These programs can assist with repairs much like the Comprehensive Rehabilitation program, but on a smaller scale. These programs are homeowner-driven in that the homeowner is expected to get at least three bids for the work that needs to be done. Hoch said new for 2013 is an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rule that has to do with only allowing the installation of high-efficiency furnaces. This may cause some homeowners in the program problems in the future because of the placement of their current furnace and how the new furnaces will need to be vented. Unlike the Comprehensive Rehabilitation program, this program is available to mobile home homeowners as well with a program limit of $2,500.

Hoch said the Weatherization program assists homeowners with energy improvements such as storm windows, attic insulation, and weather stripping of doors. The department takes applications for this program once a year in August. This is a grant program to the homeowner, and as with the other programs there are income guidelines. Division staff conducts inspections of all the properties that have been deemed a qualified application, and while there is no dollar amount allotment per house the repairs made are only repairs that are needed. Hoch said all the programs offered by the Community Development Division are very rewarding from the staff’s point of view, and people appreciate what the programs are able to do for them to help them remain in their homes by making essential and necessary repairs.

Swarts said this was one-time assistance. She said once a property has been assisted with weatherization improvements, it is not eligible for further weatherization. The exception would be any house that received attic insulation prior to 1991 is eligible for an upgrade on that element since there has been an increase in R-value specifications in the program. The programs offer help to the homeowners, but it is still up to them to maintain those repairs. There is plenty of need in the community.

McCluer asked for an explanation of how much of the Comprehensive Rehabilitation loan is forgiven if a homeowner reaches the seven year point after the work is complete.

Hoch said 50% is forgiven of the original balance. If a homeowner had a $20,000 mortgage and had made seven years of $50 payments, the balance would be 50% of the original $20,000, minus $4,200. The remaining balance would be $5,800. If the homeowner sells prior to the seven year mark there is a sliding forgiveness scale.

McCluer asked what definition of “necessary work” does the City use.

Swarts said minimum housing standards and HQS.

McCluer asked if the homeowner is allowed to provide a list of repairs.

Swarts said they do with the initial application, and they can have a discussion about other items. Some wants and desires may fit into the scope of the project and be completed because they are part of the program, but it is not a remodeling activity.

ITEM NO. 4 Miscellaneous/Calendar

Dresslar reminded the HIAC that the required Point-In-Time homeless count was occurring on January 23^,2013. The count will be a seven day long count, with the night of January 23 being the night recorded. More information to the local agencies will be forthcoming.

McCluer asked if any movement had been made on the drop-in center issue.

Cook said meetings are taking place and it is still being discussed by a few groups.

ITEM NO. 5 Public Comment.

Robert Kortlucke, LCS, said there would be a community summit and collaboration meeting on November 14 from 9-11am. There would be various community agency representation and there would be directors from both Family Promise and LCS in attendance. Also there is a fundraiser at Bambino’s restaurant on December 5 and December 6. All dinners will be 15% off and a portion will go to LCS.

Ortiz said the community meeting that Kortlucke was referring to is for homelessness awareness for social service providers. They will be talking together about clients and needs and gaps. Ortiz said Family Promise has two fundraisers on tap as well, including Three Spoons on Friday, November 14. On that day 25% of their proceeds will go the Family Promise. Also, Monday, November 19 will be a fundraiser at On the Border.

ITEM NO. 6 Adjourn.

Motion by McCluer to adjourn the November 13, 2012 meeting of the HIAC; seconded by Hoffman.

Motion passed unanimously.

Attendance Record

Members

01/12

02/12

03/12

04/12

05/12

06/12

07/12

08/12

09/12

10/12

11/12

12/ 12

Hubbard Collinsworth

Brad Cook

Wes

Dalberg

Karin Feltman

Brent Hoffman

Matt McCluer

Trent McKinley

Mike

Monroe

Shannon Murphy

Cary

Strong

Elyse

Towey

X - Meeting Cancelled Due to Inclement Weather

E - Excused Absence

U - Unexcused Absence

() – Last meeting in term.

* - First meeting in term.

^ - Last Meeting