Next steps – N/NE Neighborhood Housing Strategy

Forum wrap-up  Comments due back November 25

The summary of what we heard at the forum highlighting common themes was emailed to all attendees who provided an email address.

Faith leader meeting  December 4 from 6:30 – 8:30 pm

Bishop Holt and I have invited all of the faith leaders with congregations in N/NE area (over 100) to a meeting at PHB. We’ll review with them what we heard at the forums, hear what they’d add, what specific recommendations they have, and how they’d like to stay engaged.

Recommendations generated  Due December 10

We’ve invited a more select group of people knowledgeable about housing and this community to provide specific recommendations based on what we heard in the forum. This list includes a lot of current providers as well as people with business and development experience with a connection to the community. Staff will also generate specific ideas based on what they heard and sort what comes in.

Recommendation review  December 12

We’re asking a group of people who work in this community and or directly with the people we want this money to reach to spend half a day with us winnowing down the recommendations we’ve received. This group is advisory, contains no one who will directly benefit from the investment, and will meet just one time. We do not expect consensus on all items.

Staff work on recommendations and feasibility  December 15 – January 6

Start shaping the recommendation to Council. This time will include a lot of the practical and numbers crunching work about what can be done with TIF, what is the system capacity and what will it take to augment it, what if any data do we need, budgeting, timeline, prioritizing etc. We’ll also work with PDC and Multnomah County about what their early commitments can be. (Some of this work is happening now but will become more specific.)

Draft Decision Package to BAC  January 6 or 13

We anticipate submitting a Decision Package for things that came up as a high priority but aren’t TIF eligible.

Draft report for stakeholder review  first half of January

Identify members of Community Accountability Committee  through end of January

We have committed to forming an “Accountability Committee” (suggestions for a better name welcome!) that is made up of community members that we report to on progress against our commitments. It has also been framed as a space for mutual accountability, for the City and community members. Bishop Holt has agreed to lead this group. I anticipate that in addition to its primary mission of public accountability, over time it will aspire issues of community and economic development that many are looking for, but acknowledge are beyond just a housing issue. Council would ‘seat’ this committee at the same meeting they receive the recommendations.

City Council  end of January