| Saturday, September 4, 2010 |
Just looking for a home
|
New Madison Apartments resident Glenda Rahr was confused. Thursday's landlord-tenant fair was a bit of a misnomer for her, considering it lacked both landlords and available apartments.
"This is not a solution, this is a farce," said Rahr, 59, one of 60 renters scrambling to find affordable housing by mid-July when they must evacuate the low-income apartment building on West First Avenue in downtown Spokane. The half-dozen rental organizations present echoed a refrain as they passed out another sheaf of papers: sign up for the wait list.
Organizers of the fair included a collection of developers, nonprofit representatives and city officials who consider the event a first step in attacking the drastic shortage of very-low-income housing in the region. But as more than 30 residents strode in and then left disappointed, there didn't appear to be any progress.
"We've reached a point where we are not able to produce enough housing to keep up with the demand," said Larry Griffith, executive director of Spokane Community Housing Association and Salem Arms, an organization that provides low-income housing in Spokane. "If we are having this much trouble with these guys, the Otis is going to be impossible," he said, referring to the potential eviction of 106 residents from the nearby Otis Hotel in August. Thirty residents of the Commercial Building, next to the Otis, face eviction this weekend.
"We can't even figure out where to tell the (tenants) to go," Griffith said, shaking his head in frustration.
Increasing development has led to the decline in affordable rentals downtown, but city officials say they recognize the problem and are trying to address it. Marty Dickinson, president of the Downtown Spokane Partnership, has helped organize a series of meetings involving about 50 representatives, from builders to city administrators. She also will lead a housing task force of about 20 members who will look into possible housing solutions for the 45 percent of the population living below the area's median income.
"Time is of the essence now," said Dickinson, who described the sessions that have taken place so far as "all sides to coming together and dumping everything we each know and sifting through it. That is something that has never happened in the community." She said the upcoming task force will focus on creating effective public policy as well as better communication regarding available services.
Virtually the only available housing offered at the fair Thursday came from Kiemle & Hagood Company. Rahr's eyes lit up when that company's agent said it has open apartments. But her eyes rolled when she saw the listing prices — the cheapest was a two-bedroom unit for $495. She's too young to qualify for subsidized housing. Rahr ended up adding her name to a wait list.
Dickinson said money for low-income housing is available if you know where to look for it. Washington's Housing Trust Fund, for example, recently announced that Spokane will get $2 million of the $26 million granted statewide, but it's earmarked for four agencies, most of which will not cater to the extremely low-income bracket into which New Madison residents fall.
Spokane Mental Health received more than half of that funding and will construct 19 apartments for people with mental disabilities, but they will be located almost a mile from the city center and won't be available until next year.
Community Frameworks, which also received funding through the grant, will use the money to begin construction on Pioneer Park Place, a 28-unit condominium with 15 affordable housing units. But Development Finance Manager Chris Venne said that applicants will need to make 60 percent to 80 percent of the area's median income to afford the mortgage. Most of the residents being evicted downtown make less than 30 percent.
Cervantes remains optimistic. "The landlords didn't show up today but I believe the needed resources are out there," he said, explaining that 38 landlords recently responded affirmatively to a questionnaire about available low-income housing, a surprising response from a market with a 2 percent vacancy rate.
Roy Evans, 46, believes that low figure. "These people can't give us housing," he said drifting among the half-dozen tables. He said he's seen places on South Hill and in Browne's Addition, but they go for at least $475 a month. He only makes $640 a month on Social Security. "I'm gonna be homeless in July," he said.
