Increasingly that includes homelessness prevention and rapid re-housing for people who are temporarily homeless. The recent passage of the federal HEART Act explicitly allows for local communities to use their federal homeless services funding to do just that.

At today’s meeting, Michele Jackson, executive director of Shelter Network, reported that they are getting 600 calls a week from people who need shelter.

Another committee member reported that as of mid-August the core service agencies, which provide people with front-line access to services at seven locations throughout San Mateo County, have used up their Season of Sharing money for this quarter, and won’t get more until October. The Season of Sharing is a major provider of one-time emergency funds, such as move-in costs for someone to get a new apartment or temporary assistance to a family hitting a rough patch. It’s run by the San Francisco Chronicle and is funded by private donations. That makes me concerned about the Chronicle’s declining readership, and rumors of its demise or mutation into another form. Will they still keep the fund?

In better news, the City of Redwood City acquired a 23-unit apartment building to use for below-market rate homes. Five of the units will be used to provide “housing first” to people who are chronically homeless. Once they have stable housing, they can access other services they might need, whether medical care, substance abuse treatment, or mental health care.

Photos are on HLC’s Flickr page.

The actual ground was broken several weeks ago, so the ceremony took place in the parking lot of the Borders bookstore next door. However, city officials and funders, including HEART, were able to go down the ramp and turn the requisite spadefuls of dirt for the cameras.

Speakers included Jan Lindenthal, vice president of development for Mid-Pen; Yoomie Ahn, project manager for Mid-Pen; Brandt Grotte, Mayor of San Mateo; Janet Stone, San Mateo County Department of Housing; Brian Perkins, Office of Congresswoman Jackie Speier; Chris Mohr, Housing Endowment And Regional Trust (HEART); Margaret Schrand, Wells Fargo Bank; and Brian Frankel, Union Bank.

Here’s a link to the story in today’s San Mateo Daily Journal.

Here are a few photos from the event, posted to HLC’s Flickr account.

City officials break ground

Project Manager Yoomie Ahn

Mid-Peninsula Housing’s Jan Lindenthal

Cross-posted to HEART’s blog.

The San Mateo Daily Journal carried a brief item and a photo in Wednesday’s paper.

The San Mateo County Times print edition has a photo today (Thurs. 5/14), but it doesn’t appear to be online.

A city staff member took some photos, and if we get permission we’ll try to post one here.

Updated 5/15:
Heather Stewart from City of San Mateo gave me permission to repost her photos, so here are two.

Ribbon cutting

Exterior of the Vendome Hotel

• San Mateo County Supervisor Mark Church, who talked about the collaborative efforts the County had led, including the creation of a separate Department of Housing for the county, the creation of the Housing Endowment And Regional Trust (HEART), and HOPE (Housing Our People Effectively), the 10-year plan to end homelessness in the county;
• Duane Bay, Director of the Department of Housing, describing the collaboration with cities on a housing needs study, the allocation of each jurisdiction’s portion of the housing need in the county, and the updates to each jurisdiction’s housing element of its general plan;
• Chris Mohr, who described the advocacy role of HLC as a member organization and the funding role of HEART as a joint powers authority; and
• Greg Greenway, who described the civic engagement approach taken by Threshold 2008.

There was time at the end for just a few questions, before the meeting was over.

Our thanks to Burlingame Rotary for having us, and to Rabbi Jay Miller of Peninsula Clergy Network for serving as our emcee and panel host.

In addition, those homeowners and other community members heard from a series of elected leaders and experts on the legal, financial, and legislative sides of the crisis.

Speakers at the town hall meeting were San Mateo County Supervisor Adrienne Tissier, co-host for the day; Rep. Jackie Speier (pictured); Assembly Member Jerry Hill; and Daly City Mayor Sal Torres.

Presentations were given by:

• Glendora Hudson, Wells Fargo, an event co-sponsor;
• Keisha Woods, EPA CANDO, on budgeting in a time of crisis;
• Shirley Hochhausen of Community Legal Services of East Palo Alto and the Predatory Lending Clinic of the University of San Francisco Law School, on the legal process of foreclosure;
• Bill Massey, San Mateo County District Attorney’s Office, on avoiding foreclosure rescue scams; and
• Bruce Hamilton, HIP Housing, on alternative housing solutions, especially homesharing to help make ends meet.

Photos have been posted to HLC’s Flickr account.

The award was presented to San Mateo County Supervisor Carole Groom, former Board chair for HEART, and Executive Director Chris Mohr at an awards ceremony in San Francisco.

A short video was produced by ABAG in concert with the award. We will try to upload it to YouTube soon and link to it on our website.

Housing Leadership Council provides staffing to HEART.

Photos aren’t available yet, but the award announcement is online.

Cross-posted from the HEART blog.

For Immediate Release
March 11, 2009
Contact: Tom Passanisi, Senior Planner, (650) 780–7234

Community Invited to Join Planning Commission in Discussion of EIR Alternatives for New General Plan

Redwood City, CA – Interested members of the community are invited to join the Redwood City Planning Commission for an important discussion of alternatives for the General Plan’s Environmental Impact Report (EIR). The Planning Commission meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, March 17, 2009, at City Hall, 1017 Middlefield Road, starting at 7 pm.

“Project Alternatives” are required by California environmental law in order to provide decision makers with alternative project choices and their impacts, while still attaining most of the basic objectives of the project. An alternative is also intended to mitigate one or more significant impacts of the Project. Although a project alternative would not necessarily become the preferred alternative, it is still part of the EIR discussion and evaluation, and requires analysis.

The “Project” in this case consists of the draft New General Plan (Plan) elements affirmed by the Planning Commission and City Council in January. City staff is incorporating three alternatives in addition to the Project. The draft Plan incorporates a balance of land uses including mixed use and live/work use with residential/employment development potential focused around downtown and along major transportation corridors. The draft Plan also includes new transportation options such as a potential street car system and bicycle boulevards. The three Project Alternatives to the Plan are:

• The “No Project” alternative: provides decision makers with a comparison to approving the proposed Project (the draft New General Plan) versus not approving the draft Plan (retaining the 1990 General Plan).
• The “Reduced Buildout” alternative: includes most elements of the affirmed Plan, but with reduced densities and intensities for some residential and commercial uses.
• The “Sustainable Streetcar Neighborhoods” alternative: includes most elements of the affirmed Plan, but with increased residential density and employment uses downtown and along specific transportation corridors, to further support a potential streetcar system. The envisioned streetcar system would consist of two or three lines that would intersect and carry passengers between Downtown, the proposed ferry terminal, the proposed Stanford facilities near lower Broadway, and several residential neighborhoods near downtown.

This will be an important discussion as the Planning Commission reviews and affirms the alternatives that will be in the EIR. The community is invited and encouraged to attend, learn about the range of alternatives, participate in the discussion, and contribute to the development of the New General Plan.

The General Plan is the document that establishes policies, goals, and programs for the long-term physical development of our community, and for what we want our City to be for future generations. The community is a crucial part of shaping that future, and this Scoping Meeting is another opportunity to help create the plan that will guide our community’s progress for years to come. More information on the New General Plan is available online at www.redwoodcity.org/generalplan.

This is a placeholder bill that will be developed over the next few months. You can read the text here. Or you can read it here:

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

SECTION 1. It is the intent of the Legislature to enact
legislation that provides a permanent source of revenue for
affordable housing in California.

That’s it. Told you it was a placeholder!