Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutSenior and Youth1 Seniors and Youth Housing Needs Assessment Summary of April 12th Discussion, Data and Needs Assessment Committee, Housing Fund Board, Jefferson County Attending: • Viki Sonntag – Housing Fund Board, facilitator • Julia Cochrane – Housing Fund Board, scribe • Audrey Morford – Aging and Long Term Support Administration, DSHS; previously with OlyCAP Housing • Cheryl Weinstien - Dove House • Emiy Abell, - Olycap Youth Services • Meg Lodes, housing activist focused on senior women • Kelli Parcher - OWL 360 • Peggy Webster - Peninsula Housing Authority and special projects @ Olycap • Heather Dudley-Nolette, Bayside Housing Services Summary Take-Aways • Youth HDPF (emergency one-time funds) program provides 18-25 yr olds with one-time sum for (housing loss) prevention or relocation. Its flexibility (responsiveness to needs) is effective but funding is in jeopardy. [Research shows that ] Current funding ends in 2025. • Jefferson County has highest share of population age 65 and older of any county in the state while the percentage of cost burdened senior households is increasing (both renter and owner hhs). % of seniors in population is second highest predictor of homelessness in Washington counties. Since there are no places to downsize, there is a shortage of family-size homes coming on market which in turn impacts REET funding. There are no senior housing service programs. 2 Existing Conditions Quantitative Data Following data points taken from slide show presentation (see attached). • Percentage of the population 65 and over is second largest predictor of homelessness (median rent of one-bedroom apartments is first) in all Washington counties. • Jefferson County has the highest share of the population age 65 and older in Washington state with 26.3% in 2010 and 41.6% in 2022 (increase of 58%). • Although youth are smaller share of population, a greater percentage of youth households are renters. • There was over a 19% drop in households who rent in Jefferson County in the past 10 years (from over a quarter to less than 20%). We appear to be losing rental stock. • The share of senior cost-burdened rental households has increased to 51.4%. • The share of senior owner households has also increased. Qualitative Data - Lived Experience, Observed Dynamics, and Existing Housing Service Landscape Olycap Youth Services • Average of 17 people case load at a time. Receive 5 plus requests/month. 5 youth in category 1 (couch surfing). o Case work is key to success. Goal is to meet with them once per week. o Hired 3 young people with lived experience. o Need more case workers, especially with training. • HPDF - Homeless Prevention Diversion Program provides 12- 24 yr olds with one-time sum for (housing loss) prevention or relocation. (Qualification dependent on housing circumstances and household income). If request can directly lead to keeping 3 or finding permanent housing within 30 days, it is eligible. Examples of eligible requests are security deposits, even home and auto repairs (for prevention), or rehousing. o Payment is very quick, within 3 days. o HPDF funding ends June 2025. • Rapid Rehousing - engagement could last up to 2 ½ years. o Provides for 4 to 6 months of follow-up. • Housing Assistance - Provides funding for 2 years maximum. Currently, there are11 people, 95% of whom are at OWL 360 property. o Need more landlords who will rent to young people. o Barrier: Income limits. Hit 50% AMI, responsible for part of rent. 80% is cutoff. OWL 360 (youth housing) • Percentage of disconnected youth in Jefferson County (the second highest in state) is more than twice the state average – 25% vs 12 %. [Disconnected youth are defined as young people ages 14-24 who are homeless, in foster care, involved in the justice system, or are neither employed nor enrolled in an educational institution.] • Residents have the option of being part of this program for up 2 years with supportive subsidized and longer if housing is not available. • Always full. Can house up to 22 young people through double bunking them but this does not provide best outcomes. • Housing 13 people right now with 12 on waiting list. • Master Leasing - global leasing - OWL 360 rents house and fills it with young people. More money is needed. • Pfeiffer House is a 6 plex (6 one bedroom fully equipped apartments. • Parliament House is a split level home. This has shared commons areas with individual rooms for residents. 4 • Need is for continued funding to support emerging youth and young adults as well as staff to offer wraparound services. Seniors • Barriers are $, need more units of housing. Range is from 1-4 years on wait list [for subsidized affordable housing]. • Number of senior HHs is greater than the number of studio and 1 bedroom units. • There are not enough buildable land developers and contractors locally and hard to attract developers from out of town. • Supportive housing services for seniors do not exist, either mortgage or rental assistance. o Hamilton Heights HOA - 80% are elderly, many living alone - and they are stuck - nowhere to go. o There is no mortgage assistance. There is no rental assistance for seniors to stay in place. o Dove House is seeing a high population of unhoused senior woman. o Of 5371 households, 2862 are non family households (ie single persons). 1530 woman living alone with medium income is $25,930 versus 1107 senior men with median income of $37520. • 7th Haven does not have enough case workers to serve all with permanent supportive housing services. 30 of the 42 units need services although only 10 were slated as PSH. Not enough people for quality and consistent case management. Discussion - Barriers and Gaps and Actions to Address Barriers and Gaps 1. Action: Need data for each demographic (i.e. teens, seniors) – number of, as % of population, % receiving services, % needing services. 2. Barrier, Action: PIT Count is super undercounted - not a single youth is counted. Jeopardizes funding for youth programs which use PIT counts for allocating funding. How to work 5 together to improve counts? Supplement January count with summer count? 3. Action: Master (Global) leases are a good tool for increasing affordable housing supply. No permitting is required but need more funding support. [A master lease is a type of lease that gives the lessee the right to control and sublease the property during the lease, while the owner retains the legal title.] Need master lease program and/or toolkit. 4. Gap: Permanent Supportive Housing needed for youth. 5. Gap: More case workers and continued sustainable funding for case services, including training such as trauma-informed and serving disadvantaged populations. 6. Gap: Lack of senior supportive housing services 7. Action: Program that addresses sustainable housing for aging in place that incentivizes senior owner households that are stuck in too large homes for their needs to sell while providing them affordable community-supported places to downsize to. 8. Action: Legalize co-living in all residential zones. [Co-living homes are a low-cost, multifamily housing option in which each resident has a small, private living and sleeping room and shares with other building residents a common kitchen and other spaces. The housing type is also known as single-room occupancy (SRO), congregate housing, rooming houses, micro-housing, or residential suites.)] Evaluation Thanks for letting me be a part of this meeting! Great to be at the table with a group of folks doing amazing work in our community. Thank you for including OWL360 and most importantly making sure youth and young adults are well represented in the 5 year plan.