It was revealed at the Dec. 10 City Council meeting that grant funding originally intended for homeless families with children will now be used instead for homeless families without children.
Due to unexpected costs with the original plan, Interim City Manager Jason Ogden said, the city had to change course and use the money toward expansion at Family Resource and Assistance Center instead.
According to Ogden, the units were planned for a city-owned lot at 42nd Avenue and Osage Street, the same location where a park is planned (although in the council agenda, the location is noted to be at 44th and Osage). However, after taking his post as interim city manager, Ogden learned there were “very significant unbudgeted site work costs” associated with the housing project.
Not wanting to lose the approved $435,000 grant funding for “emergency housing to families who are in the process of seeking permanent housing,” the city decided to “pivot” and use the money toward FAC. As originally intended, $265,000 of the funds go toward the purchase of small houses and the remaining $170,000 toward their management and maintenance, which under this new plan will be serviced by FAC.
“FAC has been a partner with the city for at least a couple two, three years now,” Ogden explained. “They already have an established facility… and additionally, their site already has utilities and critical infrastructure in place.”
When the council first approved the housing structures in August, they were informed the money was buying five cottages (two 40-foot, two 20-foot, and one A-frame) through ATL, intended “only for families with children” because the city, in partnership with the school district, identified families as a group in need of housing.
Yet at this recent meeting, the council was informed that the grant requires a minimum of 34 beds, and city staff proposed hiring Gettis Bros. for the project to provide 13 10-by-12-foot and two 10-by-20-foot gable-style sheds or tiny homes.
Furthermore, upon answering a question posed by Councilmember Angelita Sanchez, Ogden said, “it is for families, not for children.”
Ogden later told The New Era, “The scope of the project changed so much that we had to rewrite the grant in order for it to work at FAC. There is not cottage style housing, but it is emergency shelter housing that is better than the entry level housing they currently have at the location.”
Councilmember Dave Trask raised a question about how the project would continue to be funded into the future, and whether the city would be responsible for that. Ogden responded that Dr. Larry Horton, an FAC board member, could answer that, and Mayor Susan Coleman clarified that the city is simply a “pass through” entity to receive the grant money and pass it on to FAC for use.
In other business:
- Linn County Commissioner Will Tucker expressed gratitude to the council for the city’s successful efforts to halt this year’s deep drawdown at Green Peter early.
- The council held a public hearing, as well as a first and second ordinance reading, for the adoption of the city’s first state-mandated Housing Production Strategy that is intended to encourage housing production.
- Ogden reported the city has received more than $1.3 million for sidewalks on Mountain View Road.