This is amazing news out of the City of Aspen and Pitkin County.
A near 180 degree shift into the world of the common man and into reality.
The very idea that councilman, mayors and commissioners would even be aware that there are growing numbers of homeless and hungry in the community and an entire majority of next step up from that status citizens who look on the outside like they have more than they really do; is astounding in itself.
But for them to move forward so quickly after becoming aware and work toward righting wrongs is not only wonderful, it is commendable.
Thank you so much to the City of Aspen and Pitkin County for taking the reins.
Now, how can all those falling through the cracks or barely above water help make this resource work? By no longer being silent. Speak in anonymity if what you have to say goes against big money somewhere or puts you in harm's way. Just don't be silent and give them the chance to get accurate data.
Appoint a spokesperson who will keep you shielded, ask authorities for a means of anonymous communication to them. Just speak up.
Dorothy Atkins:
"The city has earmarked $10,000 to come up with statistical models that asses local affordable housing demand.
The study is being done in preparation for a housing summit that will take place this fall and will include public officials from the city and county.
The study will seek to answer what percentage of the population lives in Pitkin County and works in adjacent counties; what the income distribution is of workers in the county and how it compares to the supply of affordable housing units, and finally, how the increase of retirees leaving the workforce affects the supply of available units. The study also will look at what percentage of the local workforce actually wants to live in affordable housing units.
“This is the kind of information we’ve begun to prepare,” said Barry Crook, assistant city manager. “And part of that is we want to get [officials] to hone in on what they want the summit to accomplish.....”
(Read more? Click title)
"Unapologetically pursuing and tracking patterns within the news others make since 2010."
Showing posts with label Aspen/Pitkin County Housing Authority board. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Aspen/Pitkin County Housing Authority board. Show all posts
May 7, 2012
April 7, 2012
SandBoxBlogs: Aspen Daily News "Housing and the homeless in Aspen"
Isn't that the way of things?
That a government department or agency takes offense and jumps to conclusions without really listening to what the folks are just sayin?
Oh, the plight of the government worker. It must be tough to take the time to actually read all the facts and look at things from the perspective of 'outside the box'.
Good idea for Erin Smiddy of APCHA to line out the facts for the folks.
Shame she had to do it with the tone of condescending. Shame that someone like Andy Stone had to encourage and fuel animosity against APCHA with his recent column.
Most folks fully understand that APCHA isn't the bad guy.
The real bad guy is the entrenched power of developers and builders who have been cashing in on the subsidies, tax credits and lower-tier building standards these developments hold. And the politicians fueled by special interests that advocate it all.
Of course the little guy and the originally well-intended agency are going to ultimately be the only ones left out in the cold.
Too bad the flamers like Andy Stone and the Aspen Times encourage such a travesty of justice and too bad that any government worker becomes so apathetic they can no longer hear what the folks are really just sayin.
Read the rules and regs of APCHA? Click title.
"Unapologetically pursuing and tracking patterns within the news others make since 2010."
That a government department or agency takes offense and jumps to conclusions without really listening to what the folks are just sayin?
Oh, the plight of the government worker. It must be tough to take the time to actually read all the facts and look at things from the perspective of 'outside the box'.
Good idea for Erin Smiddy of APCHA to line out the facts for the folks.
Shame she had to do it with the tone of condescending. Shame that someone like Andy Stone had to encourage and fuel animosity against APCHA with his recent column.
Most folks fully understand that APCHA isn't the bad guy.
The real bad guy is the entrenched power of developers and builders who have been cashing in on the subsidies, tax credits and lower-tier building standards these developments hold. And the politicians fueled by special interests that advocate it all.
Of course the little guy and the originally well-intended agency are going to ultimately be the only ones left out in the cold.
Too bad the flamers like Andy Stone and the Aspen Times encourage such a travesty of justice and too bad that any government worker becomes so apathetic they can no longer hear what the folks are really just sayin.
Read the rules and regs of APCHA? Click title.
"Unapologetically pursuing and tracking patterns within the news others make since 2010."
March 31, 2012
SandBoxBlogs: Aspen Daily News "Homeless coalition set to address APCHA evictions"
While this is really great news, it still shoves the base problems right under the rug again.
1. Most all of our major employers in the area pay poverty level wages. It is nearly impossible for blue collar workers to get by.
2. The biggest shell game (or...scam, corruption, farce, boondoggle, etc. etc...) that there is in our region is deed-restricted housing. Tied up in that mess are similar corrosive problems with local governments, large real estate developments, financial institutions, powerful departments and boards.
It isn't just the folks living in deed-restricted housing that are caught in that web. All free enterprise and a major chunk of public dollars and tax credits are caught up in it as well.
Why is it that our favorite local newspaper isn't tying up all the connecting dots on these stories?
Andrew Travers:
"Members of a regional group devoted to preventing homelessness in the valley has raised concern about recent eviction actions by the Aspen/Pitkin County Housing Authority (APCHA).
The Regional Homeless Coalition, a group of two dozen health and human services workers from Aspen to Parachute, is poised to address how local government may be contributing to homelessness in the Aspen area.
The group is scheduled for a biannual meeting in El Jebel on Monday. They recently added the APCHA issue to their agenda. Housing authority qualifications specialist Julie Kieffer will attend the meeting on behalf of APCHA.
Vince Savage, director of the Aspen Homeless Shelter, asked coalition members last week to act on the issue.
Savage and the board overseeing the local homeless shelter discussed the evictions at a March 21 meeting. His board opted to hand the issue to the regional group, rather than take on the housing authority themselves.
“The [Aspen Homeless Shelter] board is concerned but feels it is more properly addressed by the Homeless Coalition as a concern for preventing homelessness, and the systemic problems that make Aspen less than a friendly community regarding housing issues,” Savage wrote to coalition members...."
(Read more? Click title)
"Unapologetically pursuing and tracking patterns within the news others make since 2010."
1. Most all of our major employers in the area pay poverty level wages. It is nearly impossible for blue collar workers to get by.
2. The biggest shell game (or...scam, corruption, farce, boondoggle, etc. etc...) that there is in our region is deed-restricted housing. Tied up in that mess are similar corrosive problems with local governments, large real estate developments, financial institutions, powerful departments and boards.
It isn't just the folks living in deed-restricted housing that are caught in that web. All free enterprise and a major chunk of public dollars and tax credits are caught up in it as well.
Why is it that our favorite local newspaper isn't tying up all the connecting dots on these stories?
Andrew Travers:
"Members of a regional group devoted to preventing homelessness in the valley has raised concern about recent eviction actions by the Aspen/Pitkin County Housing Authority (APCHA).
The Regional Homeless Coalition, a group of two dozen health and human services workers from Aspen to Parachute, is poised to address how local government may be contributing to homelessness in the Aspen area.
The group is scheduled for a biannual meeting in El Jebel on Monday. They recently added the APCHA issue to their agenda. Housing authority qualifications specialist Julie Kieffer will attend the meeting on behalf of APCHA.
Vince Savage, director of the Aspen Homeless Shelter, asked coalition members last week to act on the issue.
Savage and the board overseeing the local homeless shelter discussed the evictions at a March 21 meeting. His board opted to hand the issue to the regional group, rather than take on the housing authority themselves.
“The [Aspen Homeless Shelter] board is concerned but feels it is more properly addressed by the Homeless Coalition as a concern for preventing homelessness, and the systemic problems that make Aspen less than a friendly community regarding housing issues,” Savage wrote to coalition members...."
(Read more? Click title)
"Unapologetically pursuing and tracking patterns within the news others make since 2010."
March 30, 2012
SandBoxBlogs: Aspen Daily News "Delinquent APCHA affidavits are tough to track down"
Could it possibly be that the issues we are seeing with deed restricted housing are the result of a market that has been gutted with the shell game sham of developers that affordable and employee housing really is?
"Where are the jobs?"
Dorothy Atkins:
"There are about 194 people who own local affordable housing units who have not signed affidavits saying they are still in compliance with the Aspen/Pitkin County Housing Authority’s (APCHA) employee housing guidelines.
The housing authority sends out requalification affidavits every two years that must be signed, notarized and returned to the housing office in order for the owner to be considered in compliance.
The three main qualifications to live in affordable housing are that the individual must work a minimum of 1,500 hours a year in Pitkin County, not own other property in the valley and maintain that the unit is his or her sole residence.
In February of 2011, APCHA sent out approximately 1,500 affidavits and received about 1,119 back by the summer. In July, a second notice was sent to those who didn’t reply and in November, more owners received a third request. By the end of the year there were about 194 people who didn’t return the affidavit, some intentionally, said Julie Kieffer, APCHA qualifications specialist.
There are a handful of residents who called the housing authority and said they were in compliance but refused to sign the affidavit based on moral grounds, Kieffer said.
“They’re saying they’re following the rules but they won’t sign it,” Kieffer said. “They think government is over-stepping...." (Read more? Click title)
"Unapologetically pursuing and tracking patterns within the news others make since 2010."
"Where are the jobs?"
Dorothy Atkins:
"There are about 194 people who own local affordable housing units who have not signed affidavits saying they are still in compliance with the Aspen/Pitkin County Housing Authority’s (APCHA) employee housing guidelines.
The housing authority sends out requalification affidavits every two years that must be signed, notarized and returned to the housing office in order for the owner to be considered in compliance.
The three main qualifications to live in affordable housing are that the individual must work a minimum of 1,500 hours a year in Pitkin County, not own other property in the valley and maintain that the unit is his or her sole residence.
In February of 2011, APCHA sent out approximately 1,500 affidavits and received about 1,119 back by the summer. In July, a second notice was sent to those who didn’t reply and in November, more owners received a third request. By the end of the year there were about 194 people who didn’t return the affidavit, some intentionally, said Julie Kieffer, APCHA qualifications specialist.
There are a handful of residents who called the housing authority and said they were in compliance but refused to sign the affidavit based on moral grounds, Kieffer said.
“They’re saying they’re following the rules but they won’t sign it,” Kieffer said. “They think government is over-stepping...." (Read more? Click title)
"Unapologetically pursuing and tracking patterns within the news others make since 2010."
March 22, 2012
SandBoxBlogs: Aspen Daily News "Woman avoids eviction from housing authority"
So very glad to hear this news! Good luck to Heidi Mines as she moves forward and a special thank you out to the Aspen/Pitkin Housing Authority.
Dorothy Atkins:
"The Aspen/Pitkin County Housing Authority (APCHA) board is giving local cancer survivor Heidi Mines four more months to find a job before it decides whether to evict her for non-compliance.
At a meeting on Wednesday, the housing board voted in favor of granting Mines a continuance through July based on the fact that she has recently received promising job offers...." (Read more? Click title)
"Unapologetically pursuing and tracking patterns within the news others make since 2010."
Dorothy Atkins:
"The Aspen/Pitkin County Housing Authority (APCHA) board is giving local cancer survivor Heidi Mines four more months to find a job before it decides whether to evict her for non-compliance.
At a meeting on Wednesday, the housing board voted in favor of granting Mines a continuance through July based on the fact that she has recently received promising job offers...." (Read more? Click title)
"Unapologetically pursuing and tracking patterns within the news others make since 2010."
March 20, 2012
SandBoxBlogs: Aspen Daily News "Unemployed affordable housing resident could lose her residence"
Curtis Wackerle:
"A woman who has been unemployed since battling cancer could be forced to sell her employee housing unit for not having a job.
Heidi Mines will go before the Aspen/Pitkin County Housing Authority board on Wednesday evening to plead her case. The housing office sent Mines a “notice of violation” on Feb. 13, informing her that she would have to either sell her three-bedroom East Hopkins Avenue apartment or request a hearing before the APCHA board. The violation notice was a follow up to a January letter asking Mines to prove she had been working an average of at least 29 hours a week in Pitkin County, as residents of APCHA-controlled units are required to do.
Mines, 50, acknowledges that she has not worked for most of the last four years, beginning with her breast cancer diagnosis in October 2007. She was in treatment for two years, including numerous surgeries and chemotherapy. As she got back to being healthy enough to work, the economy was in the grips of a recession.
Mines said she’s applied for dozens of jobs since then, including positions with Pitkin County and the Aspen Skiing Co., but to no avail. Employers tend to look for younger people when they bring on new staff, she said.
Prior to battling cancer, Mines worked in retail, real estate and property management, among other lines of work. The Aspen native said that 80 to 90 percent of the job applications she has submitted are not acknowledged by the prospective employers...." (Read more? Click title)
"Unapologetically pursuing and tracking patterns within the news others make since 2010."
"A woman who has been unemployed since battling cancer could be forced to sell her employee housing unit for not having a job.
Heidi Mines will go before the Aspen/Pitkin County Housing Authority board on Wednesday evening to plead her case. The housing office sent Mines a “notice of violation” on Feb. 13, informing her that she would have to either sell her three-bedroom East Hopkins Avenue apartment or request a hearing before the APCHA board. The violation notice was a follow up to a January letter asking Mines to prove she had been working an average of at least 29 hours a week in Pitkin County, as residents of APCHA-controlled units are required to do.
Mines, 50, acknowledges that she has not worked for most of the last four years, beginning with her breast cancer diagnosis in October 2007. She was in treatment for two years, including numerous surgeries and chemotherapy. As she got back to being healthy enough to work, the economy was in the grips of a recession.
Mines said she’s applied for dozens of jobs since then, including positions with Pitkin County and the Aspen Skiing Co., but to no avail. Employers tend to look for younger people when they bring on new staff, she said.
Prior to battling cancer, Mines worked in retail, real estate and property management, among other lines of work. The Aspen native said that 80 to 90 percent of the job applications she has submitted are not acknowledged by the prospective employers...." (Read more? Click title)
"Unapologetically pursuing and tracking patterns within the news others make since 2010."
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