HomeMy WebLinkAbout2015 [05] May 20: Housing/Homelessness Forum Notes
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St Cloud Regional Area Human Rights Commission June Housing / Homelessness Forum Notes
Wed May 20, 2015, 6 pm – 7 pm, St. Cloud City Hall
Commissioners Present: Eunice Aadjei, Judy Foster, Ray Maier, Rachel Wexelbaum, Val Young
Attendees: 59-75?
Introduction: Commissioners began the meeting with a welcome, personal introductions, and an
explanation of the duties of the Human Rights Office and the Human Rights Commission.
Responses to Questions:
1.What do you think are the most significant challenges for a housing-sensitive area?
It takes 68 hours of minimum wage labor to afford minimum housing in St. Cloud
Application fees for every apartment rental--$35 for each application adds up
Screening processes for potential renters are “absurd”—people are punished for mistakes that
they had paid for decades ago
6-8 year waiting list for HRA housing / vouchers
Single mothers with children often declined for apartments as well, even if they have no criminal
record
Elderly are the highest percentage of growth in people experiencing homelessness—shelters not
designed for seniors who just want a place to stay and are past working age
99 years before an ex-con can get an apartment
Place of Hope is only open M-F and not over the summer, and Salvation Army has a waiting list
for beds
Why don’t the county agencies take over the rental application fee? Or help those experiencing
homelessness with the application process and create a system so that one fee will cover all
rental applications—especially for background check?
2.What are some of the obstacles for locating (affordable) housing in this area?
Major problem with county communication; this has to come before the state legislature to
demand that all social service programs are run the same way, with the same policies and
procedures
Less than 4% occupancy rate, so landlords can be highly selective…even though college students
often pose more risks than ex-felons
Not many “felon-friendly” housing opportunities or employers
Some housing being turned into housing for incoming refugees rather than “natives” in need of
low cost housing
Cost of rent in St Cloud is too high--$600 / $700 per month is market rate; plus not all landlords
take Section 8 housing vouchers
Why can’t those who show that they have learned life skills and have a good record get priority
for low income housing if they made up for past mistakes?
Buildings built with tax money should not be rented at market rate
Some people apply for Section 8 housing and never receive a response!
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Not all housing options will accommodate all numbers of people in a household—large families
often get turned down for housing
3.Out of the services provided, which are the most effective / least effective?
HRA criticized heavily at this forum for making the application process confusing and lying to
people
Place of Hope praised for their services to build community and find people housing, although
one has to call Place of Hope every day to try to reserve a bed—it is a day by day situation
4.How can the Commission better fulfill its purpose in being a resource to this community?
Fight for reducing severity of criminal background checks for housing
Educate landlords to tell people up front what will disqualify them from renting before
accepting their application fees
Bring these issues up to the Mayor and City Council—why were they not at the forum?
Push for a resource center for people experiencing homelessness to help them with HRA, rental
applications, etc.
Demand that city, state, and federal monies go toward more housing and not toward “rehab
and demolition of buildings” (HRA)
Teach people that those who do not have a home want to be called “people experiencing
homelessness”—NOT “the homeless”—homelessness is a circumstance and not an identity
Make homelessness visible—come out as a homeless person
Call for summer volunteers at Place of Hope so that people will have a place to sleep over the
summer
HRC criticized for not having microphones at the event—what sort of support for the hearing
impaired and the disabled do you provide? We were asked.
How can we find out what happened to the $300,000 of CDG funds given to HRA?
Closure: All attendees were invited to participate in our next Human Rights Commission meeting on
Wed June 17 at 6 pm at St Cloud City Hall.
General Impressions:
This forum had the largest turnout of any in the history of the St. Cloud Regional Area Human Rights
Commission. Based on the turnout, the Human Rights Commission can see clearly that housing is a
major issue in the region that touches all people. Based on the information gathered at the forum, the
Human Rights Commission will strategize next steps for meeting with the mayor and City Council to
bring up these issues, and possibly calling for further investigation.
While an HRA representative was present at the forum to answer questions, the Human Rights
Commission will request more comprehensive information from HRA, as well as the City Planning
Commission, to receive accurate statistics on requests for housing and available housing units, to make
our points to the mayor and City Hall. We also need to know if all apartment complexes disqualify
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potential renters for identical issues that arise from background checks, and exactly what those would
be, in order to make a case for loosening up the checks.
Next Human Rights Meeting: Wed June 17 6 pm St Cloud City Hall
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