Vancouver distributes $2 million in housing aid

More than $2 million in federal Housing and Urban Development funds have been allocated by the Vancouver City Council to 20 local projects and programs. Housing agencies, mental health clinics, programs for homeless youth and the city’s own housing rehabilitation, small business and infrastructure programs will share the dollars. They have approximately two years to spend the money.

The money originates with two programs of the Department of Housing and Urban Development: Community Development Block Grants, targeting low- and moderate-income neighborhoods with infrastructure, housing and economic opportunity improvements; and HOME, creating affordable housing for low-income families.

“With an increase in the number of homeless families with children in the Vancouver area this year, and almost 17 percent of our population living below the poverty level, the projects and programs receiving funding are an important lifeline for many of our citizens and deserve our continued support,” Vancouver Mayor Tim Leavitt said.

The Council for the Homeless recently reported that its latest single-day “census” determined that the number of single, unattached homeless people dropped a little while the number of homeless families — households with children — rose from 11 in January 2013 to 37 in January 2014. Those 37 families represent 107 individuals, the council said.

A total of $125,000 was promised to projects that aim to build new, permanent housing in two locations: downtown for chronically homeless people and in the Central Park neighborhood for low- to moderate-income families.

Lincoln Place Apartments, a 30-unit building proposed by the Vancouver Housing Authority for a vacant parcel across the street from Share House on West 13th Street, got a vote of confidence in the form of a promise to match state-approved low-income housing tax credits that VHA will sell to underwrite construction. It’s not certain exactly how much that will be yet, according to Peggy Sheehan, Vancouver’s community development manager.

The proposal has been somewhat controversial in west-side neighborhoods where some residents dislike the prospect of a “wet” building — meaning its tenants are not required to be clean and sober. Opponents say the building could attract more blight to a downtown that’s struggling to renew itself; proponents say most chronically homeless local people are already based downtown and the building would give them a better chance of solving their problems and building better lives.

Roy Johnson, executive director of the Vancouver Housing Authority, said the agency has not made formal application to the city of Vancouver yet, but a pre-application conference is now set for June 16. Land-use approval by city planners will clear the way for VHA to proceed with Lincoln Place and that’s when the city will determine how much support it will provide, Sheehan said.

The same goes for Grand Boulevard Apartments, a building that will house 28 families on vacant land on the northeast corner of Grand and 16th Street. The developer is Vaughn Bay Construction of Tacoma. There hasn’t been formal application yet, but when there is the city will determine what share of that $125,000 Grand Boulevard Apartments will get.

“Neither project has gone to the next level yet,” Sheehan said. “When they do and we have more information, we’ll send specific recommendations to the council.”

Other notable winners of federal dollars, as awarded by the city, are:

• The Children’s Center, $147,000 toward construction of a new building, on vacant land at the corner of Southeast 136th Avenue and Seventh Street in east Vancouver, that will significantly boost the agency’s capacity. The Children’s Center is the only mental health clinic in the county that serves children and families regardless of their ability to pay. It now serves 600 children monthly who struggle with the most serious problems, like domestic violence and sexual abuse, serious mental illness and behavioral problems; many more have to wait. Nearly all clients are low-income and about one-quarter are crime victims.

• Second Step Housing, two grants totaling $150,000 for homeless case management and for transitional housing for young adults who have aged out of foster care. The $50,000 case management grant will help Second Step, which focuses on homeless women and children, connect clients with food, shelter and other services; the $100,000 post-foster-care grant will help the agency buy and renovate a five- or six-bedroom transitional home for youth ages 18 to 21.

• Janus Youth Programs, two grants totaling $80,000 for rent subsidies and for crisis case management. A $50,000 grant will help staff work with children up to age 17 who come to Janus’ local crisis shelter, and a $30,000 grant will provide direct rent subsidies to six homeless young adults for up to 18 months.

• The Salvation Army, two grants totaling $150,000 for case management and direct rental assistance programs aimed at serving households that are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless. An estimated 25 local families will be served.

• The Wellness Project, $105,000 for building renovations. This mental health clinic that caters to homeless, special needs and elderly people will continue renovating its home, a former commercial building 317 E. 39th St., to expand capacity. An additional 335 new clients are expected as a result.

• Housing Solutions Center, $50,000 for staff. The center is a “one-stop” access point that connects homeless and at-risk people with many local agencies and services, from emergency shelter to housing assistance and case management. It’s operated by the Council for the Homeless.

• Share, three grants totaling $315,000. Homeless outreach, roommate-matching and food programs get an $88,000 grant, and a direct-subsidy program that provides rental assistance, case management and other services to 25 households gets two grants totaling $227,000.

• ACE Senior Housing, $84,489 for a senior-citizen housing project at 3112 N.E. 62nd Ave.

There are also grants to the city of Vancouver itself for infrastructure and accessibility improvements to parks, sidewalks and curbs in low-income areas ($300,000); housing rehabilitation loans ($75,000); business loans aimed at job development ($110,000); “potential cost increases” of eligible construction and rehabilitation projects ($25,000); and program administration and other related activities ($310,616).