SNA Housing Task Force

October 28th, 2015

Location:Campbell County Fiscal Court Chambers

Attendance:Brandy Medaugh- Catholic Charities, Sarah Collins-Campbell County Housing, Peter Contreras-Cincinnati VA., Shelley Werner-Erlanger Schools, Mike Delaney-Safety Net Web Committee, Marcia Jennings-HONK,Joshua Tunning-Brighton Center,Rick Thies- Center for Accessible Living, Steve Bradford- The Housing Authority of Covington, Pete Neinaber-Legal Aid of the Bluegrass,Jill Brown-SNA VISTA

Networking/ Welcome

Reviewing and discussion of last month’s minutes

The Main goal of the SNA Housing Task Force is to build better communities joining together with other Housing Task Force in the area to collaborate efforts. Re-Newport; the Center for Great Neighborhoods; Welcome House; St. Maria Community.
Sarah Collins-Campbell County Housing, as well as others at the table believes the Super Saturday events are historically unsuccessful.
Marcia Jennings-Honk has a media resource, most at the table feel as though that may be a better avenue to use as opposed to the Super Saturday event; Media coverage goal is set for spring 2016.

Media coverage should be a closed forum reviewing a housing task force meeting of all area housing task force; invite all area landlords and property managers to the meeting to dispel myths and fears of renting to persons on Section 8; the goal of the media coverage would be to shed light on the homelessness problem in the Northern Kentucky Area.

Goals:

Master Housing list – Brandy / Peter Contreras
Finalize and send out survey and recruitment letter; reword some questions on the survey with the intention of recruiting new landlords.
Bring new property owners to the table via letter and survey.
Go Section 8 approved as housing tool
Talk to other Housing Task Force groups in the area to discuss collaboration of efforts and invite them to our next meeting- Maggie
Reach out to CILO – Maggie
Reach out to Santa Maria Community to obtain more information about “ Building Better Communities”- Maggie
Draft a creative letter to send out as an invitation to the next meeting – Maggie
Send out a survey to Landlords to obtain feedback regarding various topics.
Shelley Werner- Erlanger Schools resource advocate has volunteered to gather information regarding landlords in the Erlanger area and distribute flyers to them for the purpose of recruitment into becoming Section 8 landlords.

Barriers:

Not enough properties accepting section 8; case workers running into roadblocks.
Transportation concerns – Housing needs to be within the scope of public transportation
Transfers are using valuable resources and time of local housing authorities.
HUD regulations are too strict; restrictions vary by federal, state, county and city housing authorities; private landlords and property management companies also have rules and restrictions they adhere to which causes further barricades in the search for housing.
Customers looking for housing often times have evictions/ legal issues and credit difficulties.
Customers are having a difficult time finding properties that will pass and continue to pass HUD inspections.
Some landlords seem unwilling to make accommodations for persons with disabilities.

Next Meeting:

Wednesday, November 18th, from 2:00 - 4:00 pm

(After the SNA General Meeting in the Choir Room)

St. John’s UCC

415 Park Avenue

Newport, KY. 41071