Knotty issue of Affordable Housing is topic at local Units

September meetings, on the schedule below, will include a presentation by Connie Brown of the Pierce County Affordable Housing Consortium. Her report includes three items: the 2015 Housing Needs Assessment published by the WA Department of Commerce; information on rental housing availability in Pierce County published by Out of Reach WA; and an exploration of a Pierce County tax levy to establish a local Housing Trust Fund to encourage constructing affordable housing in Pierce County.

Following Connie Brown’s report, each area Unit will explore related issues for those struggling to find affordable housing.

At the East Pierce Unit meeting Jill Snider, co-director of Open Hearth Ministries, will speak about this Puyallup-based program that helps families with minor children find short-term emergency shelter. It is staffed by a small group of dedicated volunteers. Jill will share the operations of the program and the critical state homeless families are in in East Pierce County. She will present a history of Open Hearth Ministries and the Puyallup Homeless Coalition and discuss fund raising as an important part of sustaining this important work. Open Hearth Ministries encourages and empowers families to find shelter and stability in their lives.

At the Tacoma Unit meeting housing the homeless in temporary structures will be featured. Neal Rogers and Bud Nye will speak on their several years of work to establish Tent City Tacoma. A City of Tacoma ordinance requires such a site to move every three months. So far, only one location, Bethlehem Lutheran Church, has indicated an openness to potentially host a tent city in Tacoma.

At the Lakewood and Neighbors Unit meeting, former president of Panza Jill Severn will speak about Thurston County’s Camp Quixote, a village of 30 tiny cottages established in December 2013 which has a large vegetable garden and a community building offering showers, laundry facilities, communal kitchen, and living and dining space. Panza is a non-profit organization of many faith communities that have hosted and sustained Camp Quixote for the past six years. Camp Quixote grew from a vision of a self-governing tent camp for homeless adults in Olympia.

The Gig Harbor/Key Peninsula Unit will also hear about Panza’s Camp Quixote. Tim Ransom, president of the board of Panza, will present on this unique response to homelessness in Thurston County. (See above for the Lakewood Unit program.)

EAST PIERCE COUNTY UNIT Saturday, September 12th, 10 a.m.- Noon

Leader: Ellen Zulauf, eazul@comcast.net

Place: Puyallup Library 324 S. Meridian, Puyallup, 98371

NORTH END UNIT Thursday, September 10th, 1:00-3:00 p.m.

Leader: Lyz Kurnitz-Thurlow, Lyzkurnitz@harbornet.com

Place: North Tacoma Police Substation, 5140 North 26th St, Tacoma, 98404

LAKEWOOD AND NEIGHBORS UNIT Friday, September 11th, 10 a.m.- Noon

Leader: Ann Elliston, phone (253) 564-4102

Place: Steilacoom Community Center, 2301 Worthington Street, Steilacoom, 98388

GIG HARBOR-KEY PENINSULA UNIT Saturday, September 12th, 2:00 p.m.- 4:00 p.m.

Leader: Sharon Peace-Doane, hrdoanes@comcast.net , 253-265-0841

Place: Harbor History Museum, 4121 Harborview Drive, Gig Harbor, 98332