Lawrence City Commission candidates share thoughts on affordable housing and homelessness issues

Lawrence City Commission candidates share thoughts on affordable housing and homelessness issues  Lawrence Journal-World

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Oct 2, 2023 - 10:30
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Lawrence City Commission candidates share thoughts on affordable housing and homelessness issues

Lawrence City Commission Candidates Discuss Affordable Housing and Homelessness

photo by: Rochelle Valverde/Journal-World

Lawrence City Hall, 6 E. Sixth St., is pictured on Jan. 31, 2023.

Introduction

As the Nov. 7 general election approaches, the Journal-World asked the six candidates running for three seats on the Lawrence City Commission — incumbents Brad Finkeldei, Amber Sellers and Courtney Shipley, former commissioner Mike Dever, and newcomers Dustin Stumblingbear and Justine Burton — a series of questions related to affordable housing and homelessness issues.

The deadline to register to vote in the general election is Tuesday, Oct. 17, and advance voting by mail or in person at the Douglas County Elections Office, 711 W. 23rd St., begins the following day.

Providing Services for the Homeless Population

  1. Do you think the city is doing enough to provide services for the houseless population, or do you see any gaps or missed opportunities on that front?

    • Dever believes there are resources available to help the homeless, but coordination between these resources is lacking.
    • Sellers emphasizes the need for coordination of services within the community and advocates for local needs at the state and federal levels.
    • Shipley highlights the city’s efforts to identify gaps and wasteful overlap in providing services to the homeless population through joint strategies with partners like Douglas County and Bert Nash Community Mental Health Center.
    • Finkeldei emphasizes the importance of partnerships and the implementation of a coordinated homeless plan to identify and address gaps in current services.
    • Stumblingbear points out safety issues for homeless individuals, neighboring businesses, and residents as a major concern.
    • Burton highlights challenges faced by homeless individuals in accessing medications and protecting their belongings.

Affordable Housing Initiatives

  1. What do you think the city is doing especially well when it comes to its affordable housing initiatives?

    • Stumblingbear acknowledges positive steps taken by the city, such as utilizing federal funding for affordable housing and updating the city code to make it more accessible.
    • Sellers commends the city’s review of land use codes and zoning regulations, as well as the identification of suitable sites for affordable housing projects.
    • Finkeldei highlights the city’s affordable housing sales tax and allocation of funds from the American Rescue Plan Act to add 850 new units of affordable housing in the coming years.
    • Shipley praises the established affordable housing trust and collaborative efforts with community partners to build hundreds of affordable housing units.
    • Dever acknowledges the good work done by agencies like Tenants to Homeowners and the Lawrence-Douglas County Housing Authority in addressing short-term needs.
    • Burton expresses uncertainty about the city’s achievements in affordable housing initiatives.

Strategies to Address Homelessness

  1. Do you think the current strategies being pursued to address the issue of homelessness are the correct course of action, or should those efforts be pivoted in another direction?

    • Finkeldei supports staying the course and implementing the community’s strategic plan for ending homelessness.
    • Shipley advocates for continuing along the path set by the community’s strategic plan.
    • Sellers emphasizes the importance of access to stable housing and a tailored approach to homelessness, including rapid transitional housing.
    • Dever criticizes the management of the city-run support site for homeless individuals and suggests better collaboration and community input for similar projects.
    • Stumblingbear sees potential in the Pallet Shelter Village as a transitional housing model and highlights the need to disband the support site once alternative shelters are available.
    • Burton raises questions about the Pallet Shelter Village and calls for more information and community involvement.

Homeless Programs Department

  1. The city’s 2024 budget includes the creation of a new Homeless Programs Department. What’s your vision for the work that department should be doing, and what kind of leader should the city be looking for to run it?

    • Shipley emphasizes the need for experience, expertise, and enthusiasm in the leader of the Homeless Programs Department.
    • Finkeldei highlights the importance of implementing the city’s portions of the joint homelessness plan and coordinating with partners to maximize impact.
    • Stumblingbear emphasizes the role of the department as a coordinator and the need for personnel with an understanding of funding mechanisms and regular communication with neighborhoods.
    • Sellers calls for a leader with an understanding of diverse populations, social service organizations, and client advocacy or case management.
    • Dever suggests evaluating existing services before creating a new department and emphasizes the need for a leader who can address the community’s lack of affordable homes.
    • Burton questions the need for a new department and suggests allocating funds towards working with existing organizations.

Placement of New Affordable Housing

  1. In recent years, significant funding has been

    SDGs, Targets, and Indicators in the Article

    1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

    • SDG 1: No Poverty
    • SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being
    • SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities
    • SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals

    2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

    • SDG 1.4: By 2030, ensure that all men and women, in particular, the poor and the vulnerable, have equal rights to economic resources, as well as access to basic services, ownership, and control over land and other forms of property, inheritance, natural resources, appropriate new technology, and financial services, including microfinance.
    • SDG 3.8: Achieve universal health coverage, including financial risk protection, access to quality essential health-care services, and access to safe, effective, quality, and affordable essential medicines and vaccines for all.
    • SDG 11.1: By 2030, ensure access for all to adequate, safe, and affordable housing and basic services and upgrade slums.
    • SDG 17.17: Encourage and promote effective public, public-private, and civil society partnerships, building on the experience and resourcing strategies of partnerships.

    3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

    • Indicator for SDG 1.4: Proportion of the population living in households with access to basic services.
    • Indicator for SDG 3.8: Proportion of the population with access to affordable essential medicines and vaccines.
    • Indicator for SDG 11.1: Proportion of the urban population living in slums, informal settlements, or inadequate housing.
    • Indicator for SDG 17.17: Number of partnerships promoting sustainable development that have been formed.

    Table: SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

    SDGs Targets Indicators
    SDG 1: No Poverty Target 1.4: By 2030, ensure that all men and women, in particular, the poor and the vulnerable, have equal rights to economic resources, as well as access to basic services, ownership, and control over land and other forms of property, inheritance, natural resources, appropriate new technology, and financial services, including microfinance. Indicator: Proportion of the population living in households with access to basic services.
    SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being Target 3.8: Achieve universal health coverage, including financial risk protection, access to quality essential health-care services, and access to safe, effective, quality, and affordable essential medicines and vaccines for all. Indicator: Proportion of the population with access to affordable essential medicines and vaccines.
    SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities Target 11.1: By 2030, ensure access for all to adequate, safe, and affordable housing and basic services and upgrade slums. Indicator: Proportion of the urban population living in slums, informal settlements, or inadequate housing.
    SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals Target 17.17: Encourage and promote effective public, public-private, and civil society partnerships, building on the experience and resourcing strategies of partnerships. Indicator: Number of partnerships promoting sustainable development that have been formed.

    Behold! This splendid article springs forth from the wellspring of knowledge, shaped by a wondrous proprietary AI technology that delved into a vast ocean of data, illuminating the path towards the Sustainable Development Goals. Remember that all rights are reserved by SDG Investors LLC, empowering us to champion progress together.

    Source: www2.ljworld.com

     

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