| Humboldt County, CA | November 2, 2010 Election |
 |
Affordable HousingBy David "Dave" MeserveCandidate for Council Member; City of Arcata |
This information is provided by the candidate | |
We need housing for all income levels, from zero-income emergency housing, through transitional housing, to affordable housing for everybody.Affordable Housing Arcata needs to make sure that its policies provide adequate housing for people of all income levels. Housing is usually available for middle to high income families in Arcata, but because there is less profit for developers in building less expensive homes, there has always been a shortage of low income housing. When I was on the council between 2002 and 2006, I led the successful effort to raise the percentage of inclusionary zoning for low income housing from 10% to 15%. I would support raising this percentage further to 20%, if a majority of the council will agree. I also support increasing the availability of First Time Homeowner financing. Regarding transitional housing, the city has a very good partnership with Arcata House, which with the addition of the E St. facility, will provide more units for this essential element of our housing program. Emergency housing is the area where Arcata falls short of providing an adequate supply. Currently there are plans for a bus-in emergency housing project in the Alder Grove Industrial Park, but this is unlikely to meet the needs of the houseless population. Providing adequate emergency housing, by partnering with a non-profit like the NCRC or the All Faith Partnership, will not only house those who truly need shelter, it will also help with the problem of illegal camping in Redwood Park and elsewhere. Any emergency shelter will be alcohol and drug free, which will not be a problem for those truly in need of a warm, safe place to sleep. Those who choose not to use the shelter and camp in the forest can will now be given camping citations that will be upheld by the courts, while currently, those receiving tickets can claim the "necessity defense" and have charges dropped, because there is presently no legal place to sleep within the city. |
Next Page:
Position Paper 3
Candidate Page
|| Feedback to Candidate
|| This Contest
November 2010 Home (Ballot Lookup)
|| About Smart Voter
ca/hm
Created from information supplied by the candidate: October 7, 2010 18:15
Smart Voter <http://www.smartvoter.org/>
Copyright ©
League of Women Voters of California Education Fund.
The League of Women Voters neither supports nor
opposes candidates for public office or political parties.