Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout07-16-20 Public Comment - B. Wilkinson - One Valley's Housing InitiativeFrom:Tanya Andreasen To:AgendaSubject:FW: Items for Bozeman City Commission - One Valley"s Housing Initiative Date:Thursday, July 16, 2020 11:51:18 AM Attachments:2020-07-14 City of Bozeman Handout_One Valley_Final.pdf From: Bridget Wilkinson <bridget@onevalley.org> Sent: Monday, July 13, 2020 7:25 PM To: Tanya Andreasen <TAndreasen@BOZEMAN.NET>; Terry Cunningham <TCunningham@BOZEMAN.NET> Cc: Randy Carpenter <randy@future-west.org> Subject: Items for Bozeman City Commission - One Valley's Housing Initiative Hi Terry and Tanya! I hope you're safe and doing well. I wanted to thank you for engaging in dialogue with the One Valley Community Foundation (formerly BACF) about how wecan support housing needs in the Gallatin Valley. Tanya asked us to put together a document that outlines One Valley's visionfor supporting our region over the next four years, in partnership with many including Future West (copied here), for theBozeman City Commission's upcoming meeting. Please let me know your thoughts on this document and if there is anythingelse you need from us. We're happy to talk through this with you both. Thank you again for your support! In gratitude, Bridget Wilkinson EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR 406.587.6262http://secure-web.cisco.com/1lPHh5KRUvBkIRJxTX__OnHmVwAwGFajp2yGxYiM5qiFi3S59vEuIjALKDpdwRNbnaDzOY119T-EVsrptdxq-Yzz2jcX74_IfNBmMCr2-HmPWUrUryllsP4RhJg8qMYTWr5G3hBPyT7OSi2Nf3guNmkMgLvZJ-AkQ-f9etNeQ24dQ2PsYNe-ITeFgQXar9lU8QrFmV30SCefjmn4ESAUwGHFWHu1EN44elqqIzu7VSzeXfX-3dKVxVMCMHQqxcuv9BAMU4y19HQjr8ENMiHWaMwkBTPyfMG9282W_Tba5uyL5e1dTv41Z5VY9vHbL6gLSx5aYY3CTQHi6gfnnx35Vz5ZuGJrE477RX81R45VP-OI/http%3A%2F%2Fwww.onevalley.org FACEBOOK INSTAGRAM July 14, 2020 To the Bozeman City Commissioners, We know that much is being asked of the City of Bozeman government as our community continues to grow. Our local government cannot do everything, and it will take many partners to maintain and evolve the community in which we all want to live, work and play. As a trusted community partner, One Valley Community Foundation (formerly the Bozeman Area Community Foundation) is here to be a resource for you as leaders and decisionmakers and for our community. We have long emphasized the importance of evidence-based programing and interventions to address critical needs for our community. Prior to The COVID-19 health crisis, community data showed that housing was considered the most pressing issue in the Gallatin Valley. In the midst of the pandemic and subsequent economic downturn, the need for an informed, regional approach to addressing this critical community need is even more apparent. We know that the City of Bozeman has been working hard to address the city’s housing disparities as well as develop the data and research tools to both support its housing policies and initiatives and provide the information necessary to inform other crucial community planning decisions. One Valley would like to help support the City in both these efforts moving forward. In order to support these two identified needs for our region, we respectfully request that you consider the following proposal to partner with the One Valley Community Foundation in accelerating housing solutions in the Gallatin Valley and to create a Community Indicators Initiative to inform public policy moving forward. We invite the City of Bozeman to play a central role in realizing this bold vision in three ways: 1. Help us expand our work together on A Seat at the Table by committing resources for and a representative to the to-be-formed Regional Housing Council; 2. Seed a Housing Fund at the One Valley Community Foundation that supports housing solutions in the City of Bozeman; and 3. Be a forward thinking, collaborative partner for in positive change and smart growth. Support and commit resources to a community indicators project to help inform decision making and public policy moving forward. On the following pages you will find fact sheets detailing more about your local community foundation, the model we seek to implement to address regional housing needs and information on a community indicators project. On behalf of our Board and myself personally, thank you for considering this proposal. In gratitude, Bridget Wilkinson, Executive Director 2 Fact Sheet: Who is the One Valley Community Foundation? The One Valley Community Foundation, formerly the Bozeman Area Community Foundation, takes a holistic, future-focused approach to stay ahead of issues that we see on the horizon. We accomplish this by • Pooling funds in order to address the needs of the Gallatin Valley; • Supporting nonprofits through grants and training; • Unifying organizations, governments, and citizens in the Gallatin Valley; and • Gathering voices together to work toward results that benefit our communities in our region now and into the future. What we believe One Valley Community Foundation believes in the power of all people to make a difference in our communities. As the community foundation serving Southwest Montana’s Gallatin Valley, we celebrate what makes our communities unique and chart a course for a healthy and vibrant future. We connect people with causes that matter. We support nonprofits through trainings and grantmaking. We bring people together, because together, we are all stronger. What makes us different? As Gallatin Valley’s Community Foundation, we believe vibrant, strong communities don’t happen by accident. We take a holistic approach to: • Inspire giving by connecting donors with effective organizations and by investing charitable assets for today and tomorrow; • Lead and collaborate on important public issues by gathering and sharing data and convening community conversations; • Champion the work of other nonprofits and supporting them through education and funding opportunities. By the Numbers Since 1998, the One Valley Community Foundation has galvanized more than $6,902,901 for over 200 local nonprofits. These funds have helped young families access much- needed resources, given voice to stories of the Gallatin Valley’s past, provided materials to plant a community garden, increased trail access, and so much more. Learn more about work at www.onevalley.org. 3 FACT SHEET: Our Plan for Accelerating Housing Solutions Over the next four years, we will be accelerating housing solutions through a community conversation initiative, completing a regional housing need assessment, and creating a housing council and housing fund. Executive Summary Plan Year 1: Complete first regional housing needs assessment and launch A Seat at the Table 2020 initiative using data from the assessment to inspire community dialogue on affordable housing throughout Gallatin County. Years 2 - 3: Launch a Regional Housing Council based on feedback from A Seat at the Table and the regional housing assessment. Year 4: Determine if the Regional Housing Council will continue or will sunset. Our Vision The One Valley Community Foundation and Future West propose a four-year initiative to complete a regional housing assessment and use the resulting information to inform a county-wide dialogue on housing challenges and solutions. Lastly, we will convene a Regional Housing Council with the goal of creating a shared mission and goals for housing for the region. The goals of this four-year vision are to: • Create a common understanding of housing needs in various areas of Gallatin County. • Identify the range of available housing solutions – one of which would be collaboration among the local governments, professional networks and associations, and nonprofits in Gallatin County. • Create and distribute fact sheets and presentations to increase awareness of this issue and empower meaningful progress by communities, groups and citizens of Gallatin County. • Host another county-wide conversation using the proven A Seat at the Table approach that would be informed by the above data and analysis. • After our A Seat at the Table 2020, we will initiate a three-year Regional Housing Council to create actionable regional housing goals and a shared mission for accelerating housing solutions across the region. 4 The Problem Housing has become a growing problem in Montana. Nowhere is this truer than in Gallatin County. These problems have multiple impacts on our citizens, our economy, and our communities: • Over 50% of renters and 22% of homeowners in Gallatin County spend more than 30% of their income on housing (16% of homeowners spend more than 50%). (Data: American Community Survey, Census Bureau) • More and more people become homeless. • Housing instability can lead to unemployment, lower academic achievement, and poorer health outcomes (including mental health). • Businesses, nonprofits, and institutions cannot find employees and jobs go unfilled. • We become a less inclusive, more segregated community. • The community struggles when it lacks housing for the whole spectrum of citizens it needs to function effectively. What are the barriers to housing solutions in Gallatin County? • A lack of understanding among the public regarding housing challenges and solutions. • County and municipal zoning and subdivision regulations often make housing more expensive. • Smaller communities do not have the resources to study and understand their housing issues. • There is typically an imbalance between where jobs are and where housing is located. Bozeman has done much work – and more needs to be done – but Gallatin County and the other cities in Gallatin County have not studied or directly addressed the issue. The results are: • A lack of understanding of the big picture of housing needs and opportunities in the county. • Housing strategies that are too narrowly targeted in terms of location. • An imbalance in housing throughout the county – there are very few housing projects targeted for affordability outside of Bozeman. • Opportunities that could bring more grant funding to the county are lost. Our Four-Year Timeline Year 1 - 2020 • Q3: Hire a Community Impact Officer staff position at One Valley Community Foundation who will lead county-wide initiatives like A Seat at the Table and a Regional Housing Council. • Q3: The completion of a housing needs assessment for the entire county. Using the information from the assessment, develop a Gallatin County affordable housing “primer” designed to create a common understanding, and a common language, of affordable housing needs, challenges, and potential solutions. The resulting affordable housing “toolkit” would be implemented across the county and will help increase awareness of successful projects that have been completed in Gallatin County. In addition, a set of case studies would be created to illustrate real-life success stories from Montana and beyond. 5 • Q3: Launch a City of Bozeman Housing Fund in partnership with the City of Bozeman. • Q4: Create a forum before the conversations. The primer would be used as a basis for A Seat at the Table forum(s) on affordable housing to share this information and educate our community. • Q4: Launch A Seat at the Table Conversations. Those forums would be followed by a county-wide conversation about housing that is grounded in data and uses the proven A Seat at the Table approach. • Q4: A quick turn-around of survey results will be released and presented to city and county leaders. Year 2-3 Establish a Regional Housing Council Based on the proven Mountain Housing Council model by the Tahoe-Truckee Community Foundation, we seek to establish a Regional Housing Council (RHC), a collaborative effort working to identify priorities and create an innovative and accelerated portfolio of solutions to regional housing issues. This will be an effort to catalyze and inform action to address our future housing needs. The RHC will be a project of the One Valley Community Foundation to bring together diverse partners to accelerate solutions to housing in the Gallatin Valley area. The RHC will rigorously assess the current and future housing needs in Gallatin County, recommend regional targets for production and preservation of high-quality housing for people at every income level, and identify and evaluate a portfolio of evidence-based tools and strategies to address the region’s housing needs going forward. The RHC will also examine policy and advocacy opportunities at a local and state level to expand possible housing solutions. The Council’s goal will be built on the needs identified in the regional housing assessment and will tackle the unique and pressing challenges of housing in the Gallatin Valley region, including availability, variety, and affordability. One Valley will convene decision-makers quarterly with one public meeting per year. The RHC will examine the root causes of the housing crisis at the intersection of counties and cities throughout Gallatin County. Year 4 After year four, the Community Foundation alongside our council partners will determine the future of the Regional Housing Council. Continuation of the Council beyond its incubation will require an investment of financial, time and social capital by its community members. If we are successful, the value of a Regional Housing Council will be clear. What will be the products of this initiative? • A regional housing needs assessment. • A Seat at the Table conversations, and analytical and summary reports of those conversations. • A dashboard of shared regional housing goals and strategies. • A network of connected and vested stakeholders – local governments, businesses, nonprofits, engaged residents - working together to accelerate housing solutions in the region. 6 Through a collective impact model, we will accelerate housing solutions by: • Creating a shared understanding of regional housing needs. • Using our limited resources more efficiently through better allocation and prioritization. • Encouraging cooperation between local governments and agencies. • Leading a common agenda to keep all parties moving toward the goal. • Creating common progress measures to achieve a larger outcome. • Becoming the backbone organization that takes on the role of managing the collaboration. • Fostering better policies and practices that leads to better community housing choices. • Advocating for state and local policy change. • Attracting capital. The One Valley Community Foundation will serve in the role of project manager, administrator and convener for the Regional Housing Council, including providing the following services: • Convening stakeholder groups. • Leading the A Seat at the Table initiative alongside Future West. • Garnering funding. • Sponsoring meetings. • Addressing technical study needs. • Providing staff support to manage the Council’s activities. • Attracting and managing philanthropic funds to address housing related community needs. • Continue oversight and management of this regional council. This work is a long-term investment in our area’s housing needs. We have designed this council to exist for a minimum of three years to allow us to deepen relationships and build credibility. Once the structure is in place and we have financial commitments from each council member, our work will be determined by the council members and informed by regional housing needs assessment. Our Budget The One Valley Community Foundation has committed to raising $1,000,000 in funding to support this four-year initiative. 7 FACT SHEET: Community Indicators Project Executive Summary Plan In 2021, the One Valley Community Foundation, alongside community partners, would like to create a community indicators project for the Gallatin Valley region that uses local knowledge to measure the vitality of our community and support action towards improving collective quality of life. We anticipate this indicators project to be a long-term initiative of the Community Foundation. Our Vision The One Valley Community Foundation would like to create a dynamic webpage to host the data and data visualizations alongside an annotated annual report that takes a snapshot of relevant needs and issues indicators on an annual basis. Local data gathered through the initiative will be used to support evidence-based, locally-relevant solutions to improve the quality of life at the community level. We aim to inspire civic engagement, to provide focus for public debate, and to help a range of actors take action and direct resources where they will have the greatest impact. What is a Community Indicators Project? Community indicators are quantitative information about what has often been considered a qualitative subject: the well-being of communities. Because they are numbers, they can be measured and compared over time to find trends that tell communities where they have been and where they are likely headed. Community indicators quantify community well- being in terms of indicator frameworks such as quality of life, sustainability, or healthiness. Why are Community Indicators important? Community indicators don't just monitor progress, they make it happen. At the turn of the new century, communities everywhere are learning that the old ways of tracking progress aren't good enough. They need measures that help them strike a balance between economic, environmental and social concerns. Better yet, they need to find ways of integrating those concerns, so that they are no longer seen as competing interests. They also need to link their indicators to performance, so that citizens, community leaders, and political leaders can hold themselves accountable. Who uses the indicators? Once a set of indicators is developed, it gets used by many people. Business groups use them to assess the market or the long-term prospects for the local workforce. Schools use them to educate students about local history and issues. Advocacy groups refer to them to make their case to the media, the public, foundations, and political figures. The media use them to report on what's happening in the community. Politicians, of course, use them to point to their accomplishments or the failings of their opponents. And increasingly, philanthropic foundations (as well as corporate and government grant-makers) such as the One Valley Community Foundation are using indicators to help us identify priorities for funding and for identifying "high-leverage" strategies. Perhaps the most common use of indicators, however, is in concert with broad efforts by a community at drafting visions of a better future. How can we use these indicators? Indicators help communities build participation, set priorities, develop action plans, and track progress toward realization of goals. They lend themselves naturally to use in local government comprehensive plans and budgeting processes. They have been used in community visioning processes. 8 Once a community indicators program is established and respected it can be used as a neutral facilitator for the community where citizens can work on divisive issues in a constructive setting. The City of Bozeman, for example, needs to know it is not only doing well currently, but also that it is moving in a direction that makes future living and working conditions even better than they are now if it is to continue to prosper and successfully compete in the future. Our Plan and Timeline In 2021, we would like to start a Community Indicators Project alongside local partners. Community indicators are meant to be new pieces of civic infrastructure that will persist over many years getting refined and improved with experience and as new people become engaged. In brief, we believe that the process of creating an initial indicators report involves the following steps: 1. Form a working group 2. Clarify your purpose 3. Identify your community's shared values and vision 4. Review existing models, indicators and data 5. Draft a set of proposed indicators 6. Convene a participatory selection process 7. Perform a technical review 8. Locate the data 9. Publish and promote the report 10. Update the report regularly Example of Community Indicator Projects Boulder, Colorado // Boulder Community Foundation: Since 1996, the Boulder Community Foundation TRENDS Report has become the foundation’s flagship resource. The report has informed and engaged Boulder County residents and civic leaders on our community’s most pressing needs. This report relies on more than 150 indicators of our community’s social, economic and environmental health, plus in-depth community reporting. TRENDS drives smart grantmaking for maximum impact, informs smart leadership on key community issues, inspires smart philanthropy that solves community challenges, and ignites smart action among community members who want to make a difference. Partnerships Moving Forward We know that the City of Bozeman and the Western Transportation Institute has interest in a community indicators project. One Valley Community Foundation would like to partner with these entities, and hopefully additional partners, to see this project come to life. In addition to sharing a vision for the creation of a community indicators resource, One Valley would be willing to be the fiscal sponsor, site host and/or contract administrator for the project. One Valley would anticipate assisting in raising additional philanthropic resources in addition to any municipal funds dedicated. Sources: https://www.uccs.edu/ccps/community-indicators 9 Opportunities for Engagement & Next Steps We know that strong, vibrant communities do not happen by accident – and One Valley is excited to be partnering with the City of Bozeman to shape the future of the region. We are grateful to Terry Cunningham, Cindy Andrus and Tanya Andresen for their time and thought leadership around these ideas and how One Valley Community Foundation and the City of Bozeman can work together to address community needs in Bozeman and the surrounding region. We are happy meet with representatives from the Commission and City administration to further elaborate on our plans and answer any specific questions you may have. In the meantime, below are some specific ideas about how we might work together on these projects in the near term: Representation Assign a representative from the Commission or City Administration to serve on One Valley’s Housing Advisory Committee. This is a group of community members with a variety of skills, interests and perspectives on the region’s housing situation that the staff and board of One Valley will call on for advice, feedback and introductions as needed to develop the best possible and most collaborative strategy for the creation of the Regional Housing Council and/or address the community’s housing needs. Administrative & Programmatic Support Consider making a grant in support of the launch phase of the four-year strategy for sustainable and accessible housing. We have already secured a two-year grant from a private funder to cover staffing costs for two years as well as $30,000 in specific support for our next Seat at the Table initiative. However, the year-one budget includes just over $100,000 in additional expenses. A detailed and specific proposal for support will be created if the City is willing to entertain this request. Creation of a Bozeman City Housing Fund Meet with One Valley staff to discuss the size, structure and purpose of a Bozeman City Housing Fund at our Community Foundation. Such a fund would provide the City with flexibility to address emergency housing needs while facilitating the marshalling of private resources for application to larger and more strategic housing projects within the City of Bozeman. Further Develop the Scope of Community Indicators Initiative We understand that the City and its other partners have begun work on some elements of work similar to or complementary to our Community Indicators Initiative. We would be most grateful if you would convene a meeting with your existing partners and representatives from One Valley Community Foundation to discuss how we could move forward together.