About that City Housing Position . . .

I AM NOT APPLYING FOR IT! I have lots of thoughts about it and the useless Housing Committee tho. But let me repeat . . . I AM NOT APPLYING FOR THE JOB!

Rumors are floating around city hall that the Mayor has added this position to the budget for me. If he did, he never talked to me about it. And, if he would have asked, or even thought it through a bit, he would know that I am not a bureaucrat. I am not interested in a paper pushing job and one that is subject to the whims of the political process and city budget. Yes, I applied for the job in his office, but that was a much different type of position, a chance to work directly with a legend and political in its very nature. And it would have allowed me to get paid for what I love doing – local city policy issues. That was a very different job.

Second of all, I hope he hires someone more qualified than me, someone who has done development. I hope he hires someone who knows how to value engineer a project, that doesn’t buy into all the popular visions of what affordable housing should be and can think outside the Section 42 box and understands complex funding sources and requirements. Someone who values the resources of the city and uses them to get the greatest amount of affordable housing that is as affordable as possible. Someone who tackles the toughest projects, not the easier ones for the low and moderate income people and instead takes the ones for very low income people. I hope he hires someone the council can respect and who the staff regard as an expert and will listen to. I hope he hires someone who has a progressive and forward looking and has a vision. I hope he hires someone that isn’t just interested in how much housing can increase the tax base but instead wants to make sure that people in the city are housed. Its a lot to expect, and I don’t expect to get it all, or even part of it. But it won’t be me that is applying for the job. (I’m just going to keep repeating that over and over and over until I beat down the rumors that certain people are trying to spread, likely as a way to get alders to vote against the position.)

I do have some thoughts about the position and how it is proposed. I’m not a fan of it being in CDA. If its in the CDA, or CDBG the rest of the city will just ignore it. It seems like it should be a position in the Planning Department. Someone who has some pull with the planning staff and the plan commission. It has to be someone that is in the meetings, making the points about how we plan housing for the city. Not someone tucked away in a position that is focused on where the money comes from. It has to be a higher policy oriented person with deep knowledge of how affordable housing works. Not someone that is an expert that is rarely consulted. The position has to be integrated into the system. In fact, I would argue that it should be the job of the everyone to focus on housing, not just one person in the city. And, if nothing else, it should be the job of the Department of Planning and Community and Economic Development Director. It should be part of everything they do.

I’m glad to see that the Housing Committee will be revived. They can’t seem to get quorum, still. Partially because the old Mayor – meaning Mayor Dave – didn’t appoint anyone who understood city government and the committee structure and the power of being on a committee. They actually would say in their meetings that they are waiting for the mayor to tell them what to do. And with the old Mayor, it was nothing. Do nothing. I’m also glad to see that it will be getting new staff. George Hank (Building Inspector) and Meg Zopelis (also Building Inspection) do a great job, but lets be honest, they aren’t experts in housing. They don’t have the ear of people who are making larger decisions in the city – the do building inspection! One very narrow piece of housing.

I’m sure this will all get worked out and I’m willing to see what happens. Maybe I’m wrong. And doing something is better than nothing. But I’m not willing to apply for the job. It’s going to be hard enough for anyone who gets hired into the job, so it definitely doesn’t need someone like me with all the baggage I carry in the position. It needs a fresh face for the council who they can build a relationship with based on respect and the issues, not the personality.

Maybe I’d be interested in a position on the new Housing Committee. If I can find the time. I’m currently the Executive Director, Program Director and Office Manager for the Tenant Resource Center and I won’t be replacing those extra previously full-time positions until the beginning of the year and even then, it will be one person, not two. Meantime, I have my hands full with three offices and only 2 full time people and 3 part time people, a whole bunch of volunteers, W-2 and DVR employees/volunteers. That’s a lot of people (30 or more) to manage and answer questions for. But no matter how hard my job is, no matter how many budget cuts we get, I’m not applying for the job at the city. I’m needed at the Tenant Resource Center and happy to be working there. So, no matter what rumor you might hear, its not true, I’m not interested in this position. Spread the word. Don’t believe the rumors.