Commission on Aging

WHEATON HOUSING COMMISSION MEETING MINUTES REGULAR MEETING November 12, 2015 The regular meeting of the Wheaton Housing Commission was held in the Gamon Room, Wheaton City Hall, at 303 W. Wesley Street, Wheaton, Illinois. The meeting was called to order at 7:05 p.m. on Thursday, November 12, 2015 by Housing Commission Chair, Thomas Hudock. Present: Absent: Stuart Johnson Chris Ellerman Thomas Hudock Raj Salgia Jeannie Iseman Nancy Harding Jan Kay Andrea Petti Mike Rybinski Robert Willock William Gilbertson Joe Kreidl - City of Wheaton Special Guests: Dupage Habitat for Humanity - Dave Neary (Executive Director), Rich Dickson (Board Chair), Ben Pohl (Board member), Jennifer Taff (Family services), Pat Olinger (Board member). Public Comment: Habitat for Humanity, established 25 years ago, builds, reconstructs, and repairs homes within the county. The organization invested approximately 2 million into the county through its programs and resources last year. Many of their families are seniors, without the capability (or resources) to make repairs or weatherization services. There are 8 affiliates in the Chicagoland area, serving as a grass-roots, Christian-based organization. They, as a national organization, are one of the largest lender of interest-free loans for home ownership (to not exceed 30% of their net income). The organization is mostly volunteer run. There are guidelines (60% or less of area median income) for affordable housing programs through Habitat. They serve in three ways: new construction; rehabilitation (buying homes became very prominent in last recession); and repair work (weatherization, critical home repair, and ADA accessibility). They served 19 families from DuPage county in the repair work or rehabilitation program this fiscal year. Jennifer Taff is the Family Services Worker for the organization. She explains that the organization is working to build the neighborhood revitalization program. The neighborhood revitalization program is an asset-based program. Habitat considers the community as a whole to determine how to determine needs and build community through resource development and collaboration. The Neighborhood Revitalization Council engages the community and finds the baseline of needs within communities. The Brush with Kindness program is for minimal repairs (gutter repairs, yard clean-up, painting, etc.). The average payment for these 1 home repairs for the cost repayment is $18. Her email address is jtaff@dupagehabitat.org and her telephone is 630-510-3737, ext. 305. Commissioner Johnson gave an example of a client who would need a roof replaced. Habitat said that they would have to qualify the income requirements for their program, and they would also require a cost recovery from the family (sometimes being upwards of 20% of the cost of the repairs). The organization is looking to partner with the city to leverage their resources within Wheaton, not only to build resources (volunteer development and with other organizations), but also with connecting families with the organization. They can be used as a resource for the city’s hardship cases. They would also like to collaborate with cities and villages with leaflets sent with their utility bills for their weatherization programs. Commissioner Hudock would like (1) winterization and Brush with Kindness brochure for our clients; (2) a one- paragraph summary of the winterization program and the Brush with Kindness program to be distributed to the city of Wheaton newsletter; (3) to have extra program packets to be distributed to any city officials that might find it useful. Approval of Minutes: Commissioner Johnson moved and Commissioner Rybinski seconded a motion to approve the minutes of the October 8, 2015 meeting. Motion carried unanimously. Communications: ● 2015/2016 Housing Assistance Summary ● Copy of Regular Meeting Agenda for November 12, 2015 ● Copy of Wheaton Housing Commission Meeting Minutes Regular Meeting - October 8, 2015 ● DuPage Habitat for Humanity packet - presentation, events flyer, national magazine, neighborhood revitalization program description. Old Business: none. New Business: Commissioner Hudock would like to submit the current 2015/2016 Housing Assistance Summary (particularly the waiting list) to the city council. Commissioner Hudock will ask Lindsay to submit this for their next council meeting in their communications. Commissioner Hudock mentioned that Lindsay Qualkenbush would like the city to hold off on submitting more communications about the program because the waiting list is so large. Commissioner Johnson would like to hold off as well because it creates anxiety for the applicants and the pressure put onto the city may not be advantageous. Commissioner Hudock would like to hold off on further communications, and Rybinski agreed. Commissioner Johnson would like to discuss the new income cap. The proposed new formula taking into account COLA (taking 200% of the poverty level) would make a new adjustment for the 2016 year. $11,770 for a single (~$23,500 is 200%), which would be a $1000 increase from the previous year. That may also bring in 2 more applicants for the coming year. Commissioner Johnson proposed the motion to approve for the new application, effective January 2016. Commissioner Iseman seconded and it carried unanimously. Special Recognition: none Discussion of Next Meeting Agenda: The Commission will meet next on December 10, 2015. Adjournment: Commissioner Rybinski motioned to adjourn the meeting at 8:25 p.m.; Commissioner Gilbertson seconded the motion and it carried unanimously. 3