pages: CommissiononPersonswithDisabilities/2018-09-12.pdf, 8
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CommissiononPersonswithDisabilities | 2018-09-12 | 8 | COMMISSION ON DISABILITY MEETING MINUTES Wednesday September 12, 2018 6:30 p.m. Chair Elizabeth Kenny: So the Resource Center is not going to be accepting federal funds. Is there going to be any chance where we can expand that definition of homeless? Doug Biggs: For the Resource Center absolutely. Being very clear that we're talking about people who are at risk of becoming homeless because there's no reason to send somebody on to the streets and then take them off. If you could divert them from that then, by God, let's try and divert them from that. Chair Elizabeth Kenny: I think especially with the senior housing, I know of several seniors who are in that situation right now where they're couch surfing, and I know we'll have enough unfortunately seniors to fill up the senior housing who are homeless. Doug Biggs: Yeah, perfect. Chair Elizabeth Kenny: By the HUD definition, but I would love to see that definition expanded. Doug Biggs: Yes. Part of it, if I could say, the situation is changing almost daily now. We're at such a hyper crisis, that what was true yesterday isn't true today, there's potentially a lot of funding coming down the pike. The State is releasing three pots of money, they've already released it this month. One pot focused on emergency shelters, the homeless emergency assistant project, another project focused on longer term subsidies, there's two propositions on the ballot in November, they could bring in additional significant funding for services. So if we have something in place, I think we could take advantage of some of these fundings. Alameda is loosening up and has loosened up the regulations around JADUs, Joint Accessory Dwelling Units. And Alameda's a great place for these. You've got these seniors living in these huge Victorians that don't need all that space. Well, if they could split off one piece of it to become a studio where they could live and somebody else can occupy the rest of it. And there's funding coming down the pike for those kind of things. So if we're creative, and if we're ready to start taking advantage some of these resources, we think we can have an impact. Chair Elizabeth Kenny: Great. And I would love to see the designs come before us. As you know we worked on Universal Design Ordinance and when I was working on that with the folks here, one of the organizations that I reached out to was Mercy Housing. So I'm glad to hear that you're working with them because they've actually done a few buildings completely universally designed. Doug Biggs: Yeah. Chair Elizabeth Kenny: And the other thing is, I don't know about the rest of the commission, but from the comments, I'm assuming that we'd also be willing to help in any way as far as community outreach, because I do think that there's a lot of misunderstanding out there. I don't know what that would take but I would like to propose that I think you have a second for. Commissioner Lisa Hall: I'll second that, definitely. Chair Elizabeth Kenny: And I think we should take a vote on that. If that's something you would be interested in 09/12/18 Page 8 of 16 | CommissiononPersonswithDisabilities/2018-09-12.pdf |