Homeless shelters to workforce housing on agenda of community update meeting in April

Wooster has a housing issue, but many organizations and people are working to positively impact it.

To hear what progress is being made, the public is invited to the Community Update on Housing & Homelessness 7 p.m. Thursday, April 11, at in Bruch Hall at First Presbyterian Church, 621 College Ave., Wooster.

Moderated by Cindy Biggs from the League of Women Voters, the event is presented by that organization, as well as the Wayne County Housing Coalition, Homeward Bound, the Wooster Homelessness Task Force and Community Action of Wayne/Medina.

“My hope,” said Community Action Executive Director James Fox, “is that (the public) is able to connect with some of the innovative solutions that are happening” to address housing – from homeless shelter through workforce housing.

Welcome Home Ohio initiative could offer funding for six-eight home

Fox and Zhila Pezeshkpoor, CAWM’s housing and community services director, will be on hand to provide an overview of Welcome Home Ohio, a new state initiative aimed at increasing housing stock in local communities. CAWM has applied for $2 million in funding through the program, Fox said.

Some of the funds could be used for a project to build six to eight homes on the former Lamplighters club property on Rebecca Street in Wooster. The homes would not be able to be sold for more $180,000 for the next 20 years, so WHO funding could impact the actual construction costs. Attendees also will hear about the Wayne County Land Reutilization Corp. – or land bank – which Community Action administers.

Other speakers include Rodney Mitchell of Wayne Metropolitan Housing Authority, who will recap the current availability of Section 8 housing vouchers and give an update on permanent supportive housing. He will be joined by Jonathan Millea from the City of Wooster, who will provide information on how the city’s Comprehensive Plan relates to housing development and the current and planned number of housing units in development within the city.

There are people and organizations, Fox said, looking to improve every segment of the housing market. Noting the Wayne Economic Council is looking into the housing issue as it relates to having adequate local stock to serve an influx of workers, he said, “It’s a perfect storm. It’s touching everything now.”

There also will be time at the conclusion of the event for questions and answers and the presenting organizations will have informational tables set up outside the hall.

Tami Mosser is executive support specialist for the Mental Health & Recovery Board of Wayne and Holmes Counties

This article originally appeared on The Daily Record: Update on housing, homeless in Wayne County, Wooster set for April