Converting motels to housing one step closer: Idea in response to wildfires, housing shortage – April 1, 2021 SALEM — The conversion of hotels and motels to emergency shelters and low-cost housing would be eased under a bill that is halfway through the state Legislature. House Bill 3261 would exclude the conversion of hotels and…
City Council lays out two-year, four-year to-do lists: Preparedness, ‘whole gamut of housing’ to be addressed – March 23, 2021 At a goal-setting session in January 2019, the city aimed to reestablish its community emergency response team, stream live meetings and work with the school district to bring a reservoir to the new campus. They…
Homeless liaisons to lead outreach in county – March 16, 2021 Clatsop County will soon have two liaisons dedicated to connecting homeless people to social services, along with gathering data and addressing gaps in outreach. The positions, funded by the county and Clatsop Community Action, grew out of an Astoria task force on homelessness. The…
New leadership in place at Astoria Warming Center – March 12, 2021 As the winter season comes to a close, the Astoria Warming Center is planning for next season with new leadership. The warming center operates an emergency shelter for the homeless during the winter months in the basement of First United Methodist Church… Read…
California housing crunch: Is the answer to end single-family zoning? – March 8, 2021 Now famous as a bastion of liberal politics, the Northern California enclave of Berkeley established a first-of-its-kind policy in 1916 that prohibited multifamily housing on residential land. City planners at the time cast the regulation as a preemptive move to protect…
Letter to the Editor: What causes homelessness? by Rick Bowers – March 6, 2021 As I began to look deeper into the problem of homelessness, I asked myself the question: What causes homelessness? Of course, I knew there would be many answers, because just like any population, the unsheltered population is diverse. I was left…
Homeless liaisons to lead outreach in county: Idea grew out of city task force – March 5, 2021 Clatsop County will soon have two liaisons dedicated to connecting homeless people to social services, along with gathering data and addressing gaps in outreach. The positions, funded by the county and Clatsop Community Action, grew out of…
SB 8 – Requires local governments to allow development of certain affordable housing on lands not zoned for residential uses Signed into law by the Governor June 23, 2021. Staff summary as of May 25 “Requires local governments to allow, without requiring a zone change or conditional use permit, the development of affordable housing projects…
Letter: Sunset Empire Park and Recreation District needs to step up for homeless by Kathleen L. Samsel – March 1, 2021 I am very saddened and very upset with Sunset Empire Park and Recreation District last meeting report. You have failed to live up to the high caring and helping standards of the people of…
Everyday People: Serving seniors, fostering connection: Limited by virus, senior center adapts – March 1, 2021 Every day, people stop by the Astoria Senior Center, peer through the glass door and ask executive director Larry Miller, “So when do you expect to be open?” The answer: He’s not sure…. In the last few years, Hayes…