Help for the housing burdened of Ashland

Aug. 22—Help for people struggling to keep up with rent or buy a home in Ashland will be available from 4 to 6 p.m. Thursday in the Cosmos Room of Ashland Hills Hotel, where organizers also are asking for insights.

Ashland's Housing and Human Services Commission plans to host an event that forms a two-way street between giving and asking for information, said Linda Reid, housing program specialist for the commission.

"It's important for people to come and share their experiences, so we can know what they need help with, and we want people to walk away feeling like they have some options and some hope," Reid said.

The city of Ashland is working on a set of strategies that will become actions outlined in the forthcoming document "Housing Production Strategy," Reid said. The strategy starts with exploring options, then forming actionable steps after a period of public input.

The strategy will look to help people who are rent-burdened — defined as spending 50% or more of one's income on rent — as well as those struggling to buy a home. Thursday's forum is one of several opportunities for the community of Ashland to help its government help them.

The event is folded into the commission's yearly rent-burden forum.

Every year the commission is mandated by the state of Oregon to hold this forum, along with every other Oregon community with up to 25% of its population living as rent-burdened, Reid said. This year, the forum will include utilities as part of the rent-burden equation.

Local nonprofit ACCESS will be at the forum, sharing information on its multifaceted home ownership program, which provides assistance and information for those struggling to buy a home for the first time.

For more information on the Housing Production Strategy, see www.ashland.or.us/Page.asp?NavID=18200.

Reach Mail Tribune reporter Morgan Rothborne at mrothborne@rosebudmedia.com or 541-776-4487. Follow her on Twitter @MRothborne.