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January 14, 2005
County Council to Hold Town Hall Meeting
on Affordable Housing at NewHolly Complex
The Metropolitan King County Council will focus on the challenge
of developing and maintaining affordable housing in King County
when they hold their first Town
Hall meeting of 2005 on Monday, January 31. The NewHolly
Gathering Hall, 7054 32nd Ave S, Seattle, will host
the Committee-of-the-Whole meeting.
“One of the greatest challenges facing local and county government
is looking for ways to make sure that living-wage and poverty level
families are not priced out of King County because of the lack of
affordable housing,” said Council Chair Larry
Phillips. “King County has partnerships with local, state
and federal agencies along with private organizations to supply
and maintain affordable housing options. We are in a critical stage
in facing this challenge and this meeting is a chance for the public
and the Council to find new ways to keep families in the core communities
that make up King County.”
“Meeting in NewHolly will give the public and councilmembers
the opportunity to see a prime example of a public-private partnership
that’s working to keep affordable housing in our urban core,”
said Councilmember Dwight
Pelz, whose district includes the NewHolly complex. “NewHolly
is a mix of living-wage, low-income and market rate housing that
is the model for keeping working families and first time home buyers
in communities where there is the infrastructure and services they
need. I look forward to hearing ideas that will allow these families
to continue living in King County.”
Among the people scheduled to brief the public and Councilmembers
at the Town Hall are:
• Kim Herman, Executive Director, Washington State Housing
Finance Commission
• Stephen Norman, Executive Director, King County Housing
Authority
• Carla Okigwe, Executive Director, Housing Development
Consortium
• Rev. Robert V. Taylor, Chair, Committee to End Homelessness
in King County
Citizens will also have a chance to speak directly to the Council
during the public comment period.
The public is invited to meet face-to-face with councilmembers
at an informal reception before the Town Hall starting at 9:30 a.m.
The Committee-of-the-Whole meeting starts at 10:00 a.m.
The Council’s Committee-of-the-Whole
is the only standing committee on which all 13 members serve. It
considers complex legislation and policy issues of interest to the
entire council. In 2005, the Council will continue its effort of
enhancing local representation on regional issues by periodically
scheduling our regular meetings in various parts of the county.
Last year, the Council held successful Town Hall Meetings in SeaTac,
Federal Way, Lake Forest Park, Seattle’s Central Area, King
County’s Marymoor Park, the Bellevue Art Museum, Issaquah’s
historic Pickering Barn and the Experience Music Project.
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