Clover Court Update No. 8

New Clover Court Update Available

Luke-Dorf to Hold Neighborhood Meeting to Review Land Use Development Proposal
Luke-Dorf, Inc., plans to convene a neighborhood meeting on August 31 from 6 to 8 p.m. regarding Clover Court, a six-unit affordable housing development for homeless individuals facing mental health challenges. The meeting will be held at the Aloha Church of God at 18380 SW Kinnaman Road in Beaverton. The purpose of the meeting is to provide a forum for the developer and surrounding property owners and residents to review the Clover Court proposal and to identify any land use issues before a development application is submitted to Washington County. Luke-Dorf staff will answer questions that are relevant to land use development standards consistent with the Washington County Community Development Code and Community Plan.  

• WHAT: Neighborhood Review Meeting for Clover Court Proposed Development 
• WHEN: 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Thursday, August 31, 2017 
• WHERE: Aloha Church of God, 18380 SW Kinnaman Road, Beaverton 
• WHY: To provide neighboring residents and property owners an overview of and to answer questions about the Clover Court land use development proposal 

More information is available by contacting Will Allen, Housing Director with Luke-Dorf, at 503-597-3988. 

Next Steps in the Process
Once the Clover Court development application is submitted, notification of a public hearing before an independent hearings officer will be sent to every property owner within 500 feet of the Clover Court site. The purpose of the hearing will be whether the proposed development complies with the land use rules. Under county rules, the entire land use approval process for the development application must conclude within 120 days of the application being submitted. Once permits are issued, Luke-Dorf will be able to begin construction, possibly by the summer of 2018. More information about the land use development process can be found on this chart from Land Use & Transportation. 

Choice Model Funding to Offset Clover Court Costs
The Washington County Board of Commissioners voted recently to offset $100,000 in local construction costs for the Clover Court development with state funds from the Choice Model program dedicated to helping people with mental illness live in the least-restrictive setting possible. 

To be accepted as a Clover Court tenant, clients from the Choice Model program will be required to meet the same chronic homeless and disability eligibility criteria and go through the same three-tiered screening process as other Clover Court tenants. This screening process will ensure that these tenants: 

• Have no prior history of sexual offenses  
• Have no felony convictions as determined through a criminal background check  
• Do not use illegal drugs or marijuana 

Clients referred to live at Clover Court through the Choice Program would agree to receive care coordination from a Washington County care coordinator in addition to their mental health case manager. Most Choice clients receive case management or other mental health services before they enter the program and continue receiving services after their residential or hospital care ends. These supports help individuals in the Choice program transition out of licensed care or avoid higher levels of care. 

This Choice Model funding will ensure that one of the six units planned for the Clover Court apartments will be available as permanent, independent housing for chronic homeless participants of the Choice program. As mentioned in earlier updates, permanent supportive housing, like the Clover Court apartments, will be designed for individuals who can live independently in the community with supportive services as needed. 

Background 
Washington County has a long-standing policy through which the Board of Commissioners may transfer ownership of surplus property to the County Housing Authority and to non-profit organizations that create and manage affordable homes. This is one way the county tries to address the critical shortage of affordable housing and to leverage additional resources to prevent homelessness. 

Washington County's approach has been to work together with community partners to address this crisis following the "Housing First" model for ending homelessness. Housing First is a nation-wide strategy that prioritizes providing people experiencing homelessness with permanent housing as quickly as possible, and then providing voluntary supportive services as needed, to ensure that families and individuals do not cycle back into homelessness. 

Washington County, along with the rest of the Portland area, is suffering from an affordable housing crisis that disproportionately impacts those with low incomes and mental illness. The County is currently working through "Year 10" of a "10-Year Plan to End Homelessness."  

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