Frank Porter is a retired school superintendent, principal and teacher. His work career started locally in the Buckeye School District in 1975. In retirement, Frank has been working with the El Dorado Community Foundation, local and regional non-profit organizations, Upper Room, Foothill Interfaith Collaboration, and now the Housing El Dorado, to create and promote affordable housing solutions and support services that nurture individuals and families while encouraging self-sufficiency on the West Slope. Frank started his program by telling us that in the last official count there were a minimum of 503 adult homeless on the Western Slope of EDC as well as around 750 school-age children who are without a permanent home. There is a myth that most of the homeless come from elsewhere. That is not true in El Dorado County. Housing El Dorado is an arm of the El Dorado Community Foundation. One of their aims is to catch people at the start of, or just before the start of, the downward cycle into homelessness. Recently the were able to help a man with a couple month's rent that he couldn't pay due to a short-term disability. Frank also talked a lot about the need for more affordable housing in EDC. The average rent for a 2-bedroom apartment in EDC is $1775, implying that $34/hr. or more is needed to reasonably afford such an apartment. Frank described the status of 5 affordable housing projects in the county, only one of which has broken ground. The Placerville Armory is on state surplus land and Jamboree Housing, with help from Housing Eldorado, is working on getting that project into the ground-breaking stage. Frank mentioned several open volunteer positions in Housing Eldorado. People who are interested in that or in donating should read this month's HED newsletter. |