Stakeholders are invited to participate in formation of a Cole County Affordable Housing Task Force.
Central Missouri Community Action is to host an initial meeting of folks interested in creating the task force from 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Thursday at Preferred Family Healthcare, 101 Adams St. in Jefferson City.
CMCA serves eight counties in Central Missouri — Audrain, Boone, Callaway, Cole, Cooper, Howard, Moniteau and Osage. It uses federal Community Service Block Grants and community support to help clients with employment, education, housing, nutrition, emergency services and health, and to better use available income.
“We will focus on strategies that will help us find opportunities to increase the amount of quality, but affordable, housing,” the nonprofit said in a news release. “We realize that our local area incomes (much like across the nation) have not increased at the same pace as the cost of housing.”
The public is welcome to attend the meeting, CMCA community organizer Stefani Thompson said. That includes people who have interest in developing housing or who have land available and are interested in future housing in Jefferson City.
Mayor Carrie Tergin, City Council members, city agencies, and developers and folks who offer rental properties have already committed to attend, Thompson said.
CMCA’s housing development manager will offer a presentation of all the types of affordable housing the organization offers in Columbia and remain available to discuss what types might work in Jefferson City. The manager will also discuss what potential housing locations the city may have available.
A goal is to develop a smaller, specific task force, which would set future meeting dates and goals.