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Housing Opportunities Commission Minutes April 8, 2026 1. Call to Order at 5:20 pm 2. Roll Call A. Commissioners Present: Brooke Peterson, Angela Stokes, Erin Hanson, Jessica Schoen, Cody Filipczak, Madison Buechner, Carrie Poser B. Commissioners Absent: Christina Thrun, Laura Lash, Todd Schwartz C. Staff Present: Billie Hufford, Jessica Oleson-Bue, Nicole Kragness, Katherine Kerwin 3. Certificate of Appreciation – Hufford presented Cody Filipczak and Carrie Poser with certificates. 4. Approval of meeting minutes of March 11, 2026 – Motion to approve made by Commissioner Stokes, Seconded by Commissioner Filipczak, passed unanimously. 5. Open Public Comment Period – No one came forward with comment. 6. Public Hearings – None 7. Business Agenda items A. Housing Our Neighbors Plan Presentation – Commissioner Stokes presented about the Housing Our Neighbors Initiative Councilperson Schoen commented that City policy would be where HOC could have impact. Commissioner Stokes responded also advocacy and exploring creative housing options. Commissioner Poser shared about Milwaukee’s program and reported success. Also, homelessness in Eau Claire is because of a lack of housing. Commissioner Peterson personal examples of rent increases and the impact. Commissioner Poser shared similar plans in Green Bay and LaCrosse have not reduced homelessness, but the Eau Claire one is different. Question on the numbers, Commissioner poser said over 300 households need housing. B. Housing Funding Programs – Training Session Planning – Hufford asked about HOME ARP vs HOME. Commissioner Poser shared that there are state funds available, but not for Eau Claire. Hufford shared she will talk to Christina to keep things moving forward. Oleson-Bue shared information about the HOME ARP allocation for Eau Claire. Questions about LIHTC; Hufford shared City funds for LIHTC helps with points for award. Commissioner Stokes asked about funding for LIHTC, Hufford shared the funding would come from the housing fund and potential for a development with about 120 units, all below 60%, but the Commission has indicated there isn’t a desire to fund LIHTC projects. C. City Budget Review – Hufford presented an overview of the budget including timelines. Commissioner Stokes asked about funding; Hufford shared that HOC makes recommendations to Council regarding the housing fund. Stokes asked if there was any additional funding outside of the housing fund, Hufford said no. Commissioner Filipczak asked about the budget shortfall for 2027; Hufford responded that we need to make cuts yearly as revenue does not keep up with costs . Councilperson Schoen shared the deficit is mostly in the general fund. Commissioner Hanson asked if the housing fund had carryover; Hufford shared information about carryover funds from 2025. Commissioner Hanson asked if the funding allocated to the housing fund went towards other housing programs, Hufford shared the funds are only for HOC to make a recommendation to Council for housing. Commissioner Peterson asked if some of the funds can be used for items shared in the HONP presentation; Hufford responded no, it needs to be capital projects only, n o services, administrative, etc. D. Staff updates (10 min) (a) Housing Projects Update – No project updates. Hufford shared that her and Commissioner Filipczak toured the Hub to determine if a similar project might be feasible in Eau Claire. Staff will continue researching project. Commissioner Filipczak shared his thoughts on the Hub. Commissioner Poser shared that the program caters to a particular individual, but not all individuals. She cautioned people from thinking this is the one solution and other individuals have different needs. She also suggested talking to the homeless community to see if they would live in the units. 8. Discussion and Direction A. Future Agenda Items – Hufford will work with Christina on agenda, no additional items suggested. B. Announcements a. Next meeting: May 13, 2026 b. JONAH housing panel May 14, 2026, 5pm-7pm at the Library. c. Commissioner Schoen shared that BCC assignments will happen at the Council organizational meeting. d. Commissioner Poser shared A Home for Everyone conference, July 29 & 30 in Pewaukee, WI 9. Adjournment - Motion made by Filipczak, seconded by Stokes, passed unanimously.