Why we support Chesa Boudin

EDITOR: A recent study conducted by Amanda Agan of Rutgers University and Anna Harvey of New York University proved that policies like Chesa Boudins, enacted when he was San Francisco District Attorney, actually lower recidivism rates as well as crime rates for the long term. And, the facts show that there was a decrease of 26,000 reported crimes and violent crime was lower during Boudins tenure as DA.

Some of his accomplishments include an end to cash bail, a policy that unfairly penalizes the poor; he brought cases against police officers for abusive behavior and supported laws that eliminated barriers to holding police accountable as well as compensating victims of police brutality; he created worker protection units; dedicated an assistant DA to prosecute hate crimes, and so much more.

The money spent on the recall campaign came from San Francisco billionaires, including William Oberndorf, who donates to extremists like Mitch McConnell and Tom Cotton. They had enough money to fashion the message in a way that would play slight of hand and convince people who should have known better than to vote for the recall. As The Nation magazine article pointed out, at the heart of this reactionary movement is a misdiagnosis of genuine problems. Scapegoating a progressive and effective DA was the perfect target for right-wing operatives and funders. Since they cant win at the ballot box in California, they have embraced the recall process as their strategy. We need to be aware of this larger framework.

Praxis Peace Institute was proud to host Chesa Boudin and to learn more about what he was able to achieve in San Francisco, what powers he was up against, and what a more equitable and empathic district attorneys office could accomplish.

Georgia Kelly of Praxis Peace Institute

Sonoma

EDITOR: I read Marilyn Goodes letter in the Aug 10 edition and was concerned by her attack on Larry Barnett. I attended and spoke at the Design and Historic Review meeting on DeNovas proposal for more single-family housing on Fifth Street West, as well as at both subsequent Planning Commission meetings where they attempted to alter DeNovas development plan to include more low-cost housing, not less.

I wrote letters to the city asking them to clarify the General Plan to avoid these over-priced and over-sized developments. Lots of neighbors showed up at those meetings in support of lower-cost housing.

In fact, what came to surface after months of hand-wringing, letter writing, attorneys fees and an alternative architect paid for by neighbors, was the fact that our city planning staff had failed to prevent this type of development by not altering our General Plan language to state shall instead of should for over three years since the state bill was passed!

I live on the west side of town in an area of both small, single-family, single story homes and apartments, condominium-style communities and manufactured-home parks. We were all seeking lower-priced, smaller homes or apartments for more locals. Almost everyone on the Planning Commission supported that position.

Yet the developer used the new state law to build market-rate housing instead, with the condition he provided a few lower cost units in the plan. It was Larry Barnett who called for an emergency ordinance to the City Council that evening at that last planning meeting to stop further development of this fashion. The attorney actually scoffed at his request, even though City Council members listening in were in support of it.

The two parcels DeNova homes developed for market-rate (over one million dollars) housing were intended for below-market housing, as opportunity sites. But the city couldnt alter DeNovas plans because of the new state law. And, at the last meeting, the Planning Commission even offered DeNova greater density on that corner if they lowered the size and price of each unit. They declined it.

So please, Ms. Goode, unless you have closely followed these local efforts to affect change, its very unkind of you to presume Mr. Barnetts intentions.

Diane Lumiere

Sonoma

Recently, my husband was taken to the ER at Sonoma Valley Hospital by the paramedics. He received excellent care in the emergency room and from there he was taken to a room in the hospital. He stayed there 12 days. The care he received was amazing from the nurses, physical therapists, social worker, the hospitalist Dr. Walther, and all those involved.

Although all those who cared for my husband recommended that he be transferred to a skilled nursing facility, the insurance company denied our request. The help and support we received from the staff to make this happen went above and beyond.

Regardless of their recommendations, my husband was released and sent home. The very next morning, I had to call 911 for an assist to get him up off the floor.

I am so grateful for the professionalism, the kindness and respectful treatment my husband received at SVH.

Nelleke Cooper

Sonoma

Originally posted here:
Letters to the Index-Tribune editor, Aug. 19, 2022 - Sonoma Index-Tribune

Abodu, a company focused on building prefabricated Accessory Dwelling Units, installed its first North Bay unit in unincorporated Sonoma County roughly two weeks ago. The company says more units will be coming to both Sonoma and Napa counties in the coming months.

ADUs are small, self-contained living units that can be attached or detached to single family homes, within the single family lot. A statewide boom in ADU approvals started up roughly five years ago, when California legislators required local municipalities to relax their regulations on ADUs approvals. Further legislation, particularly in 2020, has made building such units even easier.

Legislators have framed opening up the approval process for ADUs as one part of an effort to take on Californias housing crisis. Though getting ADU plans approved by local governments has become swifter and easier, thats only one part of the process. The time and financial burden of building such units falls on homeowners who typically have no experience with construction, said John Geary, CEO of Abodu.

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Thats a problem because even if a homeowner has sufficient money and interest to build such a structure in their backyard perhaps because doing so could give them needed rental income, because theyd like to move a family member in there or a variety of other reasons they might see the time commitment and uncertainty of trying to learn how to navigate the process as too much of a burden.

Abodu designed its business around taking stress out of the process by handling most of it themselves, Geary said.Rene Schomp, director of the Napa Sonoma ADU Center nonprofit, said that similar options are offered by a several other prefab ADU companies.

Construction is tough. Its dirty. Its expensive. Its confusing. And when the average homeowner is building an ADU, theyre essentially building a home in their backyard, Geary said. What we saw is most homeowners arent equipped to do that well. Its a scary endeavor; theres a lot of opacity in the industry. And so our goal was, how do we make this as simple as buying a car or a product; how do we make it easy as possible for folks?

Cindy Loughridge and Seth Restaino, owners of the ADU in Sonoma, said that when they bought their home roughly a year ago, there was already an old, run down ADU on the property. The homeowner at the time was working with another company to replace that with a new ADU, which Loughridge said was a selling point for the house.

The state of the old ADU was almost a deal-breaker, Restaino recalled. It was an eyesore, and it had to either come down or be reworked.

But the company that wouldve built the ADU ended up busy for at least a year, perhaps because of supply chain delays, Loughridge said. Loughridge then discovered Abodu as a replacement option that would get the new ADU installed there relatively quickly. Restaino said the unit the most expensive model out of three possible Abodu choices, a two-bedroom unit with some upgrades cost roughly $425,000 in total.

Loughridge said they began talking with Abodu in August 2021 and signed a contract for the ADU in October. Abodu started building the unit at a factory in November, Restaino said, and it took three months for the custom build to be finished. Owing to various permitting and code compliance delays, the unit was installed in late May, and it will be ready to serve as a residence for the bride and groom during a wedding June 25.

We knew we were the guinea pigs, Restaino said. Im just also a realist about permitting and stuff going to take a little while.

Restaino said the main point of the ADU for now is that it will serve as a guest house to the two-bedroom main house. He added that its possible they might move their parents into the unit when they get older, or it could serve as a long-term rental should they decide to sell the property.

The speed of building such prefab units depends on whether homeowners buy in-production units or wish to design various aspects of the unit. Geary said the organization has installed more than 100 units in California over the past two years, and has several hundred in production behind that.

Schomp said she sees prefab ADUs as one important way to fill California's extreme need for housing. (Though ADU approvals have been picking up in Napa County and across the state in recent years, the number of total ADU approvals is still minuscule compared to the state's housing need.)

Schomp added there's essentially three categories of prefab unit: manufactured, factory built and panelized.

Manufactured housing is certified and regulated on the federal level through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. That means building requirements are less onerous than factory built, or modular, housing which is what Abodu builds because it's certified at the state level and must be built to state building code standards. As a result, manufactured ADUs tend to be cheaper than factory-built, Schomp said.

Panelized ADUs allow a greater level of customization because only the outer shell of the house is prefabricated, and it's delivered in flat panels that then have to be assembled.

All prefab ADUs have the advantage of generally being built more quickly than traditionally constructed units and taking a much shorter time to be installed on the property, Schomp said.

"What we do is we manage the ADU process from start to finish, the home is built entirely off site," Geary said. "So there's no months and months and months of construction in a homeowner's backyard. We're talking about two weeks before delivery, one day of delivery and then about two weeks after delivery, and that's all the homeowner sees of us in that backyard."

But, Schomp added, it's important to recognize that other ADU options traditional "stick-built" ADUs, junior ADUs that convert areas inside an existing home into housing, multifamily affordable housing have upsides as well.

And there are also a few limitations to prefab units to consider, she said. Having a flat lot and enough access to the site that a truck can drive in there with the unit, or so a crane can place it, is essentially a requirement.

The ADU center recently launched a Standard Plans Program which features a gallery of plans that at least some of 16 Napa and Sonoma county jurisdictions have pre-approved. That allows for a diversity of options for interested buyers, and helps the center pursue a goal of saving homeowners and cities time and money on the design and permitting process for ADUs, Schomp emphasized.

And though organizations like Abodu also work with local governments to have their ADU options essentially be pre-approved to cut down on delivery time and hassle, the ADU Center's program attempts to solve another potential flaw of prefab ADUs: the relative lack of options most prefab companies offer on their own. Those looking for ADUs can see options from a variety of companies: Abodu, Villa, Connect Homes, Inspired ADUs, Homes for Sonoma and more.

What I have seen time and time again in the housing space is theres no single silver bullet solution, Schomp said. You cannot say prefab is the answer; its one of the tools in the toolkit. And were going to be the most successful to meet our housing crisis if we approach with a diversity of housing options.

Schomp added that she initially skeptical of prefab ADU companies given that many of them started up, backed by venture capital, after the state's 2020 housing laws that made local permitting processes for ADUs more uniform came into effect. Those processes still aren't entirely uniform, she said, which means that in order for the companies to be successful, they need two teams of employees that work closely with every jurisdiction they're building ADUs in.

Schomp said she didn't anticipate that she'd feel the prefab companies have proven themselves this quickly, but she now feels confident referring people to them. And she believes prefab ADUs are a vital part of solving California's current housing puzzle.

Im pleasantly surprised by how successful these companies have been so far, and Im seeing homeowners significantly shifting from wanting to do traditional construction to wanting to do prefab, Schomp said.

You can reach Edward Booth at 707-256-2213.

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Prefab Accessory Dwelling Units are coming to the North Bay - Napa Valley Register

June 9, 2022

By Ethan Weinstein, VTDigger

RANDOLPH Gov. Phil Scott signed two key pieces of legislation Tuesday meant to address the states housing crisis.

The press conference and bill signing for S.210 and S.226, held at an in-process housing development at Salisbury Square in Randolph, highlighted legislation that will collectively invest over $45 million.

Building more housing to address our critical shortage has been a top priority, Scott said. In the aggregate, this will amount to the largest state investment in housing weve ever seen.

According to Sen. Alison Clarkson, D-Windsor, who also spoke at the event, the Legislature passed about $300 million in housing-related funds in the recently concluded biennium.

S.210 includes $20 million for the Vermont Housing Improvement Program, which seeks to bring houses and apartments in disrepair back into the market.

Having run up against the governors veto of a statewide rental registry, the Legislature passed S.210, which provides funding for the state Division of Fire Safety to enforce health and housing codes in rental units. In most towns, housing code inspections currently fall to the local health officer, often a volunteer.

S.226 will fund middle-income housing and eliminates the need for developers to get water and sewer permits from both a municipality and the state. It raises the cap on units allowed in projects in densely populated areas from 25 to 50. And it prohibits municipalities from imposing parking requirements of more than one space per bedroom on accessory dwelling units.

The legislation also will offer subsidies to contractors building homes that cost more to construct than their market value. It provides $1 million to assist first-generation home buyers and includes $4 million in grants to make upgrades to mobile homes and mobile home parks.

I know its usually the areas of disagreement that get the most attention, Scott said. Here is a great example of how people of different parties can agree on a fundamental problem, put differences aside and work together to find solutions that will benefit our state for decades to come.

The governor pointed to Springfield and his hometown of Barre as examples of communities that, having lost population, will benefit from the new funding to update vacant properties.

Money for the two new laws comes from both state and federal sources.

In a press release, Senate President Pro Tempore Becca Balint, D-Windham, celebrated the bills as an example of a hard-earned compromise.

Im proud of the work weve done to meet housing needs at every level, from affordable housing to middle-income homeownership, and that includes critical updates to rental units and manufactured homes, she said.

Weve also updated policy to make it easier to build housing where we want it, in our downtowns and village centers, and to better ensure that no Vermonter lives in substandard housing.

Phase I of the project involved developing 14 pedestrian-friendly apartments and one permitted home.

The second phase, now underway, seeks to create 19 solar-powered, net-zero units at the site of the former Ethan Allen furniture plant.

Julie Iffland, the groups executive director, highlighted the effort in Randolph to create mixed-income housing within walking distance of downtown. The units, powered by solar panels, will be connected by a microgrid, sharing power and even allowing the storage of solar energy, Iffland said. The project, she said, works toward the common-sense desire to make our communities livable.

During his remarks at the bill signing the first of its kind since the pandemic began Scott praised the Randolph initiative as a community-supported way to help ease Vermonts housing crisis.

The crowd, which numbered about 100, tells a lot about support you have in Vermont and for housing, he said.

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New laws will invest $45M into housing - Addison County Independent

BEDFORD, Texas, June 08, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Legacy Housing Corporation (the "Company," NASDAQ: LEGH) today announced thatDuncan Bates, a member of the Companys Board of Directors and Senior Vice President, Mergers & Acquisitions of Arcosa, Inc. (NYSE: ACA), has been appointed President and Chief Executive Officer, effectiveJune 7, 2022.

Curt Hodgson, Executive Chairman of Legacy, stated: I am thrilled to name Duncan as the President and CEO of Legacy. He brings a wealth of knowledge and experience in corporate finance and capital allocation that will assist us in operating as a public company and strategically growing our business. Duncan has a proven track record of leadership and is an important step in Legacys succession plan.

Mr.BatesreplacesKenny Shipley, who, as part of the management reorganization, will remain with Legacy as Founder and Executive Vice President. Mr. Shipley will also remain a member of the Companys Board of Directors (the Board). Mr. Bates resigned from the Companys Board effective June 7, 2022. Effective June 7, 2022, Francisco Coll was appointed to the Companys Board as an Independent Director and will also serve on the Audit Committee.

Mr. Hodgson added, We are excited that Kenny remains a key part of our team, and I look forward to the new roles both Duncan and Francisco will play in the leadership of Legacy.

Duncan Bates Bio

Duncan (34) most recently served as Senior Vice President, Mergers & Acquisitions of Arcosa Inc., a publicly traded infrastructure products company, since August 2018. Under his leadership, Arcosa executed 16 acquisitions and 2 divestitures in a 3.5-year period to reposition its portfolio around growth-oriented, high-margin products. Previously, he served as a Vice President in the Industrials Investment Banking Group at Stephens Inc. from June 2015 to August 2018. From February 2012 to June 2015, he worked in the Energy Investment Banking Group at Seaport Global Securities, LLC. Mr. Bates began his career in New York at Willis Re Inc. in July 2010. Duncan received his B.S. Management degree with a double major in Finance and Legal Studies from Tulane University.

Francisco Coll Bio

Francisco (37) was appointed to our Board of Directors on June 7, 2022. He has served as the President of Universal Air Conditioner, Inc., a wholesale distributor of aftermarket auto parts, since March 2015. Previously, he was the US Head of Sales for BTG Pactual, a Brazilian investment bank and asset manager that operates throughout Latin America, from March 2011 until March 2015. Mr. Coll began his career at UBS Investment Bank in the sales & trading and wealth management rotational program in July 2007. Francisco received his B.S. degree in East Asian Studies with a minor in Financial Economics from Vanderbilt University.

About Legacy Housing Corporation

Legacy Housing Corporation builds, sells and finances manufactured homes and "tiny houses" that are distributed through a network of independent retailers and company-owned stores. The Company also sells directly to manufactured housing communities. Legacy is the sixth largest producer of manufactured homes in the United States as ranked by number of homes manufactured based on the information available from the Manufactured Housing Institute. With current operations focused primarily in the southern United States, we offer our customers an array of quality homes ranging in size from approximately 390 to 2,667 square feet consisting of 1 to 5 bedrooms, with 1 to 3 1/2 bathrooms. Our homes range in price, at retail, from approximately $22,000 to $140,000.

Forward Looking Statements

This press release may contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934 and the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond our control. As a result, our actual results or performance may differ materially from anticipated results or performance. Legacy Housing undertakes no obligation to update any such forward-looking statements after the date hereof, except as required by law. Investors should not place any reliance on any such forward-looking statements.

Investor Inquiries:Shane Allred, (817) 799-4900investors@legacyhousingcorp.com

or

Duncan Bates, (817) 799-4837duncanbates@legacyhousingcorp.com

Media Inquiries:Kira Hovancik, (817) 799-4905pr@legacyhousingcorp.com

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Legacy Housing Corporation Announces Appointment of Duncan Bates as President and Chief Executive Officer - GlobeNewswire

Within hours after a tornado wreaked destruction on Gaylord, the Otsego Community Foundation sprung into action, launching a relief fund to help victims of the disaster.

The non-profit organization, which manages charitable funds to support local causes, is spearheading the Tornado Response Fund, raising money to help hundreds of residents as well as businesses impacted by the May 20 tornado that swirled along a two-mile-stretch of the city.

The foundation hopes to raise $1 million, a goal not too far off after just three weeks. To date, nearly $800,000 has been raised through individual donors from across the country as well as a host of businesses in Gaylord, the surrounding region and Michigan. The money will be used for immediate relief, short-term recovery and long-term rebuilding efforts.

The response has been incredible. Its so heartwarming, says Dana Bensinger, executive director of the Otsego Community Foundation. I think as a nation weve been pretty divided the last couple of years, but this has been absolutely uniting.

Even her 14-year-old son, who has helped with clean up efforts, remarked about how it was really cool to see all different kinds of different people working together.

Gaylord, a city of about 4,000 off Interstate 75 in Otsego County, is a year-round tourist destination and highway stopover, welcoming outdoor enthusiasts to the surrounding state parks, forests and rivers, as well as ski areas and golf courses.

The help from outside Gaylord has been amazing, including a lot of letters and notes with Bible verses, offering hope, Bensinger said. They come with checks of all sizes.

According to the National Weather Service, the tornado first touched down in eastern Antrim County and strengthened as the funnel moved west across Otsego County. The tornado was deemed an EF-3 -- a severe rating -- with winds of up to 150 mph in and around Gaylord.

Two people were killed and 44 people were injured as the tornado swept through Gaylord that Friday afternoon, according to news reports. The tornado damaged numerous homes -- tearing through a manufactured home community and businesses, mostly along Route 32, west of downtown Gaylord. Trees were knocked down and cars were flipped.

Initially, with those that were impacted, they were devastated. There was a lot of shock, said Erin Mann, executive director of Otsego County United Way, which is partnering with the Otsego Community Foundation in relief efforts and organizing volunteers. Other community organizations and churches are helping as well.

The community rallied together quickly, she added. We jumped into action. There is a lot of support and a sense of connection, people wanting to help one another. There is hope but we have a long road ahead of us.

Mann noted that about 1,000 people from across the state initially volunteered to help in the aftermath. Hundreds of volunteers have helped with cleanup, sorting and organizing supplies and distributing food.

Local officials cannot recall Gaylord sustaining a weather-related disaster of this magnitude. In all, the tornado damaged 210 homes, about half of them were completely destroyed. Thirty percent had 50 percent damage. Nearly 40 commercial properties sustained damage, and dozens of cars were damaged or destroyed.

We are only 20 days in and while hopeful, we have a long road ahead, Bensinger said. Recovery is not only about the restoration of structures, systems and services although they are critical. It is also about addressing sources of inequitable and unjust outcomes, and individuals and families being able to rebound from their losses and sustain their physical, social, economic, mental, emotional and spiritual well-being.

The Tornado Response Fund is aimed at providing relief on three different levels.Immediate relief has targeted providing the basic needs of the victims. Those needs include shelter and food. The fund was able to get money out right away to the Refuge, a nonprofit focusing on emergency shelter. To date, the Refuge has served 32 families, placing them in hotels and rentals. Other basic needs included helping people repair damaged cars so they can get to work.

To keep people out of the poverty cycle, we have to keep them working, Bensinger said.

Short-term recovery, she said, moves beyond immediate relief to help with longer-term issues such as housing. A lot of families in hotels are going to have to stay there awhile -- they have nowhere to go, she said. In addition, the fund was recently awarded a grant to hire two case workers to help victims navigate through the assistance system.

Were spending a lot of time in discussions to figure out what long-term building looks like, she said. We dont know what we are going to need as a community yet. We are not far enough in the process yet. We do anticipate that we will need a large chunk of money -- $500,000 -- for long-term building effort, leveraging federal, state or private grants to help out with the communitys needs.

While short-term housing is a huge need right now, affordable housing for those who have lost their homes will be an issue down the road. And there are a host of other concerns, including the mental health of those impacted by the tornado.

There are so many other aspects. Were still learning. This is all really new to us, Bensinger said.

The Oil and Gas Industry Friends of Otsego County made up of 11 producers quickly joined forces to put up a $180,000 match to the community, which was not only filled in less than 72 hours but really created momentum for the fund.

Donations have come from corporate and fraternal foundations, including Consumers Energy Foundation, $25,000, the Michigan Elks Association Charitable Organization Fund, $10,000, as well as other community foundations and businesses, including Meyer Ace Hardware, a hardware chain in northern Michigan. The family-owned business donated $15,000, matching donations contributed by customers.

We were very fortunate our store in Gaylord was not damaged and none of our employees were directly affected, said Jonathan Meyer, whose family owns and operates the stores in Petoskey, Harbor Springs and St. Ignace. Each store participated in the fund drive.

Meyer said customer response was overwhelming.

Meyer Ace Hardware presents check to the Tornado Response Fund.I think we really had an excellent response. We had more than 3,000 customers contribute, he said. Customers were asked to donate $1, $3 or $5 during checkout -- the average donation was $3.80. There were a lot of people contributing $5 or more.

Meyer, whose hardware has been in Gaylord 12 years, praised the Otsego Community Foundation for its efforts.

Dana (Bensinger) and her team are doing a tremendous job, rallying the troops and collecting money for the fund, he said. Im amazed what that team is doing for the community.

Its not the first time the Otsego Community Foundation has sprung into action because of a community-wide emergency. The organization raised money for its COVID19 Response Fund during the pandemic. The fund provided more than $100,000 to organizations, nonprofits and small businesses.

Ironically, that fund closed in mid May we spent that down, just in time to start the fund for the tornado response, Bensinger said.

To donate, go to the Tornado Response Fund.

Read the rest here:
Gaylord: A community comes together - Second Wave Media

Each home is different, but knowing where to shelter can keep you safe during a tornado warning.

TOLEDO, Ohio Home is where we feel safe and protected. Though we feel comfortable, when severe weather rolls in, do you know where your safe spot is? Whether you live in an apartment, manufactured home or have a basement, there are different ways to stay safe from the storm.

When sheltering from severe weather, Erik Konecki from the Wood County Emergency Management Agency said, there are two rules to remember. First rule is to get as low as you possibly can. Second, put as much space as possible between you and the outside world.

Many know that if your home has a basement that you need to shelter there, away from any windows or glass. The best spot to shelter in the basement is under the stairwell in the most interior part. Not everyone has a basement as a shelter option, so make sure you are on the ground floor, the lowest you can possibly reach, and the most interior that you can be.

These same ideas are also true for those living in an apartment. However, each apartment is different. If you live on an upper floor and cannot get to lower ground, seek shelter in the interior portion of the apartment, away from as many things that could break. Sheltering in a bathroom is a good place and gives you the option to pull the shower curtain to help protect from flying debris. If you have time, covering with a mattress overtop adds a layer of protection, along with closing the door. If the apartment has a lot of windows, sliding couches or furniture in front of the windows can help protect and put more between you and the outside. Konecki encourages renters to make friends living on the ground level and ask your landlord about shelter options.

If you live in a mobile home, it is especially important that you monitor weather news. Those living in manufactured homes are encouraged to have an emergency plan to follow in case of severe storms. If there is a watch or whisperings of severe weather in the area later that day, plan and reach out to neighbors and friends to shelter in their safe spots. If you must shelter in a mobile home, head to the center, and cover your head and body.

When sheltering from a tornado or derecho, it is important to get as low as you can, and to distance yourself away from the outside world. There is a popular myth to open a window before the storm because of pressure changes when the storm approaches. This is not true as it wastes time and it violates one of the top sheltering rules.

Finally, when sheltering in your safe spot, dress in long pants, coats, and close-toe shoes. Also, take the time to freshen your emergency kit as severe weather season gets underway.

The rest is here:
At home, do you know where your safe spot is? | Severe Weather Awareness Week - WTOL

Christi Watkins is grateful for her parents and their basement.

After losing my business in Las Vegas to COVID I had to move back home to Michigan, said Watkins, who is a government employee and a Wayne State University grad student working to complete her masters degree in psychology.

Her rent there was $1,800 but it was a three bedroom home near the strip and it had a pool and spa.

I moved home to find squatters in the house I had rented in Hazel Park, Watkins said.

So, she ventured out into the storm of Michigan residents, individuals and families, searching for homes to buy or houses, apartments, studio flats, and rooms to rent during a shortage of inventory and high costs.

Rents have exploded across the country, causing many to dig deep into their savings, downsize to subpar units or fall behind on payments and risk eviction now that a federal moratorium has ended. Rental costs rose a half percent in January from December, according to the United States Labor Department.

That may seem small, but its the biggest monthly jump in 20 years, and will likely accelerate.

Plus, many of the landlords are not only asking for security fees and first and last months rent but pet fees, and a complete credit check. Watkins earns a fair wage with her government job and also brings in extra money driving for Shipt but due to her student loans does not have the best credit score.

I looked at over 200 apartments, Watkins said, and while she did find a studio flat with a rent she could afford she could not justify the $7,000 in fees they were asking for an apartment that had no bedroom.

I gave up, Watkins said. I moved in with my parents and gave them the money I would have paid for rent, which helped them with their mortgage.

According to data from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), a two-bedroom rental unit averages $877 per month in Michigan. Thats a nearly 10% increase from 2018.

In some places the rent has skyrocketed.

Before I moved to Las Vegas I was paying $700 for a two bedroom house in Ferndale, Watkins said. That same house is now renting for $1,900.

At the same time, Michigans affordable housing stock, rental units that rent for less than $800 per month, have been dropping significantly year-over-year, according to the U.S. Census Bureau data. Between 2015-2019, the number of affordable housing units statewide has decreased by 18% from 541,677 units in 2015 to 443,079 in 2019, the most recent data available.

In Macomb County, affordable housing stock dropped by 27% during that time period while that same number dropped in Oakland County by 37% and 12% in Wayne County.

Ashlee Campbell and her four children were homeless for a while because she was unable to find anything she could afford.

Parents burdened by costs as child care providers struggle to survive

I was working, Campbell said. In fact, shes been working for the past seven years as a medical biller for Binsons Medical Equipment and Supplies in Center Line. But I wasnt able to afford much.

She and her boyfriend were renting a home together but after they broke up she and the children had to move into a one bedroom apartment, which cost her $800 a month.

She once thought about becoming a partner with Habitat for Humanity, but the requirements have changed and she is no longer eligible for the program.

After a long search, Campbell gave up on the idea of renting and instead found a manufactured home, which she was able to finance on her own with the help of Macomb Charitable Foundation (MCF), a nonprofit organization that helps county families with a variety of needs.

Leah McCall, executive director of the Alliance for Housing-Oakland County, said due to limited resources, the amount of subsidized housing is not making up for the shortfall in non-subsidized housing.

Without appropriate government subsidies to make up the difference, there is a shortage of affordable housing and an increase in rent, she said.

All of southeast Michigan has seen significant increases in median rent prices over the past four years, including government-set fair market rent, which are used primarily to help determine assistance amounts for individuals living in Section 8 housing and flat rent for public housing.

Due to the rapid rise in rent, McCall said that the amount of rental housing across metro Detroit that meet fair market price standards is decreasing. Fair market rents vary by metro area and by county.

This means that even when income-eligible households are able to secure rental assistance or housing vouchers, they are unable to use them, she said.

This combination of increased rent and scarce affordable housing options has put Michigans 1.4 million renters, especially the nearly 700,000 renters making less than $35,000 per year, in a bind as the economy continues its recovery from the height of the pandemic and inflation drives up prices for basic daily necessities.

In February, around 218,000 Michigan renters were not confident at all that they would be able to pay their March rent while over 283,000 renters said they were not caught up on their rent, of which around 26,000 said eviction was likely by the end of April, according to the U.S. Census Bureaus Household Pulse Survey. These numbers represent 15% to 20% of Michigans 18 and older renter population.

David Allen, chief market analyst at the Michigan State Housing Development Administration (MSHDA), said there seems to be a number of factors at play pushing median rent prices upward.

One is the fact that the supply of rental units is low relative to the demand for it, he said. This reflects the fact that housing production in the state is way below pre-Great Recession levels.

Allen said another primary factor pushing rent costs higher and higher is the lack of for-sale homes, which is driving some who would otherwise be buyers into renting.

This tends to increase the prices on the rental units being sought in the market, he said.

According to federal data, nearly 30% of rental units in Michigan are priced between $1,000 and $1,500 per month. And 38% of Michigan renters report their rent is at least 35% of their household income.

In Macomb, Oakland, and Wayne counties, between 15% and 38% of all rental units are priced between $1,000 to $1,500 per month with 35% to 47% of renters reporting that their rent costs total at least 35% of their household income.

Households that spend more than 30% of their income on rent are referred to as cost burdened, according to HUD. In 2019, 37.1 million households, or 30.2% of all U.S. households, fit this category.

Loved ones of Macomb, Oakland suicide victims stress proactive approach

Although the situation has worsened since the pandemic, Allen said half of the states renters pre-pandemic were paying more than 30% of their incomes on housing costs.

He added the pandemic has exacerbated these affordability issues for renters.

The effects of this are most felt among lower-income workers and racial/ethnic minorities, he said. These are the very households that were already having a hard time making ends meet.

The financial burden of the increasing cost of rent falls hardest on the half of workers in the U.S. who earn less than $35,000 each year.

New home construction booming in Macomb County

Even if they find housing they can rent, after paying rent along with security deposits and other fees, about 80% of renter households with incomes under $30,000 have between $360 and $490 left to cover all other expenses, including food, health care, transportation and child care.

Weve helped 40 families in the last year with first months rent or security deposits, who exhausted all other resources available to them, said Shelly Penzien, founder and CEO of Macomb Charitable Foundation, which has also helped families such as Campbells with food and other basic needs.

Penzien said shes noticed that since the pandemic landlords are asking for a lot more in terms of security deposits and added fees.

Ernest Cawvey, director of Macomb Community Action, believes the housing market overall has added to the pressures of finding affordable housing but there is help for residents.

Even though the federal moratorium protecting renters against eviction for non-payment of rent expired last August, a Michigan Supreme Court order continues to require district courts to temporarily halt the eviction process for renters applying for financial assistance through the Michigan COVID Emergency Rental Assistance (CERA) Program.

The CERA program has made over $700 million in federal dollars available to renters needing help paying their rent or utility bills. Michigan renters have received, on average, $4,470 in assistance while the average household has received $5,727.

Its important for everyone to know that we are here to help, Cawvey said.

Over $533 million has been spent on rent assistance while another $86 million has been spent to help renters pay their utility bills.

Over 138,000 Michigan renters have received assistance including over 9,000 in Macomb County, totaling $49 million, 12,000 in Oakland County totaling $70 million and a total of $193 million in Wayne County.

There is still over $100 million in assistance available through the Michigan CERA program with many renters having been approved for financial aid multiple times.

Currently, there is no state law that caps or restricts rent charges, but MSHDA does have some ability to impact the percentage of rent increase that can be charged at properties that have a state or federal housing subsidy or housing choice voucher attached to it.

The Housing Choice Voucher Program, which serves 28,000 Michiganders, allows renters to lease a unit of their choice provided that it meets federal quality standards. The owners requested rent is then determined reasonable based on HUD and MSHDA requirements.

If the rent is determined not to be reasonable, based on specified standards, MSHDA must deny the request and the owner must either lower the rent to conform with the requirements or the family must select another unit, said Katie Bach, a spokesperson for MSHDA.

Generally, landlords are being encouraged to charge rent based on the percentage of the homes market value. Typically, the rents that landlords charge fall between 0.8% and 1.1% of the homes value.

Landlords are also recommended to consider what others are charging for similar rentals in their area.

Having found a place to buy Campbell she said she will never go back to renting.

I might upgrade to a bigger place, she said, noting that once she raises her credit score she might even look at upgrading to a bigger place. Right now, Im confident where Im at. The house has new carpeting, a new stove, new paint. Its a home and I live in a cul de sac, so I dont have to worry about the kids playing outside with cars going by. Im very content.

As is Watkins who has one tip for renters and that is to remain diligent and dont be afraid to try sources you might not otherwise consider.

I looked every month to find a place and finally tried something I would normally not do, I looked on Craigslist, Watkins said.

As it turns out, a family thought outside the box as well and posted a listing on the classified advertisement for a mother-in-law suite for rent.

The family built this for their mother and she passed, Watkins said.

It came furnished and look at the view I have, Watkins said, from the kitchen in her one bedroom suite in St. Clair Shores.

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Rentals at a premium in Macomb County and metro area - The Macomb Daily

JARRELL Judith Johnson hid in a closet with her husband, her mother and their two dogswhen a tornado struck the outskirts of Jarrell on Monday.

Four days later, she stood relaxed and chatting on her front porch. Only the roofs of a few sheds had been destroyed on her property, unlike in 1997, when atornado that hit Jarrell flattened herhouse and killed27 people in the area.

Officials on Friday said the tornado damaged or destroyed about 24 homes and a few businesses in the areas ofCounty Road 305, County Road 307, County Road 396 and County Road 487 northwest of Jarrell.

Two tornadoes hit Williamson County on Monday, including the one that started inJarrell, about 50 miles north of Austin. The other tornado beganat the intersection of Interstate 35 and Texas 45 in Round Rock. A third tornado hit the Elgin area in Bastrop County.No one was killed by the three twisters.

"The fact that we are cleaning up debris and we are not at funerals is amazing," Williamson County Commissioner Russ Boles said at a news conference Friday in Jarrell.

More:Central Texas communities recover from outbreak of tornadoes

Friday's event was at Jarrell Memorial Park, which stands on the site of what was once Larry Igo's home. Igo and his wife and their three children were killed in the 1997 tornado when their house was ripped from its foundation.

The tornadoes in Williamson County on Monday damaged about 33 businesses, County Judge Bill Gravell said at the news conference. The twisters also destroyed 1,000 homes in the county, with most of the damage in Round Rock.

Gravell said he had requested that Gov. Greg Abbott apply for federal assistance and was expecting Federal Emergency Management Agency teams to arrive in the county to assess damage next week.

Jarrell Mayor Larry Bush said that he and his wife had lived through the 1997 tornado, and it had been much bigger than the one that hit on Monday.

Watch:See videos that captured tornadoes, high winds tearing through Elgin, Round Rock

"The tornado that came in 1997 was three-quarters of a mile wide. … The tornado on Monday was actually smaller," he said.

Meteorologists rated the 1997 Jarrell tornado as an EF-5, the top of the Enhanced Fujita scale, with winds at 261 mph. The winds in the tornadoon Monday were estimated to have reached 100mph.

The path of the tornado that hit Jarrell on Monday at one point crossed the path that the 1997 killertornado had taken, officials said.

Two businesses in the area were destroyed, Bushsaid. There was amixture of damage in the area, he said.

"We've seen several manufactured homes that were taken down to the tires, and then we've seen a couple of shingles missing," he said.

How strong was the Jarrell tornado?Storm spun with 100-mph winds, partially overlapped path of deadly 1997 twister

Bush said the county's weather alert system,which sends notifications to cellphones, helped residents escape serious injuries on Monday.

Volunteers, including Jarrell school district Superintendent Toni Hicks, were in Jarrell on Friday helping clean up debris. Hicks said she also helped clean up the debris from the 1997 tornado.

"In 1997,the concrete was pulled off the road and trees were stripped clean," she said. "This is not like that. The tornado bounced around," she said.

Another volunteer, Larnell Camus, described some of the items she and her relatives had picked off the ground Fridayin Jarrell. "It was a lot of personal checks, like canceled checks, and pictures and perfect attendance awards," she said.

Johnson said she and her husband were out of town during the 1997 Jarrell tornado, but when they returned home all she could find were eight buried chains on their property where they once had a small frame house, several classic carsand tools.Amish volunteers helped rebuild her home in 1997, she said.

On Friday, she walked out of her home and found a picture of a little girl in a basketball uniform on her property, she said. Johnson said she returned it to the neighbors that she thought had lost it.

"They broke into tears, and I hugged them," she said. "I said to them, 'Things will come and things will go but you are still here.'"

The city of Round Rock announced it will hostacleanup event Saturday in the Kensington and Windy Park neighborhoods for the public to help withtornado recovery efforts.

Those who volunteer will help clear construction debris and tree limbs that are lining street curbs and load it into garbage trucks. People are asked to park and sign up at either Dell Technologies Building No. 3,2300 Greenlawn Blvd., or atSuccess High School,500 Gattis School Road.

Volunteers can arrive at either location at 8-8:30 a.m. or 12-12:30 p.m.

View original post here:
Officials in tornado-weary Jarrell relieved property damage was worst of Monday twister - Austin American-Statesman

When I was a much younger man, a close friend became obsessed with astrology. This former high-school valedictorian and regional science fair winner went all in on the stars, using them to analyze everything and everybody, from U.S. presidents to parents to my marriage prospects with a new girlfriend. He talked about moon phases, this star aligning with that galaxy, and how a particular planetary conjunction explained the stock markets rise or a baseball teams fall. Listening to him made my head spin like Jupiters moons.

But one of his astrology terms stuck with me and applies to perhaps the greatest change well ever witness in home building: the Great Convergence.

There was an earlier convergencenot of the stars but of business and culturein a different industry (automotive) that eventually had a profound impact on home building. It began with the Japanese quality movement of the 1950s, from which the tools and techniques of quality, productivity, and Lean process spread from Japan to Korea and later to at least some European automakers.

By 1980, U.S. automakers had fallen so far behind that many experts predicted there would be no American-built vehicles by the year 2000. And, after decades complaining about predatory pricing and unfair trade practices, the Detroit gang finally woke up and accepted the source of the problem was overseas competition becoming much more efficient, with far better quality than domestic producers.

In fact, foreign competitors didnt steal American market share, as the politicians decried; rather, they earned it by providing superior value. Higher quality, better gas mileage, and lower cost offered a potent combination many consumers couldnt overlook.

It took considerable time and tremendous investment, but U.S. automakers slowly caught up, to the point where American quality and productivity began to rival the best foreign competition in the early 2000s. Today, U.S.-built cars dont just meet the quality and value of overseas product, they often exceed it.

That convergence of technology and culture in automobile production helped wake up our own building industry during the 1990s. Back then, I was the sole building industry member of the Detroit Deming Study Group, which met with the late Dr. W. Edwards Deming, the venerable quality guru, during his monthly trips to Detroit to help turn around American carmakers40 years after he had done the same for Japan!

I felt a bit lonely sitting with 40 to 50 automotive quality and production experts, and their attitude toward me was, What are you doing here? They were reacting to the legacy of post-war tract housing in this countrynot one to be especially proud of. You may not have been around to build them, but many of you lived in those poorly built homes.

The change in home building began, just as in automotive, with a focus on back-end inspect it in quality through massive rework, described as brute-force quality. Gradually, we began to understand the need to move upstream to a prevention model and, as a result, product improvedthough weve yet to reach the automotive industrys levels of quality, efficiency, and build it right the first time mentality and practices. Many builders still havent gotten the message. On the whole though, homes now are much better than those of the previous era.

Yetand this is a critical pointhome building productivity lags behind virtually every other industry. What are we doing about it?

Now comes the new great convergence in home building: the manufacturing and technology revolution that will change our industry forever. Im talking about a pervasive shift to off-site construction methods.

Im in my fourth decade in home building, and this is the Fourth Wave Ive experienced pushing the claim that off-site (factory-built, industrialized, building systemscall it what you want) production will enter housings mainstream, none of the past waves having lived up to the hype or expectations. In a previous column, I described how the late Bill Pulte told his three-day training class for new management recruits how the manufacturing revolution in home building was only this farholding his thumb and forefinger about an inch apartfrom happening in the 44 years since the end of World War II. That was in 1989.

Nearly 30 years after that class, and not long before his passing, I asked Bill for an update on home buildings manufacturing transformation. With a wry smile, he held up his thumb and forefinger again, this time less than half an inch apart, and declared, Today about THIS far. He then added, It will happen though. Maybe not in my lifetime, but certainly in yours.

Thats how far wed come in the nearly 75 years since the mid-1940s. But its worse than that. Look back at Sears Roebuck & Co., which built and shipped 70,000 complete home kits from 1908 through 1940 through its mail-order Modern Homes program. Each piece of the home was precut and labeled, including framing, wiring, plumbing, flooring, cabinets, and so on ... even the proverbial kitchen sink.

Those homes were great when they were built, and theyre still great today. I know because until grade six I grew up in one of those homes in southern Indiana, as did my grandparents in another home just around the corner. I can drive you through my current hometown of Plymouth, Mich., and show you at least 25 of these Sears houses (although some may be almost exact knockoffs of Sears plans built by other manufacturers), all remodeled and updated numerous times over the years. Theyre still solid family homes today. Once you know their look, youll find them across America.

Pause a moment here to consider how much the design and production of automobiles has progressed in the past 100 or so years. How about airplanes? Appliances? Audio equipment? Telephones? Electronics? Television wasnt even a fantasy in 1922, let alone cell phones and the internet.

How about the evolution of homes? Compared with those industries, home buildings progress has been marginal, at best. Today, fewer than 3% of new homes are manufactured off-site. Fewer than 5% are panelized, even at the most basic level. Trusses have 60% market penetration, yet, if you measure the true total cost of on-site vs. off-site methods, including the impact of saved schedule days, that figure should be more than 90%.

Given these past 100 years of performing below expectations, how can I now assert that today, off-site manufactured solutions are about to transform the home building industry? Yes, I am crawling out on a lam-beam here and declaring the Fourth Wave is here for real and it will change home building forever.

I base this on a simple observation of whats going on all around us, evidenced at the most recent National Association of Home Builders International Builders Show, in Orlando, Fla. The number of new technology companies focused on all phases of home building was incredible, the excitement palpable. And, notably, there were investors roaming around with briefcases full of money, looking to invest in the next big thing in housing.

Personally, Im now working with three companies that are pushing significant changes in the technology, one thats been around for decades, one now about five years old, and one brand new. Just last week, another old-line firm and an additional brand new one contacted me, asking for help in this arena. If I sign any more nondisclosure agreements, I fear I wont be able to talk to my own family members. These arent just interesting times but genuinely exciting ones.

Its easy to identify at least 10 significant changes driving or enabling this change. Ive listed them here for you to consider, and will follow up with more detail on each in my next column. There are, no doubt, more elements, and Id love to hear your take on whats driving the movement toward off-site methodsor whats holding it back. Heres what I see as the key drivers (1 through 5) and enablers (6 through 10):

1. Housing demand and shortage

2. Labor shortages

3. Material shortages

4. Cycle-time inflation

5. Sustainability

6. Availability of investment capital

7. Technology breakthroughs in computer software

8. Technology breakthroughs in robotics

9. Learning-curve acceleration

10. New methods for making true total cost comparisons

From my experience, those elements make it clear we are genuinely on our way in this, the Fourth Wave of the manufacturing technology revolution in housing. But there is still a critical missing link, and without it, progress will be slow. Simply, we have to be brutally honest and consider why the vast majority of home building software technologies still fall short of their promised impact.

For example, most all of the many packages designed to make scheduling a breeze by publishing to a portal accessed 24/7 by suppliers and trades are simply not working. Were surrounded by irrefutable evidence of this. When we run our TrueNorth LeanWeeks with 20 to 30 suppliers and trades participating, we always ask, How many of you have someone check jobsites the day before the schedule says theyre ready, to determine if you should really send out a crew or deliver materials?a practice we call scouting. Across literally hundreds of groups, the number of hands raised averages 80%.

The next question, Why do you not use the portal to replace the considerable expense of scouting? is at first followed by nervous laughter across the room. With some coaxing, one brave soul will inevitably explain, We just cant trust it, after which youll see all suppliers and trades nodding in unison, along with builder field superintendents as well.

Again, theres nothing wrong with the software itself. But the fact that 80% of suppliers and trades are scouting sites instead of relying on software is prima facie evidence that systems are failing at some point in the process. The problem is that in todays world of labor and material shortages, these portals are worse than worthless if the system isnt updated for each project, each day (at least), both in the field and in the office.

Worse than worthless? Absolutely. Because if the portal schedule sends the wrong crew or a delivery to the wrong place, or the right place on the wrong day, the cost is huge in supplier/trade loyalty and, ultimately, in pricing. I learned decades ago from great mentors, such as Mike Rhoads in Chicago and Gary Grant in Minnesota, that builders with the best schedulers get the best crews and best pricing, simply because they are the most profitable for suppliers and trades.

Now make the translation to the application of manufacturing technology. Plans, elevations, specifications, options, and selections that affect the off-site building process must be continually transmitted and confirmed. That goes for comparatively simple components such as stairs, cabinets, and open panels, as well as more complex production of closed panels, all of the way to full-on modular or volumetric building. This information must be so reliable that the off-site plant can absolutely take it to the bank, without exception.

I once asked the president of a large home building company in a distant city to name his most difficult supplier in terms of communication and cooperation. He didnt hesitate, proclaiming, The panel plant. Irony No. 1: The panel plant made the identical comment about the builder. Irony No. 2: Both builder and plant were owned by the same parent company. Whenever someone says a company should be more like a family, my first question is, Which family? This particular family was clearly dysfunctional.

Continual, vigilant, completely accurate and timely communication means everything for reaping the promise of the Fourth Wave from which our industry is truly revolutionized. Anything less means failure, and the dream of better product at lower cost, with less dependence on on-site labor, and significant reduction in cycle time will remain forever elusive. The home building stars are now well-aligned for this revolution, and its up to all of us, on all sides of this rather complex equation, to do our part to make it happen.

Will my prediction prove out? Thinking back on my astrology-obsessed friends predictions, I expect to fare much better. He got some right, but many wrong, including his warning that my then-girlfriend and I were in for big trouble should we marry. Im happy to report45 years, four kids, and three grandkids laterI woke up next to her this morning with both of us agreeing: So far, so good!

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What's Driving the Move to Off-Site Construction in Home Building? | Pro - Pro Builder

CANTON Many Stark County property owners are set to receive their 2022 property tax bills in the mail this week.

Payments for the first half of the year are due by Feb. 23 at the Stark County Treasurer's office. The second half payment is due July 20. The first-half deadline for taxes on manufactured homes are due by March 8.

Property owners who fail to pay on time will be assessedinterest and a state-mandated penalty of 5% of the amount due for up to 10 days after the deadline and 10% of the amount after that.

More: Nearly 1,400 in Stark County file informal appeals of their new property values

More: Stark County housing market boom raising home values: See the change in your area on a map

Stark County Treasurer Alex Zumbar said the county's vendor PPI Graphics was to deliver 198,000 property tax bills to the U.S. Postal Service facilities in Cleveland by Monday.

About 56,000 of those mailings are informational notices to property owners where their mortgage lender has arranged an escrow service to pay property taxes for them. Zumbar said the cost of the mailing, which is required by state law, is roughly $100,000 a year.

Property owners who don't want to wait can check their bills online. They can go to the Stark County Auditor's Real Estate Search and look up their property by name (data format is last name and then first name without a comma), address or parcel number. They then click on the "Go" button on the right side under "Printable Tax Bill" under "Reports." The word "processing" will appear and if the property owner has disabled the browser popup blocker, the tax bill will appear in a separate browser tab.

Zumbar said by law, property owners are legally required to pay their property taxes by the deadline even if they don't receive a bill in the mail.

The county has four methods by which taxpayers can pay their bills without additional cost. He asks taxpayers to write the parcel numbers of the properties they're paying taxes for on all checks and money orders.

They can pay their bill in person by check, money order or cash at the Stark County Treasurer's Office on the second floor of the county office building,110 Central Plaza, Suite 250. Those who do this are asked but not required to wear a mask.

They can submit with their tax bill stub a payment by check and leave it in the dropbox of the lobby, whichis open 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. weekdays.

Taxpayers can also sign up in advance for a prepayment program, which involves 10 payments debited from a bank account per year. It's too late to sign up for payments due in 2022. Contact treasurer's employee Rick Reigle at (330) 451-7814, extension 7824 or email him at rlreigle@starkcountyohio.gov.

Taxpayers can also sign up in advance for two payments debited from their bank accounts in February and July. Call Richard Willaman at (330) 451-7814, extension 7819 or email him at rcwillaman@starkcountohio.gov.

Taxpayers can mail their payment and incur the cost of postage. The payment must be postmarked by the deadline. And postal meter postmarks aren't considered valid. The address if mailing prior to the due date is: Stark County Treasurer, P.O. Box 24815, Canton, OH, 44701-4815. If mailing after the due date, mail to: Stark County Treasurer, 110 Central Plaza S, Suite 250, Canton, OH, 44702-1410.

Zumbar said due to the U.S. Postal Service's delivery woes a year ago, some payments mailed by the deadline from out of the county were notreceived until June. Otherswere lost. He said any tax penalties assessed in those situations were reversed.

Taxpayers can also pay by credit card or debit card by phone by calling 1-877-690-3729 and using jurisdiction code 4518. The fee is 2.35%. The payments must be divided into one for each parcel. For the same fee, taxpayers can pay by credit card or debit card online at the Treasurer's website. If taxpayers pay online by electronic check and submittheir routing and account numbers for their bank account, the fee is a flat $1.95.

The last payment option is to submit payment at one of three kiosks. The fees are the same as if paying online. The kiosks are at:

The Stark County Auditor's office last year completed the county's triennial update where county appraisers using computer software updated home values to reflect the housing market. Stark County Auditor Alan Harold told the Stark County commissioners Monday morning that residential property values in the county increased by a median 17 to 18%, reflecting booming demand in 2021 for houses.

With new levies approved by voters in 2020 and 2021 taking effect this year and the higher valuations, Harold said, property tax bills this year are up about an average of 8% from a year ago.

Reach Robert at (330) 580-8327 or robert.wang@cantonrep.com. On Twitter: @rwangREP

Excerpt from:
Property tax bills start landing in mailboxes this week - Canton Repository