Did you miss our Gainesville Commission Candidate Forum? No worries. You can watch the recording below!

Candidates have begun submitting their completed questionnaires and the first batch is now available for public review on a dedicated page for 2022 city candidates. You can access the page by following this link.

Commission candidates have until June 30th to complete their questionnaires, and mayoral candidates have until July 7th to do so. So, be sure to check the page often to read responses from more candidates.

And don’t forget the City Commission Candidate Forum takes place on Thursday, July 14th at Emmanuel Mennonite Church (1236 NW 18th AVE in Gainesville). The Mayoral Forum will follow on Thursday, July 28th at the same location. Food and beverage will be served at 6:00 pm and candidates will begin fielding questions at 6:30 pm.

Please share this link to the questionnaires with your neighbors! And we hope to see you at the forums!

ACLC Affordable Housing activists Pam Paris and Sheila Payne attended two housing workshops hosted by the City of Gainesville in June 2022. Pam Paris took excellent notes so the community remain informed. Please see her notes below.

AFFORDABLE HOUSING WORKSHOPS HELD IN GAINESVILLE IN JUNE 2022

The Office of the City Manager for Gainesville, FL defines Affordable Housing as “housing in which the occupant is paying no more than 30 percent of gross income for housing costs, including utilities.” Other definitions pertinent to discussions about affordable housing were included in a handout provided during the June 2022 workshops.  That handout which is included in the full 8-page version of the Affordable Housing Framework for Discussion can be found here: https://tinyurl.com/AH-Framework-2022. It’s worth reading and it includes a chart that shows all the 16 agencies partnering with the City, and the services they offer.

Gainesville’s Affordable Housing Strategic Plan recommends “high-impact strategies to expand housing affordability in Gainesville through a combination of incentives, policy changes, and funding sources.” These strategies are grouped in the following manner:

•                    Diversifying Funding Sources
•                    Increasing Zoning Flexibility
•                    Promoting Permanent Affordability

The two city-sponsored workshops in June 2022  (6/1 & 6/4) at Bo Diddley Plaza included a review of these strategies and a call for input from the participating citizens. More details can be found at the link above.

The June 1^st workshop that Pam & Sheila attended was designed to explain Inclusionary vs Exclusionary Zoning but it also provided the City with the opportunity to hear from many members of the community who were very angry with how the development of areas around the University of Florida has been conducted and the impact on the surrounding neighborhoods.

In the June 4th workshop, there were 8 breakout sessions offered, as follows:

•                   Affordable Housing 101
•                   Affordable Housing Preservation
•                   Community Land Trust
•                   First-Time Homebuyer Programs
•                   Funding Priorities
•                   Housing Vouchers
•                   Infill Housing*
•                   Rental Housing Program*

*Pam was able to attend these on 6/4 and can provide more details on the discussion around these. Some highlights:

The Infill Housing breakout group provided the opportunity for at least one member of the community who is very familiar with the needs of east Gainesville to speak about the need for affordable housing, including infill. The pros and cons of Infill were discussed too.

Some notable info shared in the Rental Housing Program breakout group was that only 450 inspections out of 6,000 have been completed.  However, many of those 450 had to be re-visited by City staff due to the lack of appropriate zoning experience of the undergraduate engineering students that were hired by the firm the former city manager contracted with to perform the inspections. As a result, the City is trying to hire 4 or 5 more inspectors (code officers) to catch up with the backlog, rather than use a contracted service. The City is having trouble finding good candidates at this point.

Based on a review of the session’s whiteboard notes, the Affordable Housing Preservation breakout session hit on all the areas that the ACLC has heard about from members of the rental community – for example, the fact that property managers don’t honor vouchers, renters being evicted if the renter reports the landlord for code violations, etc.

It is notable that the City of Gainesville Affordable Housing Initiatives from 2018 – 2022 (to date) have extensive timelines in which the following initiatives were discussed with various groups in the Gainesville community:

Housing Action Plan – met 7 times (2018 – 2021) in public meetings

GNVRise – met 8 times (2018-2019) in public meetings/workshops

GCRA 10 Year Reinvestment Plan – met 17 times (2019-2020) in public meetings; draft creation, review, and finalization meetings.

GCRA Pleasant Street Affordable Housing INFILL Opportunity Project – met 5 times in 2020 for presentations and neighborhood engagement meetings.

GCRA Porters Affordable Housing INFILL Opportunity Project – met 3 times in 2021 for engagement meetings and presentation meetings.

GCRA Housing Programs Community Outreach Campaign – met 10 times for presentations to various neighborhoods, and planning sessions.

Decisions by City Commission regarding Affordable Housing Initiatives – 4 decisions in 2020, 1 decision 2022 (so far), as follows:

1. Adopted recommendations of the Rental Housing Subcommittee
2. Passed Multi-part Housing motion
3. Expand allowance for Accessory Dwelling Units
4. Expand allowance for Single Room Occupancies, and Reduce tree mitigation for Affordable Housing
5. Approval of Bright Community Trust, Inc. as the City’s Community Land Trust Partner

ImagineGNV Comprehensive Plan Update – met 7 times in 2021 for listening sessions on racial equity, housing justice, economic justice, the community cultivators program, “conversations in a box”, the Konveio Website.  There were 16 public meetings in 2021 to discuss various aspects of the Comp Plan Update.

Current Inclusionary/Exclusionary Zoning Process – 5 public hearings/meetings held around this (one in 2020, one in 2021, and three in 2022).  For definitions and details about Inclusionary Zoning and Exclusionary Zoning, please see page 6 of the Affordable Housing Framework, which can be found here:  https://bit.ly/gainesvilleEZIZ.  This 55-page document provides many details about Affordable Housing Initiatives in the City of Gainesville plus some nationwide statistics for greater context.

HANDOUTS PAM COLLECTED DURING THE JUN 2022 MEETINGS:

GCRA – Gainesville Community Reinvestment Area – 10 Year Reinvestment Plan (120+ page picture book)

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Income Limits for Gainesville MSA 2022

Home Energy Tune-Up Programs

Affordable Housing Framework for Discussion

Exclusionary Zoning (EZ) – definition, benefits, limitations

Inclusionary Zoning (IZ) – definition, benefits, limitations

City of Gainesville Fair Housing Ordinance – mission statement and contact information

For xerox copies, contact Pam Paris with ACLC at 352-262-1317 – or contact the City of Gainesville for full color copies.

This summer, the ACLC and its co-sponsor Medicare for All Florida hope to get the following resolution in support of Medicare for All passed by both our City and County commissions. Below is a copy of the resolution, please sign our petition to our local decision-makers so that we can get these resolutions passed.

THE GAINESVILLE CITY COMMISSION, CALLING ON FEDERAL LEGISLATORS TO ENACT HR1976 “MEDICARE FOR ALL ACT OF 2021” AND SUBSEQUENT LEGISLATION IN THE US SENATE AND AUTHORIZING THE CITY CLERK TO PROVIDE COPIES OF THIS RESOLUTION TO FEDERAL LEGISLATORS

WHEREAS, every person in the city of Gainesville, the State of Florida and the United States deserves high quality healthcare; and

WHEREAS, over 30 million Americans have no health insurance, including over 2.78 million Floridians; and

WHEREAS, almost half of Floridians (45%) including those who have insurance did not obtain needed health care such as filling prescriptions or seeing a doctor because of cost barriers, and about one-third of those who did get some needed healthcare struggled to pay their medical bills; and

WHEREAS, medical debt is the most common cause of bankruptcy, and

WHEREAS, during the Covid pandemic profits of insurance and pharmacological companies continued to grow, while patients’ medical costs continued to rise and many workers lost their jobs and their insurance coverage through becoming ill; and

WHEREAS, the United States spends more on healthcare than any other industrialized country, but has worse outcomes in many indicators such as life expectancy and infant mortality; and

WHEREAS, the Medicare for All Act of 2021, HR1976, would provide health insurance for every person in the United States covering all necessary health care including: hospital, surgical and outpatient services; primary and preventive care; prescription drugs; reproductive care; dental, vision and hearing care; mental health care; and long-term care; and

WHEREAS, HR1976 would provide coverage without premiums, copays, deductibles or other out-of-pocket expenses; and would assure patients of an unrestricted choice of doctors; and

WHEREAS, it is expected that a companion bill to HR1976 will be brought before the U.S. Senate

WHEREAS, The Congressional Budget Office concluded in a recent report that Medicare for All would result in higher wages, increased household disposable income, improve workers’ health and longevity, and administrative waste in health care would be reduced, and

WHEREAS, Gainesville residents who are now uninsured or underinsured would enjoy a vast improvement in their quality of life, because they could obtain healthcare when they need it instead of delaying until they have a medical emergency; and

WHEREAS, universal health coverage as provided by HR1976 would alleviate the lack of proper medical care for vulnerable communities including the unhoused, unemployed, people of color, people with low income; and

WHEREAS, unbundling health insurance from employment would allow workers to leave unsatisfactory jobs without forfeiting insurance benefits; and

WHEREAS, recent polls show that a majority of Americans and 62 percent of Florida residents are in favor of Medicare for All.

NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Gainesville City Commission supports the enactment of HR1976 the Medicare for All Act of 2021 and all subsequent legislation that will assure appropriate and efficient health care for all residents; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the City Clerk is hereby authorized to send a certified copy of this resolution to Representative Kat Cammack, Senator Marco Rubio and Senator Rick Scott.

The ACLC is hiring a new Coordinator. We are looking for a dynamic individual with a commitment to this community and an interest in helping us motivate and engage members in winning local campaigns. Please share this position description with anyone you know who might be a good fit for the ACLC.

Applications should be received by May 7th. Please contact us if you have any questions.

• Kai Christmas (pronouns: they/them) is the Regional Organizer for Planned Parenthood of South East and North FL. Kai has worked with Planned Parenthood for five years. They have been in this Regional Organizer position for three years and previously was the Gainesville sex educator. Kai is a 2019 graduate of UF with a Master’s in Health Education and Behavior and is a certified health education specialist. The 2022 legislative session was their third legislative session as an organizer.

• Since the late-1990s, Candi Churchill has been a movement organizer with National Women’s Liberation and NOW, and an early member of the Alachua County Labor Party (the ACLC’s predecessor). As the executive director of United Faculty of Florida, she leads a staff team of 8 serving over 8,500 union members and 34 chapters, who serve over 1 million students in Florida’s colleges and universities.

• Scott Darius is the Executive Director of Florida Voices for Health. Scott graduated from the University of Florida College of Law in May of 2013. He also completed his bachelor’s degree at the University of Florida with a major in political science in 2010. As a law student, he focused on health policy, insurance law, and social justice issues. He began his career in health advocacy in 2012 when he joined Florida CHAIN as a volunteer intern helping with assorted advocacy projects and research assignments. In 2014 Scott officially joined Florida CHAIN’s staff as the Digital and Community Organizer and became an Affordable Care Act Navigator. He eventually became the Advocacy Director where he helped to coordinate the statewide campaign for Medicaid expansion. Scott has always had a passion for health care issues and hopes to be engaged in the process until quality affordable health care is truly available for everyone.

• Lynn Leverty with the League of Women Voters.  “I have a Ph.D. from American University in International Relations and, for the first part of my career, I worked in the public sector in the federal government and in state government in Texas. My focus was on refugees and social services until I went to work for Governor Ann Richards (some people may remember her). I worked for Ann for 8 years. I came to Florida in the mid 1900’s as a lecturer in the UF Political Science Department where I taught Politics of Immigration, Women and Politics, and Public Leadership and Ethics and both the grad and undergrad levels.  After its creation, I also worked for the Bob Graham Center for Public Service.  I retired a couple of years ago and now work with the League and as a Guardian ad Litem.”

The Gainesville Chapter of Veterans for Peace invites all students, K-12, in Alachua County to create and submit one original poem on the subject of peace and social justice.

SUBMISSION DEADLINE: April 12, 2022

Entries should be emailed to vfppeacepoetrycontest@gmail.com or mailed to:

VFP Peace Poetry Contest

2115 NW 7^th Lane

Gainesville, FL 32603

REQUIREMENTS FOR SUBMISSION: Please include (1) the poet’s name; grade level; school; parent/guardian and/or teacher’s name; and (2) two preferred methods of contact (e-mail, phone number and/or mailing address).

Winners will receive a valuable prize and have their poems published in the 2022 Peace Poetry Contest Book. Winning poets will have the opportunity to read their pieces aloud at the public Peace Poetry Reading in May in Gainesville. All poets will be notified, whether their poems place or not.

For additional information, email vfppeacepoetrycontest@gmail.com or call Sheila Payne at 831-334-0117.

Gainesville Veterans for Peace Scholarship Program for Alachua County Students

Deadline for Application, April 27, 2022

Gainesville Veterans for Peace Chapter 14 is excited to announce our 8^th annual Peace Scholarship Program for the spring of 2022. We are awarding three college and/or vocational scholarships of $1,000 each for high school seniors, college students or adults with a commitment to activities including: immigrant rights, Black Lives Matter, conflict resolution and/or nonviolent social change.

Veterans for Peace created these scholarships to give financial support to students in Alachua County, Florida who are planning careers in pursuit of a world of peace with justice.

Most Veterans for Peace scholarships awarded thus far have went to first-generation students as well as those planning to enroll in community college programs. Students enrolled in vocational, apprenticeship and career training programs are eligible to apply.

Santa Fe College student Doug Bernal, a recipient of a 2016 Peace Scholarship, is an Iraq War veteran who explains the economic challenges facing student veterans: “Like many newly separated veterans, I struggled financially for quite some time after leaving the service. Unsure of where I wanted to go in life and lacking the confidence to pursue higher education, I found myself taking on more debt as time went on. I didn’t initially have the grades for financial aid, so the VFP scholarship was instrumental in getting me the books I so desperately needed and putting me on a path to a successful college experience.”

Another scholarship recipient, University of Florida student Mariana Castro, an immigrant rights activist notes, “To me receiving the Veterans for Peace Scholarship meant that there are people in our community who truly believe in helping change and shape our society for the betterment of all. There are not many scholarships such as VFP Peace Scholarship because work for social justice is often overlooked in our world.”

Please help Gainesville Veterans for Peace spread the word about this scholarship program!

To be eligible to apply for the Peace Scholarship, the applicant must be: 1) a resident of Alachua County; 2) a high school senior planning to enroll in full-time undergraduate study at an accredited two- or four-year college, university or vocational-technical school or apprenticeship program in the United States for the 2022-2023 academic year. Or: 2) a student currently enrolled in one of these programs and in good standing; or: 3) an adult student enrolling in higher education who needs financial assistance.

Peace Scholarship applicants will also be asked to provide a brief personal statement and evidence of leadership and/or personal initiative in activities in an organization (including volunteer or paid work) relating to peace and social justice, conflict resolution and/or nonviolent social change. Applicants will also need to provide two letters of recommendation.

PEACE SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATION DEADLINE

The application (PDF file) must be downloaded from the Gainesville Veterans for Peace website, printed out, completed and postal mailed to:

Paul Ortiz

C/O Veterans for Peace Scholarship Program

2115 NW 7th Lane

Gainesville, Florida 32603

The postmarked deadline for the scholarship application is April 27, 2022.

Peace Scholarship recipients will be announced during the first week of May. For questions about the Peace Scholarship, contact Paul Ortiz at: ortizprof@gmail.com or 831-334-0131.

The full announcement and instructions for applying may be found on our web site, at http://www.vfpgainesville.org/

By Sheila Payne, Board member and outgoing Co-Chair

The Alachua County Labor Coalition is shaking off the COVID blahs and continuing our work on housing and legal system transformation advocacy. We just elected a whole new slate of enthusiastic Executive Board members at our in-person and virtual membership meeting on Feb. 15. We continue to add liaisons and representatives from each of our 24 member organizations to sit on the executive board. There are calls to get involved in helping to organize some folks interested in union organizing.

A group in Marion County also wants to start a Marion County Labor Coalition, using ACLC as a model.

The ACLC housing committee has been working the last two years to stem evictions doing letter outreach to those already served eviction notice in the courts, knocking on doors in communities with high eviction rates and fielding many calls and emails from people who were unsuccessful in applying or receiving Emergency Rental Assistance funding. We were asked to be part of the process of developing the ERAP dispersal of funds, advising that information sharing should be phone adaptable, the hiring of 2 intake workers to help renter’s gather their documents, and an easily accessible portal that would let people know where they were in the process. Though the program has helped many people who lost work because of COVID, there were still many who have contacted ACLC who were evicted before they received the funds, their landlords would not accept funds, their landlord held the money and evicted, or landlord was overpaid after tenant was evicted. The whole process was too cumbersome for many. We have been assisting tenants in filing EEOC complaints against landlords. Tenants calling code enforcement and landlords retaliating is an ongoing issue we are interceding on.

We went after landlords, mostly corporate that would not accept ERAP funds and finally were able, with the help of the National Housing Law Project to get the City of Gainesville and Alachua County legal team to agree that landlords had to accept ERAP funds under the Source of Income provision in the Anti-Discrimination in Housing ordinances that ACLC advocated for and ushered through the city and county commissions. The city and county are now holding meetings with landlords to let them know that yes, they must accept housing vouchers and ERAP funds.

We have also had multiple meetings about the Renters Rights ordinance now in effect in the city, with the county poised to pass after the city works out kinks. For more info, go to ACLC website.

Join the Legal System Transformation committee on Feb. 24^th, 7 PM. If you would like to attend, email us (info@laborcoalition.org). We are taking on Court Services as a first step. Cash bonds, deflection/diversion programs, pre-trial, assessment tools, First appearance, bond reduction hearings. Why does Court Services here almost always recommend bond, why are they not advocating for more people to be placed in diversion programs? For more information, check out the White Paper we wrote. We are using Pinellas County Court System as a model for what can be done here.

Lots more, please join us at our many committee meetings or our March member meeting.

By Marilyn Eisenberg

Many of us retired folks in Labor Coalition have signed onto the publicly-funded Traditional Medicare Plan with or without Supplements.  Even though Medicare Advantage (MA) Plans offer attractive perks to healthy retirees, we all know that for serious illnesses and injuries, these plans fall apart.  MA Plans find devious ways of not covering the expenses they had promised, usually invoking the not-in-network excuses causing many ‘surprise’ bills to their hapless recipients.

But what you might not know is that the Medicare that we have relied on for many years is being undercut by a plan initiated in the Trump presidency, but continuing under the  Biden administration.  The plan is called Direct Contracting Entities (DCE’s).  Without Congressional approval or oversight, it will slowly strip our Medicare of its public funding, and make it into a private profit-making insurance plan, much like our present private insurance companies and the assorted Medicare Advantage Plans.

If you want to learn more about this outrage and what to do about it, follow the links below provided by Physicians for a National Healthcare Plan.  This organization has already caught the attention of many Congressman and Health and Human Secretary Xavier Becerra.  But the practice persists, and unless the government takes swift action, all our non-profit Medicare coverage will be gone by 2030.