HomeMy WebLinkAboutPacketExperience and/or activities which you feel qualify you for this position: *
I first came to Iowa City as a closeted country kid who had only lived in a city two years up to that point in my life.
I enrolled at the University of Iowa in 2019 and quickly became engaged in the community by volunteering for
both student organizations and local not -for -profits. The more involved I became, the more Iowa City has felt like
home. In the process of adjusting to the city, I learned some harsh realities as my friends and I struggled to
attain affordable, quality housing with responsible landlords —things that are in far too short of a supply for a
community as large as ours. All of my adult life I have lived paycheck to paycheck, always having to worry about
bills and choosing what to give up in order to afford the bare essentials as many young residents of our
community have to do.
During the 2020 presidential caucuses, I knocked doors in every nook and cranny of the city I would not have
otherwise seen. I was able to talk to people from all walks of life and hear their concerns directly. The most
impactful of these was when I canvassed a local mismanaged trailer park, a place too often ignored. It was a
grim reminder of the impoverished experiences my rural friends and I had to endure growing up. I felt a need to
get more involved in the community to address these experiences of poverty.
Building off of my experiences from the presidential caucuses, I attempted to organize with my friends and fellow
community members. I decided to rally folks around labor issues at the university and in the local community,
which led to my founding of the student organization Hawks' Union at the University of Iowa. I built the
organization's structure through its founding documents and have served as co-chair managing leadership
development, finances, and event organization. I helped lead an incredible team of students to create a
productive community space where people of all backgrounds and ideologies could discuss our shared
grievances and have fun doing it. Our organization has hosted educational events to teach students and non -
university affiliated members of the community alike about their rights as workers by connecting with important
local activists and labor leaders, something we feel is critical for students to be aware of as many head out into
the world for the first time.
I feel my past leadership experience and passion for bringing people together around shared issues would be
extremely beneficial to the Housing and Community Development Commission. More experiences of young
residents/renters living paycheck to paycheck in Iowa City need to be incorporated into city structures and
decision making while also paying close attention to the experiences of those who have lived in Iowa City the
longest under financial strain.
What is your present knowledge of each advisory board you are interested in?*
The Housing and Community Development Commission serves the community by making recommendations to
city council in the areas of affordable/public housing and community development. The commission seeks to
meet the needs of low and middle income residents and recommend changes to the Iowa City Housing Code.
There are many restrictions placed on the city by state code preemptions that disallowing the city from
implementing experimental and potentially beneficial policies that many community members yearn for. The city,
however, still has many powers and financial levers at its disposal. The Commission which the commission does
the critical first steps of public involvement and recommends spending to various programs and City partners. Of
particular note and interest is the Commissions responsibility for recommendations of distribution of grants to
local non -profits that support the City's work in affordable housing and neighborhood development initiatives.
Please contact the City Attorney at 356-5030 to discuss questions or concerns regarding a potential conflict of
interest. The following describe some but not all potential conflicts.
Potential Conflicts of Interest
The Housing and Community Development Commission makes recommendations to the City Council
regarding the distribution of federal CBDG/HOME funds. The general rule is that no persons who exercise
or have exercised any functions or responsibilities with respect to federally funded activities, or who are in
a position to participate in the decision -making process or gain inside information with regard to such
activities, may obtain a financial interest or benefit from a federally —assisted activity, or have a financial
interest in any contract, subcontract, or agreement with respect to a federally -assisted activity, or with
respect to the proceeds of the federally -assisted activity, either for themselves or those with whom they
have business or immediate family ties, during their tenure or for one year thereafter.