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About The Siuslaw news. (Florence, Lane County, Or.) 1960-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 18, 2021)
6A | WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 18, 2021 | SIUSLAW NEWS JUMP from page 1A “In April, we released the apportionment results from the 2020 Census, which showed that the total popu- lation in the U.S. was 331.4 million and determined each state’s share of the 435 seats in the U.S. House of Representatives. Since then, we’ve had teams working nonstop on the next set of 2020 Census data — the re- districting data. These data may play an important role in our democracy and also begin to illuminate how the local and demograph- ic makeup of our nation has changed over the last decade,” Jarmin said. “As we have discussed before, the COVID-19 pandemic significantly delayed our schedule for collecting and processing the data for the 2020 Census. We have un- derstood the urgency to provide the redistricting data to the states, some of which have tight deadlines.” Jarmin stated that in or- der to provide these critical data to all 50 states, the Dis- trict of Columbia and Puer- to Rico as soon as possible, the bureau was providing the exact same data in two releases. The first release happened on Thursday and there will be a second re- lease in September which will be easier to access and more user friendly. Jarmin also spoke to the concerns of those who question the accuracy of the 2020 count. “I’d like to say a few words about data quality — some- thing in which we know there is keen interest given the challenges presented in 2020. We have produced the reliable and usable sta- tistics that we and the pub- lic expect. While no census is perfect, we are confident that today’s redistrict- ing results meet our high data-quality standards,” he said. “It is too early to speculate on undercounts or overcounts for any spe- cific demographic group. Throughout data process- ing, we’ve been comparing the counts to benchmarks as part of our quality checks on the data — and we have conducted one of the most comprehensive reviews in recent census history. The data we are releasing today meet our high data quality standards.” Florence data has not been completely tabulated and shared yet, but there are some interesting early figures available which can be used to interpret future needs and current trends. Sample data has been used to predict the final tal- lies for the area, but there are preliminary numbers which show that 9,396 people live in Florence and 92.2 percent identify as white only. An additional 2.9 & consider themselves multi-racial. The average rent in Flor- ence is $885. The medi- an household income is $42,356. Locally, 44.3 percent of residents are older than 65. Females make up 53.8 percent of the population. Those who are disabled make up 18.6 percent of the population and In addition, 86 percent of respondents have com- puters and 82 percent have internet access. The data collected from Lane County not only counts the number of peo- ple residing in the county, but also collects data related to housing, education, na- tionality and education and income levels. The population data gathered shows there has been an increase in the to- tal population of the county from 351,715 to 382,971, a rise of 8.6 percent. Those that identified themselves as white alone make up 89 percent of Oregonians and there are 27,587 veterans in Lane County. One of the most difficult challenges facing local resi- dents and those attempting to find housing across the state is the growing short- age in the number of homes available for those seeking to move or change resi- dences. The new Census data states there are 164,847 housing units in Lane County and 59 percent are owner occupied. There are 2.4 persons per household. The median price of a home in the county is $263,200 and the median rental cost is $989. The per capita income for residents is $29,705 and 13.95 percent of Orego- nians live below the poverty line. Education levels in the county show that 92 per- cent of Oregonians have a high school diploma and 30.5 percent have a bach- elor’s degree, or higher. 93 percent of homes have a computer and 85 percent have internet access. In addition, females make up the majority of the state’s workforce, with 56.3 per- cent fully employed. 10,998 businesses are owned by women. Jarmin also addressed the issue of increased refusal of respondents to answer all or part of the survey’s ques- tions a situation which was more prevalent than in pre- vious years. “Throughout data pro- cessing, we’ve been com- paring the counts to bench- marks as part of our quality checks on the data. We have conducted one of the most comprehensive reviews in recent census history,” he said. “As part of our review, we’ve had to contend with higher item nonresponse rates for characteristics than we’ve experienced in past censuses. This means while people were count- ed, some people left one or more questions blank, even if they completed most of the census questionnaire.” The Census Bureau is still working on finalizing the redistricting and pop- ulation totals for the coun- try and will hold another nationwide virtual meeting in September to review and discuss the final changes in the membership numbers for each state in the House of Representatives. The complete 2020 Cen- sus report can be viewed at census.gov. CONT. from page 5A Dana Barbato, Director of Human Resources at Three Rivers Casino Resort, agrees with Johnson on the impor- tance of community effort and she raised alternatives in addressing the housing crises. “I believe the only way to find a solution to the hous- ing challenges is to work together as a community to incentivize builders to invest in the entry-level homeown- er market and encourage vacation homeowners to of- fer long-term leases to local workers,” she said. Barbato believes Florence is a great place to work and live, but she adds how ex- periencing long waits and a lack of product availability in the places the communi- ty enjoys will persist. While residents are hopeful the housing market will open back up, she sympathizes on how “there is no easy solu- tion.” In the meantime, Three Rivers is invested in sup- porting its employees who are facing housing barri- ers, which includes offering emergency assistance and designating someone to watch the market and post listings that come up on the Team Member Community Board. Furthermore, the staff delivers strong communica- tion with one another and connects on ways to be re- sourceful in seeking alterna- tives to affordable housing. “We ask those who have an extra room, trailer or space to rent to other team members in need,” Barbato adds. “We have been work- ing diligently researching options such as mobile housing units, partnering with vacation rental owners and providing camping or RV space to team members.” As for challenges, Three Rivers is faced with a similar burden to many businesses in the area — a staff shortage due to limited housing in the area. The challenges in hir- ing enough team members to fill open positions persist for local school districts, hospitals, senior homes, restaurants and more. “The natural solution is hiring from out of the area, but with no housing avail- able we are losing some very good candidates,” Barbato said. Meanwhile, housing proj- ects like the Three Mile Prai- rie, Our Coastal Village and DevNW are working to ex- pand space for housing. The City of Florence completed its Housing and Econom- ic Opportunities Project in 2018 and has amended city code to remove some barri- ers to development. It will take all these proj- ects, and input from the community, to truly solve Florence’s housing situation. “It’s a very holistic ap- proach,” Morgan said. “If you don’t have housing, if you don’t have food, if it weren’t for folks … working on these projects and people out in the community, plac- es like food share don’t exist. Our entire economy relies on the support structures to keep going. Without good housing, you can’t get work- ers in.” n NOW! o g in o g n io at gue Registr a e L g n li w o B Fall/ Winter ds frien some new league! h it w p u g Team in a bowlin when you jo Tuesday Night - Open League Wednesday Aft ernoon - Seniors Wednesday Night - Mixed Social Th ursday Night - Men’s League Friday Aft ernoon - Seniors Saturday Aft ernoon - Junior League We also have open bowling, fun for the whole family! Holiday Bowl Everyone is Welcome at Holiday Bowl 27th and Highway 101. Florence 541-997-3332 This message is sponsored by Siuslaw Valley Fire & Rescue. FIRE PREVENTION GUIDE | AT HOME Wildfire Preparedness Tips When you think of dangerous fi res, your mind likely associates them with your home, offi ce or other structures. But wildfi res have become a dev- astating force of nature leaving millions of people displaced or evacuated from their homes. 1255 Bay St • Next to Book N Bears 541-991-3322 • FlorenceArtefacts.com FEATURED PROPERTY OF THE WEEK Nearly 45 million homes abut or intermingle with wildlands and more than 72,000 U.S. communi- ties are now at risk of wildfires, according to the National Fire Protection Association. But how do you know if you fall into this category? One way to know is to contact your local planning and zoning office to find out if your home is in a wildfire risk area, and if there are specific local or county ordinances you should be following. If you are part of a homeown- ers association, work collabora- tively to identify regulations that incorporate preparedness land- scaping, home design and build- ing material use. You can also talk to your local fire department about how to pre- pare and when to evacuate in the event of a wildfire. The more pre- pared you and your neighbors are, the better chance you’ll have of avoiding injury during a wildfire. SAFETY TIPS Here are some preparedness tips from the NFPA: To prevent embers from ignit- ing your home, clear leaves and other debris from gutters, eaves, porches and decks. Remove dead vegetation and other items from under your deck or porch, and within 10 feet of the house. Remove flammable materials within 30 feet of your home’s founda- tion and outbuild- ings. Wildfires can spread to tree tops, so prune your trees so the lowest branches are 6 to 10 feet from the ground. Keep your lawn hydrated and main- tained, as dry grass 19 ONADOONE COURT Golfers paradise on the 18th fairway of Ocean Dunes Golf Course gated community. Low maintenance landscaping, new roof in 2021. Interior amenities include primary suites and kitchens on upper and lower levels. Upper deck with expansive views and space for entertaining. Open floor, skylights, walls of windows. Large, sheet-rocked area on ground level with power for many possibilities, perfect for storage, home gym, crafts. Attic storage area access from garage. $725,000 #12237 MLS#21078339 “We’re next to the Bridge” 100 Hwy. 101 See all Florence Listings at cbcoast.com COAST REAL ESTATE 541-997-7777 www.svfr.org and shrubs are fuel for wildfire. STAY ALERT Wildfires generate media atten- tion, so stay tuned to your local news stations for the latest updates on wildfire activity. If your neighborhood or region is under an evacuation order, be sure to follow the guidance of your local officials. The NFPA recommends leaving as early as possible, even before you’re told to evacuate. Promptly leaving your home and neighborhood clears roads for firefighters to get equipment in place to fight the fire.