Pocatello housing authority begins new strategic planning process

Bobbie Branch has been involved with the housing authority board for the past nine years and she’s been the board’s chair for the last two years.

While her involvement started off as just something to do after retirement, she’s started to see she truly wants to help people.

“If it was me, I would want someone to be in my corner to help me move that next step toward success,” Branch said.

The housing authority board began to develop a new strategic plan for the city of Pocatello. The goal is to develop strategies that will take them 10 to 15 years down the road.

For Branch, she’s focusing on looking at programs to try to incorporate more education for their housed residents, so that they can avoid homelessness status once out.

However, her goal isn’t to just help the homeless population, but other poor or struggling communities, like inmates who leave prison, or senior citizens.

Dianne Quast, a consultant from Longview, Washington, who specializes in working with low-income housing providers, came to help facilitate the strategic planning meeting. Her role is to help guide the direction the housing authority board wants to go and see how they can be most helpful to the community given the needs.

Branch said the work will be aimed at helping people achieve their “American dream.”

Quast will be meeting with the housing authority’s community partners this week to get their input as well.

She will return to Pocatello on April 23 to go over the plan the housing authority comes up with.