- Income level does not play a seperate role in most items.
- The concept of universal design needs to be considered in all action items.
- Environmental stewardship also plays a role in all action items.
Questions that need to be answered:
--What have we missed here and does everyone feel comfortable we are on the right track?
--How is the best way to get these action items implemented?
New Construction
• Promote Diversity of Housing Types and Development Patterns--14
o Remove barriers to innovative design concepts
o Allow "trade-off" incentives for builders & developers with new concepts to make the new concepts financially feasible
• Model Best Practices of Other, Comparable Communities--9
• Initiate Meaningful Regulation / Certification Reform--7
o Open up zoning options to allow for greater "mix" of blended housing options
o Evaluate a process by which builders could qualify to pull permits (local license? proof of compliance with basic insurance requirement already required by law?)
• Promote Consistency in Codes, Regulations, Enforcement--4
o Where possible, coordinate building code adoption and amendment between city, county, and other area entities
o Consolidate some building/development departments and/or functions within city government
o Consolidate some building/development departments and/or functions between city and county government (functional consolidation)
o Fair & workable process for appealing changes on grounds of affordability impact
• Promote a philosophy of enhancing and supporting existing market opportunities and market forces (rather than attempt to create ones that do not exist)--1
o Avoid temptation to "design from scratch" without regard to what the market is demanding
o Make true local market measures (buying patterns, demand trends, etc.) a meaningful part of master plans for future growth
• Establish an Awards Program for Innovation in Housing, Development & Residential Design--1
Urban Living & Development
• Establish “Housing and Neighborhoods” office--14
o Public/private partnership
o Provide landlord/tenant mediation
o Collect and maintain housing and neighborhood data and information
o Offer a “resource library”
o Administer voluntary reporting & scoring system referenced above
o Administer life skills and financial literacy training (or function as a central clearinghouse of otherwise available options
• Establish a voluntary scoring system for rental housing--9
o Track safety information, code compliance
o Archived utility histories
o Develop a local “Angie’s List” format where tenants can “review” landlords and where landlords can market good properties
• Seek and expand incentives for efficiency improvements of high-consumption segments of housing stock--6
o Dual track strategy (state and local levels)
o Add to the city’s legislative agenda as a legislative priority
o Local participation in P.A.C.E. and similar programs
• Identify pilot programs to evaluate advantages and disadvantages of broader rental registration and inspection programs--5
o Example: West Central
• Expand existing programs/establish new programs to develop resources and revenues for financing--3
o New methods for housing improvements
Affordability
• Pursue and expand assistance programs for low-income residents--14
o Expand use of land trusts (as used by UNA), with a rent-assist component included / added
o Expand support for Council of Churches’ rent buy-down program (and/or similar programs)
o Establish pilot program utilizing CDGBs to facilitate affordable housing projects
o Expand use and availability of transitional housing options
o Explore greater usage of Low Income Housing Tax Credits (LIHTCs)
• Encourage consortium (and other private) models to expand availability of affordable housing—10
o Businesses
o Private Investors
o Social Capital
o Sweat Equity
o Banks & other Local Lenders
o KEY: Seek more “bottom-up” (as opposed to “top down”) solutions to address affordability
• As a part of Economic Development plans and strategies, incorporate and account for the availability of (and future need for) necessary workforce housing options--0