Tuesday, July 20, 2010

Action Items Discussed So Far (In Progress)

New Construction

  • Initiate Meaningful Regulation / Certification Reform
    • Open up zoning options to allow for greater "mix" of blended housing options
    • 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
    • Where possible, coordinate building code adoption and amendment between city, county, and other area entities
    • Consolidate some building/development departments and/or functions within city government
    • Consolidate some building/development departments and/or functions between city and county government (functional consolidation)
    • Fair & workable process for appealing changes on grounds of affordability impact
  • Promote Diversity of Housing Types and Development Patterns
    • Remove barriers to innovative design concepts
    • Allow "trade-off" incentives for builders & developers with new concepts to make the new concepts financially feasible
  • Promote a philosophy of enhancing and supporting existing market opportunities and market forces (rather than attempt to create ones that do not exist)
    • Avoid temptation to "design from scratch" without regard to what the market is demanding
    • 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
  • Model Best Practices of Other, Comparable Communities


Urban Living & Development

  • Seek and expand incentives for efficiency improvements of high-consumption segments of housing stock.
    • Dual track strategy (state and local levels)
    • Add to the city’s legislative agenda as a legislative priority
    • Local participation in P.A.C.E. and similar programs
  • Establish a voluntary scoring system for rental housing
    • Track safety information, code compliance
    • Archived utility histories
    • Develop a local “Angie’s List” format where tenants can “review” landlords and where landlords can market good properties
  • Expand existing programs/establish new programs to develop resources and revenues for financing
    • New methods for housing improvements
  • Identify pilot programs to evaluate advantages and disadvantages of broader rental registration and inspection programs
    • Example: West Central
  • Establish “Housing and Neighborhoods” office
    • Public/private partnership
    • Provide landlord/tenant mediation
    • Collect and maintain housing and neighborhood data and information
    • Offer a “resource library”
    • Administer voluntary reporting & scoring system referenced above
    • Administer life skills and financial literacy training (or function as a central clearinghouse of otherwise available options


Affordability

  • Pursue and expand assistance programs for low-income residents
    • Expand use of land trusts (as used by UNA), with a rent-assist component included / added
    • Expand support for Council of Churches’ rent buy-down program (and/or similar programs)
    • Establish pilot program utilizing CDGBs to facilitate affordable housing projects
    • Expand use and availability of transitional housing options
    • Explore greater usage of Low Income Housing Tax Credits (LIHTCs)
  • As a part of Economic Development plans and strategies, incorporate and account for the availability of (and future need for) necessary workforce housing options
  • Encourage consortium (and other private) models to expand availability of affordable housing
    • Businesses
    • Private Investors
    • Social Capital
    • Sweat Equity
    • Banks & other Local Lenders
    • KEY: Seek more “bottom-up” (as opposed to “top down”) solutions to address affordability

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