HomeMy WebLinkAbout2023 - Affordable Housing Board - Work Plan
City of Fort Collins
AFFORDABLE HOUSING BOARD
2023 Work Plan
The Affordable Housing Board (AHB) will make recommendations to Council on policy
and programing to guide the City’s efforts to reach the goals of the Housing Strategic
Plan in addition to assisting with the implementation of the updated Housing Strategic
Plan. Demand for affordable housing continues to outpace supply in the City. The AHB
will focus its efforts on increasing and preserving the City’s affordable housing inventory
and providing support to consumers of affordable housing by taking the following
actions:
• Promote implementation of the 26 strategies contained in the Housing Strategic
Plan including those incorporated from the 2015-2019 Affordable Housing
Strategic Plan:
o Strategy 4.1 – Increase the Inventory of Affordable Rental Units
o Strategy 4.2 – Preserve the Long-term Affordability and Physical Condition
of Exiting Stock of Housing
o Strategy 4.3 – Increase Housing and Supportive Services for People with
Special Needs
o Strategy 4.4 – Support opportunities to obtain and sustain affordable
homeownership
o Strategy 4.5 – Refine development incentives and expand funding sources
and partnerships
• Work with City staff and stakeholders in providing input on implementing the
updated Housing Strategic Plan to preserve and increase housing options across
the spectrum, meeting the needs of all Fort Collins residents. The Board will
continue to prioritize funding for residents making no more than 80% AMI while
encouraging more housing options for all City residents. For rental housing, the
Board will prioritize funding for residents making no more than 60% AMI.
• Work with staff on implementation of City Plan, as it relates to housing, to ensure
and increase affordable housing options will meet the needs of all Fort Collins
residents through the City’s long-term planning horizon.
• Continue to play a critical role in the Competitive Process by reviewing all
affordable housing proposals and meeting with the Human Services and Housing
Funding Board (HSHFB) to discuss specific proposals and share priority rankings
with them and the City Council.
• Continue to work with staff to review and evaluate the effectiveness of the City’s
current incentives to developers to produce affordable housing units, and
recommend modifications, new incentives, and building code revisions (including
increasing capacity and considering zoning) to City Council. Also working with
staff to provide input on the Land Use regulations update – phase 1 focusing on
housing and organization and the implementation of the resulting updated code .
• Continue to investigate incentives to preserve the current available stock of
affordable housing including consultations with staff and Neighborhood Services
Department on mobile home parks and keep apprised of Council’s priority on the
preservation of manufactured housing communities.
• Assist staff in reviewing the Land Bank program’s implementation and potentially
recommend changes to improve the program.
• Review proposed policy, regulations, and code provisions regarding development
(e.g., Metro Districts, development fees, density) to provide input to the City
Council on the impact of these issues on housing affordability.
• Research and educate City Council and others on issues affecting affordable
housing and on the potential for additional and current funding sources for the
City’s various affordable housing funds to provide financial resources to affordable
housing programs and projects.
• Keep apprised and advise staff and Council when considering whether the City
should impose an affordable housing impact fee and/or inclusionary zoning.
• Advocate for the need for housing affordability for the entire spectrum of wage
earners in our community, specifically:
o Engage with City Council through written and oral communication
o Attend other public meetings to stress the important relationship between
economic, environmental, and social vitality
o Use triple bottom line values as applied to affordable housing policy,
regulation, facilitation, and funding
o Seek additional understanding as t o how minority, disabled and other
under-represented populations are negatively affected by local systems,
policies and assumptions, in their efforts to attain appropriate housing and
in response and recovery efforts related to the COVID-19 pandemic.
• AHB members may attend City Council meetings and address Council on matters
pertaining to housing. A detailed discussion with the Board’s Council liaison is
planned for once or twice a year.
• Monitor the community’s efforts to end homelessness.
• Monitor the community’s efforts to make home ownership achievable, especially
for people already living here.
• Be informed by staff of all requests for certification of affordable housing projects.
• At least quarterly, review the Board’s Work Plan to assure the AHB work is
accomplished.
• Board members will consider liaison positions to other boards and commissions,
as possible, including but not limited to:
o Planning and Zoning Board
o Board of Realtors
o Economic Advisory Board
o Transportation Board
o Human Relations Commission
o Commission on Disability
o Senior Advisory Board
o HSHF Board
• Participate in/collaborate with other committees and workgroups convened by the
City Council, staff, board members or citizens, in order to advocate and educate
on issues related to affordable housing.
• Evaluate and support the community’s housing and health needs during and
following the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Affordable Housing Board (AHB) has an interest in 3 Key Strategic Outcome areas
in the City - Neighborhood Livability and Social Health, Economic Health and
Transportation. During 2022, the AHB will be guided by the following City Strategic
Objectives in its work:
- Neighborhood Livability and Social Health’s key strategic objectives, including
but not limited to: 1.1 Improve and increase availability and choice of quality housing
that is affordable to a broad range of income levels.; 1.2 Collaborate with other
agencies to address poverty issues and other identified high priority human service
needs, and to make homelessness rare, short-lived and nonrecurring.;1.3 Improve
accessibility of City and community programs to low and moderate-income residents
and increase participation in services to eligible, income-qualified residents.; 1.4
Advance equity for all, leading with race, so that a person’s identity or identities is
not a predictor of outcomes.;1.5 Enhance the quality of life in neighborhoods,
empower neighbors to solve problems, and foster respectful relations.; 1.6 Align land
use regulations and review procedures to guide development consistent with City
Plan.; and 1.8 - Preserve and enhance manufactured housing communities as a
source of affordable housing and create a safe and equitable environment for
residents.
- Economic Health’s key strategic objectives including but not limited to 3.1 -
Facilitate government and local partners to achieve effective regional economic
resilience.; 3.2 - Understand trends in the local labor market and work with key
partners to grow diverse employment opportunities.; and 3.4 - Foster infill and
redevelopment opportunities consistent with City Plan policies.
- Transportation’s key strategic objectives, including but not limited to: 6.3 - Ensure
equitable access to and expansion of all sustainable modes of travel, with emphasis
on growing transit ridership.; and TM 6.5 - Maintain existing and aging transportation
infrastructure and address missing facilities to meet community needs and
expectations.