HomeMy WebLinkAboutAFFORDABLE HOUSING BOARD - MINUTES - 09/05/2024AFFORDABLE HOUSING BOARD
REGULAR MEETING
9 /5 /202 4 – M I N U TE S Page 1
September 5, 2024, 4:00-6:00pm
215 N Mason St, Conference Room 2D
CALL TO ORDER
At 4:03 PM the meeting was called to order by John Singleton.
1. ROLL CALL
• Board Members Present:
John Singleton, Chair
Bob Pawlikowski, Vice Chair
Stefanie Berganini
Claire Bouchard
Liz Young-Winne
Jorja Whyte
• Board Members Excused:
Josh Beard
Kristin Fritz, Ex Officio
• Staff Members Present:
• Sue Beck-Ferkiss, Staff Liaison – City of Fort Collins
• Tamra Leavenworth, Minutes
• Guests Present:
• Meaghan Overton, representing Housing Catalyst
• Representative Andrew Boesenecker
• Councilmember Melanie Potyondy
• Lisa Cunningham
• Nina Clark
2. AGENDA REVIEW – No changes.
3. CITIZEN PARTICIPATION
Lisa Cunningham reached out to 150 individuals via email, resulting in 12 of them submitting letters in
support of the Fort Collins Rescue Mission’s proposed 24/7 shelter. Lisa also voiced her support at the
Planning and Zoning Commission hearing for the shelter and was thrilled to see that the proposal
passed with a unanimous 6-0 vote.
Nina Clark works in affordable housing finance and has a strong interest in affordable housing. They
are lending their expertise to the Board’s Council and Local Legislative Support subcommittee by
assisting with research.
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4. APPROVAL OF MINUTES
Claire Bouchard motioned to approve the August 1 Regular Meeting Minutes. Bob Pawlikowski
seconded. Jorja Whyte abstained. Approved 5-0.
5. NEW BUSINESS
a. Welcome New Board Member
• Jorja Whyte, the newest member of the Affordable Housing Board, introduced herself, and the
existing Board members briefly introduced themselves in return.
b. Discussion with Representative Boesenecker, State General Assembly
• Representative Boesenecker, State Representative for House District 53, introduced himself to
the Board, emphasizing the urgent need to address affordable housing in Fort Collins and
across Colorado. The Board and Representative Boesenecker had a robust discussion on key
housing issues, including his efforts to strengthen protections for mobile home park residents,
the potential impacts of accessory dwellings units (ADUs) on the housing crisis, challenges with
property taxes, and the possibility of future rent control measures. He also spoke about the
importance of engaging younger generations in affordable housing advocacy and shared
insights on several critical House and Senate bills he has worked on, including measures to
preserve and increase the supply of affordable housing.
c. Community Housing Summit Update – Sue Beck-Ferkiss, Social Sustainability
• Sue Beck-Ferkiss shared that the Community Housing Summit will take place on Thursday,
September 26 at the Lincoln Center from 5pm-8pm.
d. Board Priority Committee Reports
• Knowledge Repository – Bob Pawlikowski & John Singleton
• Bob and John will provide links to housing resources to Social Sustainability staff, which
will be shared on the Social Sustainability webpage.
• Outreach, Education and Partnerships – Claire Bouchard & Josh Beard
• Claire asked the Board what they’d like to see discussed in terms of outreach and
education. The Board expressed interest in learning more about Thistle Community
Housing and ROC (Resident Owned Communities), Elevation Community Land Trust,
and connecting philanthropic investors to community projects.
• Council and Local Legislative Support – Stefanie Berganini, John Singleton & Nina Clark
• The subcommittee is currently evaluating topics for potential advocacy to City Council.
One area of interest is progressive taxation in relation to housing policy, with ongoing
research to determine if the Board should make any formal recommendations to
Council. Additionally, the subcommittee is considering drafting a statement of support
for the parking minimums campaign presented by YIMBY in August, which will be
reviewed by the entire Board in October. At that time, the Board will assess how the
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campaign aligns with affordable housing objectives and decide on formal endorsement.
Stefanie also shared that she spoke at the Planning and Zoning Commission hearing in
support of the proposed 24/7 homeless shelter. Although the proposal passed
unanimously, there is the possibility of an appeal, which may provide further
opportunities for the Board to discuss how they wish to support the shelter’s
development moving forward.
• Diversity, Equity & Inclusion in Affordable Housing – Stefanie Berganini
• This subcommittee is currently on hiatus.
6. BOARD MEMBER REPORTS
a. Meeting Logistics
• The Board will continue to have hybrid meetings for the remainder of 2024.
b. Liaison Reports
• Sue Beck-Ferkiss shared that Tamra Leavenworth has accepted a new position on the
HUD Team within the Social Sustainability Department and will be gradually transitioning
out of the Business Support role that assists the Board.
• Sue encouraged the new Board members to consider what subcommittees they would
like to join prior to the next Board meeting in October.
7. OTHER BUSINESS
None.
8. ADJOURNMENT
Meeting adjourned at 6:04 PM.