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HomeMy WebLinkAboutAffordable Housing Board - Minutes - 05/06/2004CITY OF FORT COLLINS AFFORDABLE HOUSING BOARD MEETING MINUTES 281 N. College Ave. Fort Collins, Colorado May 6, 2004 4 - 6 p.m. Kay Rios, Chair Isabel Garity, Vice Chair Ken Waido, Staff Liaison, 970-221-6753 Marty Tharp, City Council Liaison, 970-484-5711 Board Members Present: Isabel Garity, Joe Hebert, Jane Phelan, Denise Rogers, Peter Tippett and Sunshine Workman. Kay Rios and Jon Fairchild were excused. Staff Present: Maurice Head, Heidi Phelps, Julie Smith Council Members Present: Marty Tharp Guests: Grace Harris, Interfaith Council; Sandra Gibson, Senior Advisory Board; Mike Sollenberger, Fort Collins Housing Authority Board; Julie Adrian, property owner. Isabel Garity called the meeting to order without a quorum present at 4:10 p.m.; a quorum was present by 4:25 p.m. Ooen Public Discussion Grace Harris spoke about the People's Walk for Housing Justice, a walk around the state to raise awareness of the need for affordable housing in Colorado. She distributed a flyer about the event, set to kick off June 5-6 in Denver and reach Fort Collins on June 12. A gathering to welcome the walkers is planned for late that afternoon at Harmony Presbyterian Church, 400 Boardwalk Dr., where members of the Fort Collins community can share with them information about the local affordable housing situation, goals for amelioration and how they are being addressed. A report will be issued after the walk is completed; an August 26 celebration will be hosted by Housing Justice! Ms. Harris asked for help from Board members to get the word out to people to participate; Isabel Garity is already signed up. Mike Sollenberger spoke about the FCHA Board's opposition to the proposed addition of the IRC International Energy Code requirements to the City building code. The FCHA has written to City Council arguing that adoption of the changes will unnecessarily increase the price of a new home, and asking any exemption from the energy requirements apply to units of 1,800 square feet or less. Mr. Sollenberger explained that while proponents of the changes claim they will save homeowners money by reducing utility bills, mortgage lenders do not take reduced utility bills into consideration when determining whether a family qualifies for a loan in the first place. The regulations could Fort Collins Affordable Housing Board May 6, 2004 Minutes Page 2 of 4 wind up hurting those who can least afford it. He would like the two Boards to work together in the future to reduce the cost of an entry-level home. Julie Adrian, who said she and her husband are planning to build an affordable housing project in the area of West Vine Drive, asked the AHB for advice and assistance. New zoning has reduced the number of units she can build from nine duplexes to six single-family units, which she said would make it impossible to keep the price of individual units near the target of $165,000. She asked the Board for support in seeking a density amendment from the Planning and Zoning Board and guidance on what other options might be available to keep the project affordable. The Board suggested she work with Maurice Head to contact other developers who have successfully created affordable housing in the City. Ms. Garity praised Ms. Adrian for considering the need for affordable housing in Fort Collins, especially in that particular area of town. New Business Minutes The minutes of March 4 and March 18, 2004, were unanimously accepted as presented. Debriefing of Competitive Process Heidi Phelps and Julie Smith addressed some of the concerns expressed by Board members during the most recent Community Development Block Grant funding cycle. In general, the Board felt the process went very smoothly, but there seemed to be a difference of opinion over whether the proposal from the Larimer Center for Mental Health was appropriate for inclusion. The questions centered on whether the facility would be used for treatment or housing. Ms. Smith said staff had initially had some of the same concerns, and after additional research, felt the project met the federal CDBG criteria which is why it was brought forward to the Board for consideration. If it had not, it would have been kicked out of the transitional housing category as were other proposals. Maurice Head and Isabel Garity agreed that the process should be made clearer to Board members for the next funding cycle. Staff will reference the criteria used to determine the eligibility of each project in the next packet of information. Ms. Garity also asked about the number of projects withdrawn from consideration for funding by the applicants. In general, according to Ms. Phelps, for one reason or another organizations decide that complying with all the regulations that govern use of the funds is not worth the amount available. DOH Tenant -Based Rental_ Assistance Pilot Program Maurice Head shared an email from Julie Brewen, executive director of the Fort Collins Housing Authority, explaining the status of the program. After meeting with state officials, FCHA submitted pro formas that included a local Fort Collins Affordable Housing Board May 6, 2004 Minutes Page 3 of 4 cash contribution of $169,000 on April 22. FCHA is awaiting official word from DOH for the program to begin. Marty Tharp added that the City Manager had been directed by City Council to support the FCHA to make the program work. Isabel Garity thanked Ms. Tharp for her efforts, saying that the $450,000 for two years' worth of decent housing for the City's low-income families was too much to lose. Meeting with FCHA Board Maurice Head reported that Kay Rios' presentation to the FCHA Board was well received, and there was some discussion of possible opportunities to make joint recommendation to City Council on some issues affecting housing prices in the future, such as the proposed IRC changes. Marty Tharp reminded members that the Affordable Housing Board is City Council's advocacy group for affordable housing issues, and Council looks to the Board for recommendations. FCHA is a separate entity and, while it can offer opinions to the Council, AHB can advocate for or against specific policies and positions. She added that members can have added effect by addressing Council in person on such issues. Priority Affordable Housing Needs and Strategies Report Maurice Head presented a final draft of the report, with public comments and suggestions for review and a recommendation to Council prior to final adoption, now scheduled for June 15. He also included a list of changes to be incorporated in the final report, based on public comments. Jane Phelan and Sunshine Workman both commended the work that has been done on the report. lane Phelan moved the Affordable Housing Board adopt the report with changes as indicated, and make a recommendation to City Council for its adoption. )oe Hebert seconded; the motion carried unanimously, 6-0. Isabel Garity will enlist Kay Rios' assistance in writing a letter to Council. Old Business City Plan Update Marty Tharp reported that the City Plan Update had been accepted by City Council on first reading without additional changes at the May 4 meeting. She has asked for some kind of system for monitoring the effectiveness of its implementation, such as benchmarks, assessment and accountability at the staff level. During public comments to Council, it was mentioned that the Citizen Advisory Committee working on the update didn't represent the entire community; Ms. Tharp felt that when it was first put together the CAC was more representative, but as a group of vocal activists began to dominate the group, those who held opinions outside the group's walked away from the committee, allowing the activist position to prevail. She added that one of Fort Collins Affordable Housing Board May 6, 2004 Minutes Page 4 of 4 the concerns for affordable housing is the increased density that will result from limiting the Growth Management Area, which could push affordable units outside the City limits. However, even without a firm GMA boundary, the City has few areas left that allow unconstrained growth. Ms. Tharp felt confident that, through the Land Use Code, zoning, the Land Bank program and other means, the City will be able to address issues related to infill and redevelopment in the future. City Budget/Affordable Housing Fund Marty Tharp reported that no additional cuts are anticipated for the 2005 budget, which is currently in place. Staff salaries are still on hold, which makes this a good time to complete the wages and benefits study. She was optimistic that the new Economic Viability and Sustainability Advisory Committee, made up of nine citizens with experience in dealing with large budgets, will help the City understand and manage its funds appropriately, especially in the area of accounting for reserve funds. Update/Reports on Subcommittee Efforts No reports, but Sunshine Workman asked what process she should follow to become a member of a subcommittee. She was advised to contact Kay Rios with her selection. Liaison Reports None. Open Board Discussion Isabel Garity asked if it would be possible to add handicapped accessibility to the criteria for evaluating CDBG proposals in the next funding cycle. She also reported on an outstanding presentation given by Maurice Head to a meeting of the League of Women Voters, and asked what the Board can do to support mobile home park residents faced with overpriced, substandard housing units. Sunshine Workman pointed out that most local trailer parks are outside the City limits, which restricts the services available. Maurice Head suggested sponsoring a workshop with experts to address the rights of residents; he will check to see what resources are available, and report back to the Board. Ms. Workman and Jane Phelan will also explore ideas on how to reach residents. Meeting adjourned at 5:10 p.m. Respectfully submitted by Kate Jeracki May 17, 2004