HomeMy WebLinkAboutAffordable Housing Board - Minutes - 03/01/2012CITY OF FORT COLLINS
AFFORDABLE HOUSING BOARD
MEETING MINUTES
281 N. College Ave.
Conference Rooms A and B
Fort Collins, Colorado
March 1, 2012
4 to 6 p.m.
Chair: Dan Byers
Staff Liaison: Ken Waido 970-221-6753
City Council Liaison: Lisa Poppaw
Board Members present: Ben Blonder, Dan Byers, Jeff Johnson, Troy Jones, Karen
Miller, Wayne Thompson
Board Members absent: Mike Sollenberger
Advance Planning Department Staff present: Sharon Thomas, CDBG/HOME Grant
Administrator; Joe Frank, Director
Council Members present: None
Other Staff present: Kate Jeracki, Note Taker
Guests: Marilyn Hellers, League of Women Voters; Eric Sutherland, Citizen
Meeting called to order with a quorum present at 4:08 p.m.
by Chair Dan Byers
Joe Frank announced that he would be filling in for Ken Waido until Ken returns to work.
There were no changes to the agenda as presented.
PUBLIC COMMENT
Eric Sutherland talked about his perception of corruption surrounding the financing of the
Rocky Mountain Innosphere. He asked the board to consider the amount of money that
could be available for affordable housing in Fort Collins if it had same access to capital
as the $4.5 million subsidy granted to the tax-exempt Innosphere. He also talked about
alternative models for equity financing of affordable housing.
Marilyn Hellers reported that the League of Women Voters will be holding a public
forum on housing for veterans on April 23 at 7 p.m. in the Harmony Library.
Representatives from the VA and Homeward 2020 will present. Marilyn will send a
reminder to Joe Frank as the event gets nearer.
NEW BUSINESS
APPROVAL OF MINUTES — The minutes from the Nov. 3, 2011, were unanimously
approved as presented on a motion from Ben Blonder seconded by Troy Jones.
Troy Jones asked that his suggestion that the Affordable Housing Board explore
alternative models for mobile-home ownership with the Fort Collins Housing Authority
be added to the Feb. 2, 2012, minutes under the discussion of the Bender Mobile Home
Park. The minutes were approved unanimously with that amendment on a motion from
Wayne Thompson seconded by Jeff Johnson. Joe Frank also suggested that Troy’s
suggestion be added as a future agenda item.
The board discussed scope of future minutes. Dan Byers asked that after discussion,
board members restate the exact wording of any motions and summarize any positions
they feel strongly about to help keep the note taking on track.
PROVINCETOWNE – Joe Frank distributed copies of an article that appeared in the
Coloradoan on Feb. 29. It discussed the barriers to reselling townhomes in the
Provincetowne development that carry deed restrictions prohibiting sales to anyone other
than income-qualified owner-occupants for 25 years. An investor has made an offer to a
resident who needs to sell to move into assisted living, but the covenants prevent the sale.
Frank said that the city had been talking about the issue of salability of the
Provincetowne units for about 5 years, especially since the recession has made renting
more attractive than owning the units. Since Provincetowne is a mixed development,
restricted units sit right next to unrestricted, making them even harder for owners to sell.
Staff can make some minor allowances for individual circumstances but major changes to
the covenants can only come from City Council. She added that of four recent contracts
on homes in Provincetowne, two were from investors, two from owner-occupants. One
owner backed out and the other could not qualify for an FHA loan.
Ben Blonder pointed out that Provincetowne is now less than 50 percent owner-occupied,
and the current HOA has let its FHA eligibility lapse. Sellers may have been ignoring the
covenants for some time. The current issue came to light because the title company
pointed out the restriction. The city does not have enough staff to monitor every sale,
Sharon Thomas added, and there is no way to keep track if owners begin renting after
they have been living there.
Wayne Thompson said that in Loveland, Utilities flags restricted units and informs the
city when there is a change. Sharon Thomas said the Homebuyers Assistance program is
no longer allowed to do that in Fort Collins.
Jeff Johnson suggested the possibility of using Neighborhood Stabilization Program
funds to help facilitate an exit strategy for willing sellers who can’t find income qualified
buyers. As a member of the development committee of CARE Housing, he can discuss
this with his board.
Joe Frank would like the Affordable Housing Board to help research the issue for a
presentation to City Council in the next few months. A subcommittee was formed to
reach out to other communities and organizations to see if they have had similar
experiences. Troy Jones was appointed chair; Jeff Johnson and Karen Miller are also on
the subcommittee, and will report back to the board next month.
Troy Jones said that while the immediate problem is in Provincetowne and he would like
to recommend to Council that the covenants be changed, the board should also look into a
long-term solution that can keep homeownership affordable.
SPRING COMPETITIVE PROCESS — Sharon Thomas told the board that the Union
Place proposal has been removed from consideration by the developer, leaving only the
Fort Collins Housing Authority supportive housing request for CDBG funding.
During discussion of the request, Jeff Johnson expressed concern that FCHA did not have
a site secured for the project yet. Sharon explained that the original site had fallen
through, and FCHA is now looking at three other sites, none in North Fort Collins. Jeff
wondered if this project was ready to receive the money if the site was still undetermined.
Ben Blonder pointed out that the Housing Authority needed to have the local funding in
place to leverage other sources of funding to go forward, and the money will not be spent
until it is needed. The board agreed that although this might be a concern with a private
developer, the FCHA’s track record is excellent.
Dan Byers said that it is important for the city to commit to the project at this time to get
it moving. Ben Blonder said that the proposal, which will build 40 housing units for a
population with less than 50 percent AMI – some less than 30 percent – and offer a range
of support services as well, contains everything he would want to see in such a project.
Wayne Thompson was concerned that funding the proposal was spending a lot of money
on just 40 people. He said he is sure the FCHA will do a good job with it, but he would
like to see the funds going to help more of the homeless population get into transitional
housing.
Ben Blonder moved that the Affordable Housing Board recommend the Community
Development Block Grant Commission approve funding for Project HO-1. Karen Miller
seconded, and the motion passed unanimously.
Dan Byers will present the board’s recommendation to the CDBG Commission on March
29.
BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS LIAISONS — Affordable Housing Board members
keep in touch with other city boards and commissions and organizations, attending
meetings and reporting back to the AHB and occasionally communicating AHB positions
to the other entities. Liaisons for this year will be:
Ben Blonder – Fort Collins Board of Realtors
Mike Sollenberger – Planning and Zone Board
Karen Miller – Affordable Housing Coalition
Troy Jones – Transportation Board
Dan Byers – Economic Advisory Committee
Ben said he would also monitor DDA/URA issues as they arise, since they are on a case-
by-case basis.
CONDUCT OF MEETINGS — Dan Byers asked board members how they felt about
the open-discussion format of the meetings. The overall consensus was that the current
format is working well, and as long as members are respectful of each other, they are
comfortable with something less formal than Roberts Rules. Jeff Johnson pointed out that
it is important to be more formal when making motions and dealing with citizens in
attendance.
Joe Frank will send an electronic copy of the Colorado Municipal League handbook on
meetings to help the board understand opening and closing public comment and when
and how the board can respond to issues brought up by citizens.
OLD BUSINESS
ANALYSIS OF IMPEDIMENTS TO FAIR HOUSING CHOICE (AI) – Sharon
Thomas provided a progress report on this HUD-required process. It is moving along
according to the timeline outlined last month. Troy Jones will attend the stakeholders
meeting on March 6 and report back to the board in April. A Fair Housing workshop is
set for April 16, 4 to 6 p.m. at 215 N. Mason.
In May, BBC consultant will make a presentation to the CDBG Commission and the
Affordable Housing Board. Staff plans to have the final report ready for review by City
Council in July.
FUTURE MEETING AGENDAS
For the April 5 meeting, the board will discuss:
Provincetowne report from subcommittee.
Report from Fair Housing stakeholders meeting.
2012/2014 BFO process
At some future meeting, the board would like to:
FCHA fee waiver.
Update the bylaws.
Hear a report on the Land Bank program.
Review the effects of the city’s Green Building Code on housing affordability.
Discuss outreach to Fort Collins Housing Authority on alternative models of
ownership for mobile home parks and residents.
-- Meeting adjourned at 5:45 p.m. by Chair Dan Byers. --