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HomeMy WebLinkAboutAffordable Housing Board - Minutes - 05/06/1999f . • CITY OF FORT COLLINS AFFORDABLE HOUSING BOARD MEETING MINUTES May 6, 1999 Bob Browning, Chair (970) 225-0137 Kay Rios, Vice Chair Ken Waido, Staff Liaison (970) 221-6753 Chuck Wanner, City Council Liaison (970) 484-0810 The meeting of the Affordable Housing Board was called to order by Kay Rios, Vice Chair, beginning at 4:05 p.m., at 281 North College Avenue, Fort Collins, Colorado. A quorum was present. Board members present included: Kay Rios, Stacy Overton, David Danforth, Isabel Garity, and Mickey Willis. Staff present: Ken Waido, Ann Watts, Joe Frank. Council liaison present: Chuck Wanner. Approval of minutes Isabel Garity noted that she was present at the last meeting. Motion was made and seconded to accept the minutes as corrected. Motion passed unanimously. Style/detail of Board minutes The board discussed the format for minutes and agreed that the, current level of depth should be maintained and that the Board's dialogue on issues is important to note. Motions and votes on policy items need to be recorded. Discussion on the Proposed Highway 14 Truck By -Pass Gary Diede, from the Transportation Services Department, updated the Board on the process to reach a decision regarding the Highway 14 truck by-pass relocation issue. He showed alternative locations on a series of maps and discussed specific design considerations, such as noise buffering, of the staff's recommendation for a Vine Street alignment. The Board's major concerns are with the potential impacts the road may have on existing or potential locations for affordable housing. Discussion on Manufactured Housing David Danforth presented information on manufactured housing that he gathered from a review of many studies. He pointed out the positive points of such housing and discussed several myths that are not true. He would like the Board to revisit the down payment assistance decision reached by the Board several months ago. He believes there is a case for giving assistance for manufactured housing. Ken Waido updated the Board on previous information which was that HUD funds Affordable Housing Board May 6, 1999 Meeting Minutes Page 2 previously could not be used for the down payment assistance program unless the unit was on a permanent foundation. HUD has relaxed that requirement. Ann Watts stated that CDBG and HOME funds still require a 20 year guaranteed affordability. That means there would need to be a 20 year lease for units in mobile home parks in order for those rents to be guaranteed to stay within affordable rent ranges. That's a key issue to address. Before the City helps somebody purchase manufactured housing, staff would like to have a guarantee that the family is going to be able to stay on that site for a reasonable amount of time. There was general discussion about the need to talk about manufactured housing in greater detail. The issue is going to keep come up. Stacy Overton stated that up until the early 90's families were not able to get mortgages from banks on properties that were not on a permanent foundation. She'd like to know what kind of financing is available for units not on permanent foundations and if that is different from financing available for units that are on permanent foundations. Also, what is the downpayment requirement for different unit set-ups. Staff pointed out that in the Affordable Housing Needs and Strategies Report, only 30% of all of the City's money for affordable housing goes for home ownership. Staff also stated the City should support the development of manufactured housing communities where there's a cooperative condo association, where the owner/ residents collectively are in charge and can decide about rent increases, etc. Staff also pointed out the City has gone to great lengths to make sure manufactured housing is allowed in zoning districts. A manufactured house on a permanent foundation is a single family home according to zoning code. Mr. Willis pointed out that in Boulder, the Housing Authority owns and leases property long- term (land trust). There are some developers in Fort Collins who are interested in using a land trust as a means of providing affordable housing. There was discussion on the Harmony Mobile Home park situation and the City's involvement. One option being explored is the buying open space with the intent of splitting it up and using part for affordable housing. Discussion on a First Right of Refusal Ordinance Tabled until next meeting. 1999 — 2001 Council Policy Agenda Affordable Housing Board May 6, 1999 Meeting Minutes Page 3 The City Manager's Office has requested Boards and Commissions to provide input on the City Council Policy Agenda. The basic health and safety issues list of the community currently includes affordable housing. OLD BUSINESS Follow-Up/Comments on the April 30, 1999, Boards and Commissions Member Training Mr. Willis stated he thinks that in order to be effective, the Board shouldn't give recommendations, but give options to City Council. The Board gets input and assistance from staff. It is important that that the Board makes their own agendas. The Board needs to be more independent of City staff but at the same time working in the same direction. The Board should also not rely on the Council liaison to relay Board information/comments to the rest of the council, it becomes his take on the situation rather than the board's. Ken Waido stated that he had a hard time finding the relevance of the presentation. The presenter had a few good points, but they were lost in the length of time spent on topics. The impression Mr. Waido got is that the City is doing everything backwards. He said the council should turn to us for advice, not the board coming up with the issues for the council. Chuck Wanner stated the Council looks to the Board for new ideas and coming up with new approaches to the problems. Use staff to research the issues, that's a legitimate goal Other Business Farewell to Ann Watts, City Planner who will be working for the State of Colorado, Division of Housing. CDBG meeting - Mickey Willis asked if there is a report on where the money is proposed to go? Ken Waido responded that, generally speaking, the CDBG Commission recommended giving 72% of the funds for housing, 15% for public services, and 10% for administration. The City received $300,000 down payment assistance. Neighbor to Neighbor was the big winner receiving over one-half million plus funding for their counseling programs. Meeting adjourned at 6:00 p.m.