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HomeMy WebLinkAboutAffordable Housing Board - Minutes - 11/06/1997CITY OF FORT COLLINS AFFORDABLE HOUSING BOARD Meeting Minutes November 6, 1997 Bob Browning, Chair Joanne Greer, Vice Chair The meeting of the Affordable Housing Board began at 4:10 p.m. at 281 North College Avenue, Fort Collins, Colorado. Board members present included: Chairman Bob Browning, Bruce Croissant, Sylvie Glass, Joanne Greer, Mike Nicely, Stacy Overton, and Kay Rios. Staff members present: Ken Waido and Joe Frank. Mr. Browning opened up the meeting to public discussion. Mr. Douglas Kran from CARE Housing brought up concerns about trying to see the density increased so that they can develop units and keep the rents in the range that their clients need. They are trying to develop property and trying to find land that has both the proper zoning and under the price range. Old Business - Status Report on Hiring new Affordable Housing Planner Ms. Ann Watts has been hired as the Affordable Housing Planner replacement for Dickson Robin. Ms. Watts will start on December 3rd and will attend the December Board meeting. Development Impact Fee Rebate Schedule This item will be continued on the agenda until Ms. Watts joins the staff. CHFA Council approved the commitment of the City's 1998 Private Activity Bond amount to Colorado Housing Finance Authority, which CHFA would match for first-time homebuyers. Discussion was held as to how long those funds will last. TRAC Update Mr. Waido indicated that to his knowledge TRAC has still not closed on their Parkway Townhomes project. The City is encouraging TRAC to close as quickly as possible. New Business Mr. Browning stated the following corrections on the October 2, 1997, minutes: Under Other New Business, on the last page, "the possible insinuation of a conflict of interest," there is no conflict of interest there. There was no insinuation of it. Someone may have taken his Habitat role and assumed that there was conflict, but there is none. Mr. Browning noted that he had further stated that the problem was started because the staff did not bring the information regarding events with CDBG to the Affordable Housing Board. That statement was absent from the minutes. w • •Affordable Housing Board Meeting of November 6, 1997 Page 2 The minutes should reflect that JoAnne Greer and Bob Browning were going to attend the CDGB, not the City Council meeting. With the addition of those corrections the October 2, 1997, minutes were approved. Funding Partners for Housing Solutions Ms. Karen Gerard, Executive Director of Funding Partners for Housing Solutions, made a presentation regarding her entity's mission, goals, and other efforts to assist in the production of affordable housing units in northern Larimer County. Ms. Gerard stated that Fort Collins and Loveland have joined forces and merged and formed an organization that is now called Funding Partners for Housing Solutions. They are a start-up organization. The mission of this organization is to coordinate, enhance and leverage resources to increase the inventory and retention of housing which is affordable to low-income individuals and families. The goals of this entity are to develop new funding sources to fill gaps for local affordable housing initiatives; channel newly developed resources to existing housing providers through a combination of loan and grant programs; provide technical assistance to encourage the creation and retention of affordable housing. The program enlists a wide range of people from bank presidents to affordable housing non -profits to housing developers and everyone in between. The idea is to get every one at the table at the same time who can make affordable housing happen. Both the City of Fort Collins and City of Loveland contributed funds toward the startup of this program. Questions were raised regarding if this organization was requesting the City of Fort Collins to let them be a line item on the budget for the next to years or if this is a one-time request. Mr. Frank stated that the City agreed to a one-time amount that would be given out. This organization is working other angles for City participation aside from the general fund monies. For example, they are working with H-P and the City to try to offer initiatives. Questions were brought up as to what type of projects this organization will do. It was stated that they would like to keep administrative costs low so they will probably not be working with individual loans, although they will accept any other entities application form, so that process will not have to be duplicated. Development Impact Fee Rebate Program Discussion was held concerning a proposed policy concerning the Rebate Program and an affordable housing project located with the city limits but receiving utility service from special purpose districts. Discussion centered around whether such a project be eligible for full rebates, as if the project were inside the City limits and paid all fees to the City, or should there be a proportionate reduction of fees. Moved by Mr. Croissant: That the Board propose to Council that it adopt an ordinance that would provide for full rebates in situations where the water and sewer are being provided Affordable Housing Board • Meeting of November 6, 1997 Page 3 from special districts. Rationale: these districts do not have the funding structure that the City does and they are incapable of trying to encourage affordable housing. Motion failed for lack of a second. Moved by Ms. Overton, seconded by Ms. Riles: That a percentage of what was actually paid out in fees in the preceding motion be rebated. Motion was passed unanimously, Mr. Croissant abstaining. Proposed CDGB Policy on Funding Land Acquisition Projects Staff believes the City needs a policy regarding the use of CDBG funds for the purchase of land for affordable housing development. In the past, the CDBG Program operated under an unwritten policy requiring grant recipients to show that they had sufficient financial commitments to complete the development of units within a project before the land was acquired. Recently, staff has been more lenient with grant recipients; unfortunately, some projects have extended well beyond their CDBG contract's expected completion date. Staff and the City Attorney's office believes the City is at some risk with HUD regulations if the current situations are allowed to continue into the future. The CDBG Commission established a subcommittee to review policy options. It was the consensus of the subcommittee that an applicant who receives CDBG funding be allowed to proceed with acquisition of land and be given two years to acquire the necessary funds to complete the project. There are still legal details to work out on this proposal. Discussion was held regarding if two years seemed to be a reasonable time frame. Also discussion, general consensus was that the revised application process will be in effect for the FY'98 program. Housing Fair Ms. Rios stated that she met with John Fischbach and discussed his ideas and experience on having a housing fair. There would be many people involved. It will be a huge project. It was discussed that the first year could have a network luncheon which would serve as a base for then doing a fair for consumers. The meeting will be held November 17, 1997, at Foothills Gateway in the courtyard conference room at a 10:00 a.m. Other Business Mr. Browning asked if there are any studies on what percentage of affordable housing is needed. Discussion was held about a consulting fine out of Denver that was hired several years ago to put together an affordable housing information system. Ms. Rios indicated she would do Internet research and attempt to come up with any kind of studies on affordable housing percentages. Meeting was adjourned at 5:25 p.m.