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HomeMy WebLinkAboutAffordable Housing Board - Minutes - 04/06/2006CITY OF FORT COLLINS AFFORDABLE HOUSING BOARD MEETING MINUTES 281 N. College Ave. Fort Collins, Colorado April 6, 2006 Denise Rogers, Acting Chair Ken Waido, Staff Liaison, 970-221-6753 Kurt Kastein, City Council Liaison, 970-223-0425 Board Members Present: Denise Rogers, Jon Fairchild, Joe Rowan, Michelle Jacobs, and Peter Tippett. Joe Hebert and Kevin Brinkman were absent. Advance Planning Staff Present: Maurice Head. Council Members Present: None. Guests: Eric Nichols, President of the Fort Collins Board of Realtors. Chair Denise Rogers called the meeting to order with a quorum present at 4:00 p.m. Onen Public Discussion Chair Rogers welcomed observers from CSU and the League of Women Voters, New Business Minutes The March 2, 2006 minutes were approved with the following correction to page two, paragraph three: "Mr. Fairchild replied..." was changed to read "Mr. Rowan replied..." The March 23, 2006 special meeting summary was approved with the following corrections: Ranking for HO-4: Danco was changed from "#4" to "No Ranking" Page two, paragraph two was amended with the addition of the sentence: "The Board recommended no funding for HO-4." Affordable Housing Summit Discussion with Eric Nichols Eric Nichols, President of the Fort Collins Board of Realtors, gave an overview of the Board of Realtors' 2006 Affordable Housing Summit. This year's summit on June Fort Collins Affordable Housing Board April 6, 2006 Minutes Page 2 of 4 15, 2006, at the Fort Collins Hilton, will focus on educating realtors and the public about potential homeowners who are near 80% of AMI. The Board of Realtors' research suggests that there are many programs to assist people in this income category, as well as substantial home inventory from which they can choose. In conjunction with the Summit, the Board of Realtors will host a Sensible Housing Tour similar to the Parade of Builders on June 24, 2006. They hope to list properties for sale in the 80% of AMI price range in the Fort Collins Coloradoan. The goal of the Summit and the Tour is to have thirty to forty families in homes within three to four months. The Board asked Mr. Nichols about barriers to home ownership for people near 80% AMI. One problem is the perception of buyers that their first home needs to be the stereotypical dream home. Another issue is the condition of many of the older homes that fit the price range; people do not always have the money to fund large repairs after buying a home. Mr. Rowan mentioned 203K FHA loans that allow buyers to fix up the property within 90 days of purchase. In addition, many realtors need to be reminded about the programs available to assist buyers in the 80% AMI income range. Mr. Tippet felt realtors did not utilize the City's Home Buyer Assistance program as often as they could. Ms. Rogers asked if the Summit will have measurable outcomes. Mr. Nichols replied they will have statistics in September. Mr. Head told the Board about the April 18, 2006 Northern Colorado Regional Affordable Housing Meeting being held in response to the Colorado Blue Ribbon Panel on Housing. The meeting will discuss report findings and strategies for affordable housing. The Board would like to invite City Council to attend the meeting. Michelle Jacobs will draft a letter from the Affordable Housing Board inviting City Council to attend both the Affordable Housing Summit and the Regional Affordable Housing Meeting. Debriefing on the Comoetitive Process Staff will forward the CDBG Commission's housing recommendations to the Affordable Housing Board. Michelle Jacobs presented information on LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) to answer a question from the March 23, 2006 meeting about CARE Housing's Green Built project. The construction costs are higher for these projects, but not unrealistic. To be cost effective, a green built project needs to be designated as such early in the design process, rather than switched over once construction begins. Jon Fairchild presented information regarding accessibility in response to a question from the March 23, 2006 meeting. The question was why all new construction is not accessible. Mr. Fairchild reminded the Board they had a series of meetings addressing this question in May, June and July of 2005. Members of the Fort Collins Affordable Housing Board April 6, 2006 Minutes Page 3 of 4 community, Stormwater Utility, and Building and Zoning presented information about accessible design. The Board felt that support for accessible design is not being advocated by City staff throughout the design process. In addition, they felt additional weight should be given to accessible housing projects through the Competitive Process to encourage their development. Staff will speak to Current Planning about encouraging developers to consider accessible projects. At the May meeting, the Board will draft a recommendation to the CDBG Commission regarding the role of accessibility and energy efficiency in the Competitive Process Housing rankings. City Budget/Impact on Affordable Housing At the March meeting, the Board requested a history of the City's affordable housing stock and funding to help them answer Councilmember Kastein's questions regarding the effects of affordable housing funding cuts. Mr. Head presented a memo based on his research. An estimated two hundred affordable housing units will be lost due to funding cuts over the 2006 and 2007 budget period. The land bank program will not have funds to purchase new properties. Mr. Head also told the Board about the City's budgeting exception process, which reassigns unanticipated money. Someone from Finance will be scheduled to speak to the Board at a later date. The Board discussed possible next steps based on the memo they received from Mr. Head, which addressed the information requested by the Board. They decided it was necessary for the Board to complete more work before they can answer Councilmember Kastein's questions. Ms. Jacobs suggested forming a subcommittee to investigate issues further. Mr. Head suggested attending the Blue Ribbon talk for more ideas. Ms. Rogers asked the memo and next steps be added to the May agenda. Old Business Land Bank Update The Land Bank program has $150,000 remaining, which will be spent in a joint purchase with City Stormwater. The program will acquire five acres that it will hold for 5 years. This purchase will close out the program's remaining funds. Update/Reports on Sub -Committee Efforts None. Liaison Reports None. Other Business Fort Collins Affordable Housing Board April 6, 2006 Minutes Page 4 of 4 Open Board Discussion None. Meeting adjourned 5:45 pm. Respectfully submitted by Stephanie Sydorko April 17, 2006