HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOUNCIL - AGENDA ITEM - 08/25/2020 - HOUSING STRATEGIC PLAN UPDATEDATE:
STAFF:
August 25, 2020
Lindsay Ex, Interim Housing Manager
Jackie Kozak-Thiel, Chief Sustainability Officer
Caryn Champine, Director of PDT
Meaghan Overton, City Planner
WORK SESSION ITEM
City Council
SUBJECT FOR DISCUSSION
Housing Strategic Plan Update
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The purpose of this Work Session is to:
1. Briefly summarize Fort Collins’ housing commitments and actions to date as well as the challenges that
remain;
2. Summarize the community feedback to date on the need for housing affordability, with an emphasis on the
work achieved by Home2Health over the past year;
3. Share the scope and work to date on the Housing Strategic Plan, including the draft vision for the plan;
4. The initial scope of the Ad Hoc Committee; and
5. Share next steps.
GENERAL DIRECTION SOUGHT AND SPECIFIC QUESTIONS TO BE ANSWERED
What feedback do Councilmembers have on the following:
1. Draft vision for the Housing Strategic Plan?
2. Proposed community engagement plan?
3. Initial scope for the Ad Hoc Committee?
BACKGROUND
Housing Commitment
As outlined at the April 14, 2020 Work Session on Affordable Housing Priorities, the City developed its first
Affordable Housing Strategic Plan in 1999 to stimulate housing production for the City’s lowest wage earners
(under 80% of the area median income, or AMI). Last updated in 2014, the City’s Affordable Housing Strategic
Plan set forward ambitious goals to have 10% of the City’s housing inventory be affordable by City’s buildout,
which is anticipated to be in the next 20-25 years. A goal to increase the ratio from 5% to 6% was set for the term
of the Affordable Housing Strategic Plan, 2015-2019.
The Affordable Housing Strategic Plan is bolstered by a significant commitment to addressing housing
affordability in many community plans and policies, including but not limited to the following:
Affordable Housing Redevelopment Displacement
Mitigation Strategy (2013)
Council Priorities (2019-2021)
Housing Affordability Policy Study (2014) City Strategic Plan (2020)
Affordable Housing Strategic Plan (2015) Additional efforts underway:
Social Sustainability Strategic Plan (2016) o Home2Health (2019-2021)
City Plan (2019) o Our Climate Future (2019-2021)
As a City and with our community partners, these plans and policies are backed by interdependent regulatory,
partnership and investment solutions including, but not limited to, the following:
August 25, 2020 Page 2
• Regulatory - Reduced the minimum house size required by the Land Use Code; manufactured housing zone
established; and metropolitan district policy review underway.
• Partnerships - Saw the completion of Fort Collins’ first permanent supportive housing project by Housing
Catalyst at Redtail Ponds, with Mason Place on track for opening in December 2020; solidified important new
partnerships such as Elevations Community Land Trust.
• Investments - Ongoing efforts, such as investing between $1.5 - $3 million annually via the competitive
process; secured $4 million over ten years via the Affordable Housing Capital Fund (CCIP); activated the
Land Bank program resulting in 96 new permanently affordable rental units and adding a new five acre land
bank parcel; and continuous improvement of assessing opportunities to adapt and expand incentives for
affordable housing specifically.
More information about the City’s affordable housing efforts can be found at the Social Sustainability webpage.
Challenges Remain
While significant progress has been made (373 homes added in the last 5 years with 248 under construction),
Fort Collins is still short of our overall affordable housing goal (need approximately 300 units per year to hit the
overall goal of 10% of units affordable by 2040).
At the same time, the gap between median income and median home price is widening - making housing
affordability for all residents a challenge. As with many cities across the nation and globally, Fort Collins is
experiencing a lack of availability of "missing middle" housing options (range of housing types) and a lack of
affordable housing options for moderate-income residents (80-120% AMI).
Further, the most recent Social Sustainability Gaps Analysis (2020) highlights the following housing affordability
challenges in Fort Collins:
• There are 7,000 homeowners (21% of all owners) in Fort Collins that cannot afford their monthly housing
costs. In addition, renters wanting to buy have very few options in the market until they earn around $75,000
per year and can afford homes priced at $280,000 or higher.
• Between 2012-2018, Fort Collins renter households earning less than $25,000 decreased by nearly 3,000
households, while households earning more than $75,000 increased by nearly 4,000 households.
o 8,790 renters in Fort Collins earn less than $25,000 (4,090 excluding student households) with only 1,525
units that are affordable - meaning there is a 7,265-unit gap.
o This points out a mismatch in the cost of rental inventory in the City to the area median incomes of renter
households. Many people are rent burdened meaning they are paying more than 30% - or sometimes
more than 50% of their income on housing costs.
• 60% of homebuyers who participated in N2N’s homebuyer education program purchased a home outside of
the City.
• There are higher poverty rates for all communities of color in Fort Collins and lower median incomes for
African American and Hispanic residents.
• In addition, while more challenging to quantify, there is a significant need for more accessible units in Fort
Collins for residents with ambulatory disabilities.
Still, while Northern Colorado is attracting people and developers are responding, most multifamily production is
market rate. Competition has increased for affordable housing developers for land, required subsidy and funding
programs like low income housing tax credits. Some of these challenges must be addressed at the state or
federal level.
This sampling of data points, and the feedback from the community below, highlight why new and innovative
strategies and approaches are needed to address housing affordability in Fort Collins.
Housing Affordability as a Key Community Priority - Community Feedback to Date
In addition to the data shared above, community members regularly identify housing affordability as a top priority
for action in citywide engagement efforts. Home2Health engagement has further clarified where we need to focus
August 25, 2020 Page 3
for the Housing Strategic Plan. A summary of what the community has shared is summarized below and is
illustrated in more detail in the Community Engagement Summary. (Attachment 1)
Community Survey Results (2019)
In the most recent annual Community Survey (2019), availability of affordable quality housing was the lowest
rated characteristic of our community. Only 12% of respondents rated the availability of affordable quality housing
as ‘very good’ or ‘good,’ which is lower than both national and Front Range benchmark data. The same survey
also asked residents to identify in their own words the one item or focus area the City should improve upon in the
next few years, and 20% of respondents who provided a written answer cited housing affordability in their
feedback.
City Plan Engagement (2018-2019)
During the extensive engagement effort for the most recent update to City Plan - which included thousands of
residents, more than 175 public events, and countless Plan Ambassador and Community Partner hours of small-
group meetings - housing affordability was frequently mentioned as a high priority for the future of Fort Collins,
including the following:
• City Plan kickoff (400+ participants) - “housing access” identified as the highest priority focus
• Visioning (769 participants) - When asked what should be prioritized in the City Plan vision, “housing choices,
attainability, and affordability” was most frequently mentioned
• Scenarios (1022 participants) - In general, 77.2% of respondents were open to “moderate” or “big” changes to
improve housing attainability and provide more housing choices. Community members also supported a
greater diversity of housing types in future neighborhoods (74.2%) and in existing neighborhoods (58.7%).
Home2Health Engagement (2019-2021)
Home2Health is a two-year, grant-funded project built around partnerships, community dialogue, and capacity
building to ensure that the voices and ideas of community members who are experiencing the day-to-day reality
of housing instability can shape the policy decisions we make. Over the last year, Home2Health has built on the
City's foundation of previous engagement to further identify the key housing issues to address in the Housing
Strategic Plan.
Who participated?
Approximately 500 people have participated in Home2Health engagement over the last year. Demographics
collected at events show engagement and recruitment led by Home2Health Community Partners have helped
reach a more representative group of people than typical City-led events. The partnership-based approach is
successfully closing persistent engagement gaps that have been identified in previous City-led efforts. By building
partnerships centered in equity and focused on capacity-building, Home2Health is reaching more Spanish-
speaking residents, renters, and residents who make less than $50,000/year. Examples include the following:
• About 40% of participants in partner-led engagement were renters.
• 60% of Health Impact Assessment questionnaires were completed in Spanish.
• 68% of Community Guide participants reported making $50,000 or less a year.
What did we hear?
• Affordable, Stable Housing: Partners reported many residents have had to choose between healthcare,
housing, and other necessities like food or paying bills. Increases in rent, costs of home maintenance/repair,
and high cost of housing compared to income were main themes. This feedback is bolstered by the fact that
an estimated 17,300 households in Fort Collins are renting apartments or homes that they cannot afford
(Social Sustainability Gaps Analysis, 2020).
August 25, 2020 Page 4
“When you lack affordable housing, it causes a lot of stress for the individual. Do I have enough money for
rent, for food, for medicine, and for gas? You keep making trade-offs. [If] I pay for rent, I don't buy food or
don't get medicine.” - Community Guide Participant
• Healthy Housing: Living conditions that are detrimental to health and well-being, including persistent
problems with pests or mold, deferred home maintenance, and feeling unsafe, were all mentioned related to
the quality of housing in Fort Collins. Participants also emphasized the importance of social elements of
housing for overall health (e.g. community, neighborhood). The quality of the built environment was another
key element of healthy housing identified by participants. This quality includes the ability to live close to work
or school, access to amenities, proximity to transit and ability to bike, which is a key element of City Plan
(more below).
“I am concerned about our community wanting to continue to open businesses that rely on usually low-wage
workers like restaurants or coffee shops but not building enough housing that they can afford. Our housing
stock is forcing folks to commute to Fort Collins which cuts into the time they could spend
cooking/exercising/spending time with family, etc.” - Community Guide Participant
• Housing Choices and Supply: People noted housing availability is limited in Fort Collins, which is
consistent with prior feedback. Older adults interested in downsizing to smaller, accessible units
expressed concern they would not be able to find appropriate housing in their price ranges. Additional
housing options, including accessory dwelling units, could help older adults age-in-place or move to
housing that could help them remain independent. Similarly, younger people who were renting identified
there are not many affordable options on the market for renters wanting to move or buy their first homes.
• Desire for Listening and Concrete Action: Participants were eager to see changes to
policies/programs and tangible actions. Participants indicated a desire to be heard and for local
government to take residents’ concerns who experience housing challenges more seriously.
“Make it easier for lower-income people to voice their concerns. Many of us work two plus jobs and have
families, so it is impossible to attend meetings. More importantly, find a way for city leaders to take
these concerns seriously. Most of us poor people are discouraged from the conversation because we
are not listened to anyways.” - Community Guide participant
How did we engage?
Consistent with Council’s priority to Reimagine Community Engagement, and as highlighted at the August 11
Work Session, Home2Health has designed an engagement strategy that invites community participation in new
ways. (Attachment 1)
• Community Guide Meetings in partnership with Center for Public Deliberation (8 guides, reached ~100
people)
• A Health Impact Assessment Questionnaire administered in partnership with Larimer County Health
Department Built Environment Group (115 respondents)
• Implementing a Language Justice model for the Family Leadership Training Institute’s 20-week civic
leadership curriculum.
HOUSING STRATEGIC PLAN
Scope
Given the significant number of community conversations and feedback surrounding the need to address housing
affordability in Fort Collins as a key community priority, this planning effort is well-positioned to move quickly.
Accordingly, staff has outlined the following key milestones for the planning effort, with the goal to bring forward
the Housing Strategic Plan to Council for adoption consideration in February 2021:
• Vision (August/September): Draft vision for achieving housing affordability in the community - more below.
August 25, 2020 Page 5
• Existing Conditions (September): Summarizes the “state of housing” in Fort Collins and sets the stage for
more targeted goals, strategies, and priorities to achieve the vision.
• Goals, Strategies, and Guiding Principles (Fall): Strategy identification and prioritization to achieve the vision.
It is important to note the Housing Strategic Plan will include the entire housing spectrum. Accordingly, some
strategies will work across the entire spectrum whereas others may be targeted to specific needs (e.g.,
affordable housing or homelessness prevention). This will be further explored this fall. Guiding principles will
be developed and used to evaluate how strategies are selected, decisions are made, and implementation
takes place.
• Draft Plan (January 2021): Draft plan available for community review and input.
• Final Plan (February 2021): Tentatively scheduled for February 16, 2021 Council consideration.
• Implementation Plan (Spring 2021): 3-month process to move from an overarching plan to detailed actions for
the next 1-3 years.
Overarching Vision
As noted above, the first step in the Housing Strategic Plan process is to establish a universal vision that will
guide the selection and prioritization of strategies for the Plan. Based on the extensive community feedback and
engagement to date, staff has drafted a vision for the Plan:
Draft Vision: Everyone has stable and healthy housing they can afford.
This vision incorporates community feedback and aligns with existing policy direction:
• Housing stability: As noted above, stable housing is a critical precursor for quality of life and well-being.
Housing stability is central to the best-practice “Housing First” approach to homelessness prevention, which
recognizes that housing is the most important platform for pursuing all other life goals. (see Homeward 2020’s
work on this initiative)
o City Plan alignment: Principle LIV 6 “Improve Access to housing that meets the needs of residents
regardless of their race, ethnicity, income, age, ability or background.”
• Healthy housing: The importance of high quality, safe housing situated in walkable neighborhoods is a
critical piece of feedback community members have shared. This aspect of the vision builds on the City’s
commitment to supporting healthy housing via programs such as Healthy Homes and the Home2Health
efforts outlined above.
o City Plan Alignment: This statement aligns with principles in every Strategic Outcome area. Selected
examples include the following:
▪ Principle LIV 4 “Enhance neighborhood livability”
▪ Principle EH 6 “Support the development of a skilled and qualified workforce that is well connected
to employment opportunities in the city and region”
▪ Principle T 9 “Utilize the transportation system to support a healthy and equitable community”
▪ Policy ENV 4 “Protect human health and the environment by continually improving air quality.”
• Housing community members can afford: Recognizes the affordability challenges community members
face in Fort Collins and that increasing the range of options that meet people’s needs can support greater
choice and affordability.
o City Plan Alignment: Principle LIV 5 “Create more opportunities for housing choices.”
Additional Community Engagement since May
In addition to the extensive community engagement through Home2Health and other efforts noted above, staff
has engaged the following entities thus far on the Housing Strategic Plan since May:
August 25, 2020 Page 6
Affordable Housing Board Mi Voz
Board of Realtors Government Affairs Committee Neighbor 2 Neighbor
CARE Housing, Inc. NoCo Housing Now
Chamber LLAC North Fort Collins Business Association
City Staff Our Climate Future - Affordable Housing Workshops
Habitat for Humanity Peer cities
Home2Health Core Team Planning and Zoning Board
Housing Catalyst Many community members
Building upon the themes and feedback provided prior to the start of the Housing Strategic Plan, conversations
focused on what this plan “must do” and what success would look like. Feedback included the following:
• Be Community Centered and Remove Barriers
o Partnerships: Achieving housing affordability requires more than local government - all partners will be
needed.
o Engage with those who are most impacted: Though everyone is impacted by housing affordability, this
process should actively seek to engage those who are impacted most and remove barriers to
participation.
o Equity in process and outcomes (clear commitment): Community members asked for a clear
commitment that this Plan will lead with equity, both in process (meaningful engagement) and outcomes
(ensuring all community members benefit).
o Identify innovative and disruptive actions and approaches: In addition to scaling up action, we need to
act differently and challenge how things have always been done to achieve more equitable outcomes
that advance the overall vision.
o Clearly communicate to multiple audiences: Like breaking down barriers, ensuring that all
communication materials are accessible - both from a language and cultural perspective and by
eliminating “government speak” and jargon.
• Be Specific, Quantifiable, and Achievable
o Establish goals, timelines, and accountability tools - be agile: The planning process and final priorities
will need to be adaptive to an ever-evolving environment and economy. Establishing accountability tools
to support assessment of whether progress is on or off track is critical.
o Establish specific housing priorities & financial picture: There are not enough resources to do everything
- identify and articulate priorities and what it will take to deliver on these goals, including from a financial
perspective.
o Role definition for the City and partners: Be clear on the role local government plays in delivering on the
goals, e.g., regulatory, policy, and investment tools, and where partners are needed.
• Focus on systems and alignment - locally and beyond
o Recognize housing is interconnected with all systems/outcomes: As noted from the community - housing
is stability, housing is health, housing is connected to everything. Recognize and acknowledge the
interplay of these systems in all solutions.
o Align with community goals, plans, and City Plan - and build off their engagement: This is not a new
conversation in Fort Collins - build off prior engagement and input for this planning effort.
o Begin regional strategy: Leverage this plan as an early step toward addressing housing affordability
beyond Fort Collins’ boundaries.
Staff continues to identify stakeholder and community members to engage with on the Housing Strategic Plan.
Community engagement will also take place at key planning milestones and will be integrated with Home2Health,
see attached Engagement Plan for more information. (Attachment 2)
August 25, 2020 Page 7
Ad Hoc Council Committee
At the July 21, 2020 Council meeting, Council adopted Resolution 2020-068 establishing the Ad Hoc Committee
to support the development of the Housing Strategic Plan. The Committee will begin meeting this August and
continue through April 2021 per the Resolution. A website for the committee has been established that will include
agendas, meeting minutes, and community participation information.
Given the first meeting is scheduled for August 20, a read-before memo is planned for the August 25 Work
Session that shares meeting highlights, including the initial scope outline for the Committee’s work.
Next Steps
• Ad Hoc Committee to meet approximately monthly thru April 2021.
• Community engagement September through November on the draft vision, goals, strategy identification, and
guiding principles discussion. Additional information is outlined in the Engagement Plan. (Attachment 2)
• A Work Session scheduled for December 8 will tentatively focus on the goals, strategies, and guiding
principles that will support the overall plan, as well as a plan outline.
ATTACHMENTS
1. Home2Health - Year One Engagement Summary (PDF)
2. Housing Strategic Plan / Home2Health Community Engagement Plan- Year Two (PDF)
3. Powerpoint Presentation (PDF)
Community Engagement Summary – Year 1
July 2019-June 2020
1
Housing Affordability as a Key Community Priority – Community Feedback to Date
Home2Health engagement in year one was built on a strong foundation of community input from recent
citywide efforts including Fort Collins’ annual Community Survey and City Plan engagement conducted in
2018-2019. In both the Community Survey and City Plan, community members regularly identify housing
affordability as a top priority for action. Home2Health engagement has further clarified where the City and
its partners should focus for the Housing Strategic Plan and related housing policy decisions. A summary
of what the community has shared is summarized below.
Community Survey Results (2019)
In Fort Collins’ most recent annual Community Survey (2019), the availability of affordable quality housing
was the lowest rated characteristic of our community. Only 12% of respondents rated the availability of
affordable quality housing as ‘very good’ or ‘good,’ which is lower than both national and Front Range
benchmark data. The same survey also included a question asking residents to identify in their own
words the one item or focus area the City should improve upon in the next few years. Of the survey
participants who provided a written answer, housing affordability in the City topped the list, with 20%
providing a relevant comment.
City Plan Engagement (2018-2019)
During the extensive engagement effort for the most recent update to City Plan – which included
thousands of residents, more than 175 public events, and countless Plan Ambassador and Community
Partner hours of small-group meetings – housing affordability was frequently mentioned as a high
priority for the future of Fort Collins.
• City Plan kickoff (400+ participants) - “housing access” identified as the highest priority focus
• City Plan Visioning (769 participants) - When asked what should be prioritized in the City Plan
vision, “housing choices, attainability, and affordability” was most frequently mentioned
• City Plan Scenarios (1022 participants) - In general, 77.2% of respondents were open to
“moderate” or “big” changes to improve housing attainability and provide more housing
choices. Community members also supported a greater diversity of housing types in future
neighborhoods (74.2%) and in existing neighborhoods (58.7%).
Home2Health (2019-2021) – Building on What We’ve Heard
Home2Health is a two-year, grant-funded project led by the City of Fort Collins and community partners -
The Family Leadership Training Institute at CSU Extension, the Center for Public Deliberation at
CSU, The Family Center/La Familia, and the Larimer County Department of Health and Environment. The
project is built around partnerships, community dialogue, and capacity building to ensure that the voices
and ideas of community members who are experiencing the day-to-day reality of housing
instability can shape the policy decisions we make.
Over the last year, Home2Health has built on the City's foundation of previous engagement to further
identify the key housing issues to address in the Housing Strategic Plan. We know that housing
affordability and housing choices are top priorities for community members, but what specific challenges
are people facing with housing in Fort Collins?
Who participated?
Approximately 500 people have participated in Home2Health engagement over the last
year. Demographics collected at Home2Health events show that engagement and recruitment led by
Home2Health Community Partners have helped reach a more representative group of people than typical
City-led events1. Home2Health’s partnership-based approach is successfully closing persistent
engagement gaps that have been identified in previous City-led efforts. By building partnerships that are
centered in equity and focused on capacity-building, Home2Health is reaching more Spanish-speaking
residents, renters, and residents who make less than $50,000/year.
1 Note: While every effort is made to collect comprehensive data, some participants chose not to provide
demographic information.
ATTACHMENT 1
Community Engagement Summary – Year 1
July 2019-June 2020
2
• Examples:
o About 40% of participants in partner-led engagement were renters
o 60% of HIA questionnaires were completed in Spanish
o 68% of Community Guide participants reported making $50,000 or less a year
What did we hear?
• Affordable, Stable Housing: Partners reported than many residents have had to choose
between healthcare, housing, and other necessities like food or paying bills. Increases in rent,
costs of home maintenance/repair, and the high cost of housing compared to income were main
themes in this topic area. When asked how much they spent on housing costs, 75% of
respondents to the Health Impact Assessment Questionnaire reported spending 40% or more of
their income on housing, indicating that cost burden is a serious concern. Hispanic/Latinx
respondents were more likely to report spending too much for housing – 59% of
Hispanic/Latinx respondents reported spending 50% or more of their income on housing. Most
often, participants discussed the mental health/stress impacts of unaffordable housing or frequent
moving when asked how affordable, stable housing is connected to health.
“When you lack affordable housing, it causes a lot of stress for the individual. Do
I have enough money for rent, for food, for medicine, and for gas? You keep
making trade-offs. [If] I pay for rent, I don't buy food or don't get medicine.” -
Community Guide Participant
• Healthy Housing: Living conditions that are detrimental to health and well-being, including
persistent problems with pests or mold, deferred home maintenance, and feeling unsafe, were all
mentioned as issues related the quality of housing in Fort Collins. Renters were more likely to
identify chronic, unresolved issues with the quality of their housing, while homeowners expressed
concern about being able to afford home repairs and maintenance costs. Some participants
emphasized the social elements of housing (community, neighborhood), the importance
of nearby amenities and recreation for physical health, and ability to live close to work or school
as important elements of healthy housing.
“I am concerned about our community wanting to continue to open businesses
that rely on usually low-wage workers like restaurants or coffee shops but not
building enough housing that they can afford. Our housing stock is forcing folks
to commute to Fort Collins which cuts into the time they could spend
cooking/exercising/spending time with family, etc.” - Community Guide
Participant
• Housing Choices and Supply: People who participated in Home2Health events noted that
housing availability is limited in Fort Collins, which is consistent with prior feedback received in
City Plan efforts. Older adults interested in downsizing to smaller, accessible units expressed
concern that they would not be able to find appropriate housing in their price ranges. All of the 20
participants in focus groups led by the Partnership for Age-Friendly Communities indicated a
desire for more accessible features in housing (e.g. stepless entry, stepless showers) to help
older adults age-in-place or move to housing that could help them
remain independent. Similarly, younger people who were renting identified that there are not
many affordable options on the market for renters wanting to move or buy their first
homes. Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) and smaller, more affordable houses were mentioned
as housing choices that should be encouraged.
• Desire for Listening and Concrete Action: Participants were eager to see changes to
policies/programs and tangible actions. There is a sense that Fort Collins has been discussing
housing affordability for a long time, and that the need for affordable, stable, healthy housing is
Community Engagement Summary – Year 1
July 2019-June 2020
3
clear. Home2Health participants indicated a desire to be heard and for local government to take
the concerns of residents who experience housing challenges more seriously:
“Make it easier for lower-income people to voice their concerns. Many of us work
two plus jobs and have families, so it is impossible to attend meetings. More
importantly, find a way for city leaders to take these concerns seriously. Most of
us poor people are discouraged from the conversation because we are not
listened to anyways.”
- Community Guide participant
How did we engage?
Consistent with City Council’s priority to Reimagine Community Engagement, and as highlighted at the
August 11 Work Session, Home2Health has designed an engagement strategy that invites community
participation in new ways:
• Community-led engagement and storytelling
o Community Guide Meetings in partnership with Center for Public Deliberation (8 guides,
reached ~100 people)
o Home2Health Public Events (~250 participants)
o Overall focus on community-led discussion and bringing content/context experts to the
table together
o Storytelling to help people see that housing and health issues are shared by all kinds of
people who live in our community
• Community partnerships to build trust and deepen connections
o Working with and providing funding to community organizations to help reach and build
relationships with historically underrepresented groups
o Partnered with Larimer County Health Department Built Environment Group to develop
and administer the Health Impact Assessment Questionnaire (115 respondents)
o Partnered with the Partnership for Age-Friendly Communities for Older Adult Focus
Groups (20 participants)
• Removing barriers to participation
o Partnering with the Family Leadership Training Institute to implement a Language
Justice2 model for their 20-week civic leadership curriculum
o Raising the bar and setting a new standard for City-led events: Consistent with Our
Climate Future and other recent planning efforts, Home2Health
provides Language Justice interpretation and translation, childcare, and food as
standard, not just when requested
• Leading engagement with a “Plan and Do” mentality
o Strategic Doing – small groups who identify a project to work on together with the
resources and assets they already have
What’s next?
• Additional Community Guide recruitment and meetings. Trainings and materials, including all
Housing Strategic Plan materials, will continue to be fully available in both English and Spanish.
2 Language justice is a best-practice approach to building and sustaining multilingual spaces in our organizations so
that everyone’s voice can be heard both as an individual and as part of a diversity of communities and cultures.
Valuing language justice means recognizing the social and political dimensions of language and language access,
while working to dismantle language barriers, equalize power dynamics, and build strong communities for social
and racial justice.
Community Engagement Summary – Year 1
July 2019-June 2020
4
• More education, storytelling, and capacity building to help people discuss complex housing topics
and strategies
• Policy 101 at every event and discussion
• More Language Justice for public events of all kinds
• Continued focus on partnerships, centered in equity – so all voices can be included in dialogue
and decision-making
1
HOME2HEALTH AND HOUSING STRATEGIC PLAN:
PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT PLAN
PROJECT TITLE: HOME2HEALTH AND HOUSING STRATEGIC PLAN
FUNDING SOURCE: Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment’s (CDPHE) Health Disparities
Grant Program (HDGP)
OVERALL PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT LEVEL: Involve/Collaborate
The City of Fort Collins Public Engagement Spectrum provides guidance for the most appropriate levels of
engagement and techniques that may be employed during Home2Health. Overall, staff has identified the
“involve” and “collaborate” levels as the most effective approach to community engagement for this project.
PROJECT PURPOSE:
Through this process the City of Fort Collins aims to decrease unnecessary health burdens linked to a lack of
housing stability and affordability through a comprehensive design that results in the adoption of both land
use regulations and housing policies that intentionally prioritize health equity. This project is designed to
broaden the conversation about housing affordability in Fort Collins to include the voices and ideas of the
people in our community who are experiencing the day-to-day reality of housing instability.
DRAFT VISION:
Everyone has stable, healthy housing they can afford.
BOTTOM LINE QUESTIONS:
Who is not able to achieve stable, healthy housing – and why?
What do we need to change to achieve our housing vision for everyone in Fort Collins?
Who has the ability to make those changes?
And, which changes should we make first?
ENGAGEMENT STRATEGY:
The engagement strategy for Home2Health will bring City and community stakeholders together to
recommend critical updates to Fort Collins’ housing policies and regulations, with a specific focus on
acknowledging and addressing inequities in our community. Engagement will focus on strategic outreach and
communication to three primary groups of stakeholders: City leadership, City staff, and the broader
community.
Home2Health will continue to focus on how to inform and educate each of these groups on current housing
affordability and health equity issues (“existing conditions”) facing Fort Collins through early fall 2020. In
alignment with the update to the Housing Strategic Plan, engagement will shift toward collaborative
techniques to solicit input and feedback about the vision and goals of the Housing Strategic Plan, evaluation
of potential policy and land use changes, and prioritizing solutions in late fall and winter.
City Leadership – Staff will utilize Council Work Sessions, meetings of the Council Ad Hoc Committee,
presentations to Boards and Commissions, input from the Affordable Housing Executive Team, regular
memoranda, and stakeholder conversations with cross-sector leaders in the community to keep City
Leadership engaged in the community dialogue around housing stability, health, and affordability. A key
emphasis will be clearly communicating to City Leadership about who we are reaching through our
engagement efforts, what we are hearing, and how engagement is connected to the development of the
Housing Strategic Plan.
City Staff – Staff will focus on how to encourage City staff’s participation in the conversations and process.
Staff will prioritize partnering with existing City programs to reach City staff. Engagement opportunities
ATTACHMENT 2
2
could include lunch-and-learn sessions, questionnaires sent to City employees, training materials for managers
to use at staff meetings, and “road-show” presentations about Home2Health and the Housing Strategic Plan.
Broader Community – Staff will reach those most impacted by housing affordability and health equity issues
through both City-sponsored engagement opportunities and engagement through community partner
organizations. The goal of community-wide engagement through Home2Health is to understand what these
issues mean to residents and stakeholders in the context of their lived experience. This critical feedback will
be integrated into community dialogue about how to prioritize solutions to our citywide housing challenges.
Staff will also focus on how to clearly communicate ways for the broader community to play a role
throughout the process. Engagement techniques may include focus groups, community issues forums, Community
Guide meetings, expert panel discussions, Policy 101 educational information, online questionnaires, and
deliberative workshops.
All engagement efforts will be closely aligned with the development of the Housing Strategic Plan.
OBJECTIVES:
1. Develop the capacity of City staff and cross-sector partners to more fully understand their role in
housing policy, support an equity-centered approach, and articulate the linkages between land use,
housing policy, economics/affordability, and health.
2. Improve leadership understanding and capacity for action around health equity and housing
affordability.
3. Improve community capacity to participate in policy processes and collaborate with local
(City/County) government on housing affordability and health issues.
4. Identify and prioritize specific policies and land use changes that could address existing inequities
and housing challenges and document these priorities in the Housing Strategic Plan.
5. Build community support through collaborative discussions about prioritizing land use and policy
solutions.
KEY STAKEHOLDERS:
Project Teams:
Home2Health Core Team
• City Staff including Planning, Social
Sustainability, CPIO, and Environmental
Services (Healthy Homes)
• The Family Leadership Training Institute
(FLTI)
• Colorado State University (CSU)
Extension
• Larimer County Department of Health
and Environment (LCDHE)
• Center for Public Deliberation (CPD) at
Colorado State University (CSU)
• The Family Center/La Familia (TFC)
• Partnership for Age-Friendly
Communities (PAFC)
• Other community partner organizations
as identified through stakeholder
analysis
Housing Strategic Plan Core Team
• A cross-departmental group of City staff tasked with completion of the Housing Strategic Plan.
Departments represented will include Planning, Social Sustainability, Economic Health, Neighborhood
Services, Finance, Environmental Health, Historic Preservation, and others as identified.
3
Advisory Groups:
• Internal Affordable Housing Task Force
• Affordable Housing Executive Team
• Ad Hoc Council Committee
Decision-Makers:
• City Council
• Primary Boards and Commissions
o Planning & Zoning Board
o Affordable Housing Board
• Supporting Boards and Commissions
o Commission on
Disability
o Downtown
Development
Authority
o Economic Advisory
Commission (EAC)
o Housing Catalyst
o Landmark
Preservation
Commission
o Parking Advisory
Board
o Senior Advisory
Board
o Transportation
Board
o Water Board
o Youth Advisory
Commission
Key Stakeholder Groups to Engage:
Note: Stakeholder analysis completed by the Home2Health and Housing Strategic Plan core teams will
further inform this list.
• PDT Leadership
Team (PDT) or
CDNS Lead Team
(CDNS)
• Social
Sustainability
Service Area
• Utilities Senior
Staff
• Larimer County
Affordable
Housing Group
• Residents, both
property owners
and renters
• Affordable
Housing
Developers
• Business
Associations
• Downtown
Development
Authority
• Chamber of
Commerce
• Board of Realtors
4
OVERVIEW OF KEY ENGAGEMENT TECHNIQUES
Strategic Doing Groups:
Strategic Doing™ is a community action platform designed to strengthen social networks in community for
collaboration. The first Strategic Doing workshop, hosted January 27th, gave participants an opportunity to
connect with others who were interested in working on community projects together by forming collaborations
quickly, moving them toward measurable outcomes and making adjustments along the way. At the end of the
workshop, each group left with an identified project they would be working on together over the course of
the next few months. The commitment was 2 hours a month (1 hour meeting and 1 hour outside of the monthly
meeting) for 9 months. These groups will conclude their projects in September of 2020.
Community Guides:
With the help of the Home2Health Core Team, the Center for Public Deliberation solicited community
members who were interested in hosting conversations on issues related to housing and health equity.
Community Guides completed a brief application and attended two training sessions that prepared them to
conduct and facilitate conversations within their own communities utilizing a common questionnaire. They then
hosted conversations in their own communities. Generally, these were small group conversations with members
of similar communities, though on occasion these were conducted in a one-on-one setting. Phase one of the
Community Guides program was completed in year one and phase two of the program is currently
underway.
Technical Working Groups:
For specific topic areas technical working groups may be formed to guide the development of Home2Health.
The working groups will consist of technical specialists, City staff, and key stakeholders relevant to each topic
area. The groups will be led and facilitated by a member of the Home2Health core team. These groups will
be formed as needed to help guide the development of the Housing Strategic Plan and other health and
housing initiatives.
TARGET POPULATIONS:
The target populations for this program are lower- and moderate-income (up to 120% of Area Median
Income) residents who spend more than 30% of their income on housing and residents who experience
disparate (worse than the community as a whole) health outcomes. For this outreach process to be successful, it
is key that these populations play an integral role throughout the community engagement process. Trust-
building, capacity building, and working closely with cultural brokers and partner organizations will all be
critical to reaching the target populations for this project.
GOALS:
1. Home2Health participants (both online and in-person) are representative of the Fort Collins
community’s geographic, ethnic, age, income, and other demographic distributions.
2. Data collection is an integrated part of every engagement strategy such as public meetings, online
surveys, social media, etc. Data evaluations will be completed each quarter.
• Data collection should include the following:
i. Income level
ii. Percent of income
spent on housing
iii. Homeowner or renter
iv. Race and ethnicity
v. Zipcode
5
3. The Home2Health core team and community partners are building relationships with local community
groups and individuals that have connections with harder to reach demographics.
• Outreach materials will be translated into Spanish whenever possible, and at minimum will include
instructions in Spanish for contacting the City for translation support or more information on the
project.
• Spanish or language justice interpretation will be provided at key public meetings via headsets.
• Child care will also be provided at key public meetings.
4. The Home2Health core team is regularly measuring and checking who we are reaching and taking steps to
improve the equity of our engagement.
SUCCESS:
1. The engagement process will be successful if we interact with City leadership, City staff and a
representative group of community members throughout the planning process and specifically engage
traditionally underrepresented groups (low-income residents, seniors, youth, Spanish-speaking residents,
etc.).
2. The engagement process will be successful if potential housing policy and regulatory solutions are
prioritized through authentic City and community engagement processes.
3. The engagement process will be successful if cross sector partnerships result in an increased capacity for
community-led engagement and community-directed action.
4. The engagement process will be successful if participants can clearly see how their involvement and input
shaped the policies and recommended actions in the Housing Strategic Plan.
6
DETAILED PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT PLAN – HOME2HEALTH YEAR 2
This working Public Engagement Plan is intended to be revised and updated periodically throughout the planning
process.
Year 2 Objective: Recommend changes to housing and land use policies that intentionally prioritize health equity
and housing affordability as part of the implementation of City Plan and the development of the Housing Strategic
Plan.
Year 2 Bottom Line Questions:
Who is not able to achieve stable, healthy housing – and why?
What do we need to change to achieve our housing vision for everyone in Fort Collins?
Who has the ability to make those changes?
And, which changes should we make first?
Supporting Questions:
1. What specific barriers are residents experiencing to healthy, stable housing that they can afford?
2. What solutions exist to address these barriers?
3. What are the trade-offs to these solutions?
4. What criteria should be used to evaluate and prioritize solutions? Examples of some potential criteria
below:
a. Expertise to implement solution
b. Return on investment
c. Effectiveness of solution
d. Ease of implementation/maintenance
e. Potential negative consequences
f. Legal considerations
g. Impact on systems or health
h. Feasibility of intervention
DELIVERABLES: EXTERNAL ENGAGEMENT
1. A minimum of two (2) Strategic Doing™ events.
2. Completion of two (2) 20-week language justice cohorts of the FLTI civic leadership curriculum.
3. Completion of a minimum of 10 Community Guide meetings or interviews.
4. A minimum of one (1) community summit.
5. Regular opportunities to engage online via OurCity platform and social media
6. Regular (monthly or as requested) updates to Affordable Housing Board and Planning & Zoning Board
7. Regular (as requested) updates to additional Boards and Commissions
• Strategic Doing – Team Check-ins
Timeline: July & August
Format:
1. One-on-one interviews (phone or video)
2. Group interviews (phone or video)
Goals: Address the following questions:
1. Is your group still meeting and/or making progress on your project? Or have they already
completed their initial project idea?
7
2. Have you needed to alter your project during this process? Did you make small changes or
completely start over?
3. What have been your group’s successes?
4. What have been your group’s barriers or challenges in this process?
5. What is one thing that could have helped your group?
• Strategic Doing – Project Wrap-ups
Timeline: September
Format:
1. Group interviews or large virtual group session
Goals: Address the following questions:
1. Is your group still meeting and/or making progress on your project? Or have they already
completed their initial project idea?
2. Have you needed to alter your project during this process? Did you make small changes or
completely start over?
3. What have been your group’s successes?
4. What have been your group’s barriers or challenges in this process?
5. What is one thing that could have helped your group?
Tools & Techniques:
1. Zoom platform
• Community Guides Phase 2
Timeline: Ongoing through fall
Format: Online training with virtual group meetings or one-on-one interviews
Goals:
1. Community capacity building through facilitation training
2. Gather community feedback through Community Guide’s interactions within their own
communities
Tools & Techniques:
1. Video Recorded Training Modules
2. Virtual Group Discussions
3. Phone Interviews
More Information: https://cpd.colostate.edu/community-guide-training/
• Community Summit – round 1
Timeline: October - November
Format: TBD – likely virtual with smaller groups
Goals:
1. Evaluate draft vision and goals from the Housing Strategic Plan.
2. Prioritize strategies and roles in the Housing Strategic Plan.
• Community Summit - round 2
Timeline: March-April
Format: TBD
Goals:
3. Co-create implementation strategies with the community to develop the Implementation Plan
4. Build community capacity
8
DELIVERABLES: INTERNAL ENGAGEMENT
1. A minimum of two (2) City Council Work Sessions.
2. Monthly updates to the Affordable Housing Executive Team.
3. A minimum of one (1) educational opportunity for CFC staff and leadership.
4. One (1) Council Hearing to consider adoption of the Housing Strategic Plan.
• Council Work Sessions
Timeline: August 25 and December 8
Format: Virtual Presentations *
• Affordable Housing Executive Team
Timeline: Ongoing
Format: Virtual Presentation*
• Educational Opportunities for City of Fort Collins Staff and Leadership
Timeline: Ongoing
Format: Could include working group presentations, lunch and learns, etc.*
• Council Hearing
Timeline: February 2021
Format: Hybrid virtual and in-person hearing with virtual presentation by staff*
Goal: Adoption of Housing Strategic Plan
*(COVID-19 and local/state/federal health regulations may impact the timing and format of this event)
1
Housing Strategic Plan Work Session
Jackie Kozak Thiel, Caryn Champine, Lindsay Ex, Meaghan Overton
August 25, 2020
ATTACHMENT 3
Questions for Consideration
2
What feedback do Councilmembers have on the following:
• Draft vision for the Housing Strategic Plan?
• Proposed community engagement plan?
• Initial scope for the Ad Hoc Committee?
CITY PLAN
• Principle LIV 5: Create more
opportunities for housing
choices
• Principle LIV 6: Improve
access to housing
…regardless of their race,
ethnicity, income, age, ability,
or background
Strategic Alignment
3
COUNCIL
PRIORITIES
• Affordable and Achievable
Housing Strategies
• Equity and Inclusion
• Reimagining Community
Engagement
STRATEGIC
OBJECTIVES
Neighborhood Livability & Social
Health
• NLSH 1.1 Improve and
increase…housing…
affordable to a broad range of
income levels.
Policy and Planning Foundation…
• Affordable Housing Redevelopment Displacement
Mitigation Strategy (2013)
• Housing Affordability Policy Study (2014)
• Affordable Housing Strategic Plan (2015)
• Social Sustainability Strategic Plan (2016)
• City Plan (2019)
• Council Priorities (2019-2021)
• City Strategic Plan (2020)
• Home2Health (2019-2021)
4
…Leads to Action
Housing Affordability Policy Study
2014 - 2019
Minimum house size
Waiver eligibility
Land Bank
Incentive Policy
Affordable Housing Capital
Fund (CCIP)
Council Priorities
2019 - 2021
Manufactured Housing
Impact Fee / Inclusionary
Housing Study
Appropriation for Land Bank
purchase
Home2Health
Mason Place (Dec)
Affordable Home Ownership
Committee
Next Steps
2020+
Housing Strategic Plan
Buy and Sell Land Bank
parcels
Housing Manager
Fee Waiver Process
Improvements
Ad Hoc Council Committee
Results: 373 affordable homes in last 5 years & 248 under construction (Need: ~300 /year) 5
Challenges Remain
6
Median Home Price
Median Income of a Family of 4
Median Income of All Households
Widening gap in who can afford median home price
Half as many renters can afford the median home price (23% in 2012; 11% in 2018)
Challenges Remain
7
Higher poverty rates for all communities of color; lower median incomes for African American and Hispanic residents
Decrease in ~3K households that earn < $25,000 and an increase in~4K households earning > $75,000
Who provides your water can determine up to $20K difference in home price alone
Home2Health
Partnership: Centered in Equity, Focused on Capacity-Building
• Bring content and context experts to the table together
• Community Partners and City share leadership and decision-making
• Develop new ways to reimagine community engagement
• Create equitable opportunities for direct involvement in policy decisions
8
Home2Health Outcomes
9
Key Themes:
• Affordability &
Stability
• Housing Quality
• Health
How did we
engage?
§ ~500 people participated overall
§ Community Guide Meetings (8 guides, reached ~100 people)
§ Health Impact Assessment Questionnaire (115 respondents)
§ Older Adult Focus Groups (20 participants)
§ Home2Health Public Events + Storytelling (~250 participants)
Ongoing Council Engagement
Draft Vision
Housing Strategic Plan Roadmap
10
Implementation
Q3 2020 Q4 2020 Q1 2021 Q2 2021+
Housing Strategic Plan
Existing
Conditions
Vision, Goals, Strategy ID
and Evaluation Plan
Community
Summit
Prioritized
Strategies
Council Ad Hoc Committee
Implementation
Plan
Act,
Evaluate*
February
Adoption
Plan & Council
Review
Draft
Plan
Engagement
Opportunities
Goals &
Strategy
ID, Guiding
Principles
Engagement on the Plan to Date
§ Affordable Housing Board
§ Board of Realtors Government Affairs
Committee
§ CARE Housing, Inc.
§ Chamber LLAC
§ City Staff
§ Habitat for Humanity
§ Home2Health Core Team
§ Homeward 2020
§ Housing Catalyst
§ Mi Voz
§ Neighbor 2 Neighbor
§ NoCo Housing Now
§ North Fort Collins Business Association
§ Our Climate Future – Affordable Housing
Workshops
§ Peer cities
§ Planning and Zoning Board
§ Many community members
§ Much more being scheduled…
11
And thousands of community members
via the Community Survey, City Plan,
Home2Health, Our Climate Future, and
many more!
Themes We Heard – Must Absolutely Do
12
Community-
centered,
remove barriers
§ Partnerships
§ Engage with targeted communities – break down barriers
§ Equity in process and outcomes (clear commitment)
§ Identify innovative and disruptive actions and approaches
§ Clearly communicate to multiple audiences
Be specific,
quantifiable,
and achievable
§ Establish goals, timelines, and accountability tools – & be agile
§ Establish specific, quantified housing priorities & financials
§ Role definition for the City
And…
§ Recognize housing is interconnected with all systems/outcomes
§ Align with community goals and plans – build off engagement
§ Begin regional strategy
Draft Vision
13
Everyone has stable and healthy housing
they can afford
Fall Community Engagement
Focus: Key Plan
Milestones
§ Vision (Sept/Oct)
§ Goals, Strategies, &
Guiding Principles
(Nov/Dec)
14
What: Community
Conversations
§ Feedback on vision
§ What needs to change to
achieve this vision?
§ Who has the ability to
change it?
§ What’s the first step?
How: Remove Barriers & Build Relationships
§ Language Justice, Spanish/English
§ Policy 101
§ Partner-led conversations and events
§ Connect policy & plan to lived experience
Ad Hoc Committee
§ First Meeting on August 20
§ Committee to meet thru April 2021
§ Additional information regarding Scope
to be provided in a Read Before Memo
15
Grounding
Exploring
Strategy
Identification
Next Steps
2020 Next Steps
16
Source: Aubrey Davis Park Master Plan
Plan
• Existing Conditions (Sept)
• Community engagement (Sept - Nov)
• December 8 Work Session
- Goals, strategies, & guiding principles
- Plan outline
Action
• Manufactured housing
• Metro Districts
Questions for Consideration
17
What feedback do Councilmembers have on the following:
• Draft vision for the Housing Strategic Plan? (slide 14)
• Proposed community engagement plan? (slide 15)
• Initial scope for the Ad Hoc Committee? (slide 16)
18
BACKUP
Housing Plan Outline
Summer 2020 – February 2021: Housing Plan
§ Vision
§ Guiding Principles
§ Existing conditions (quantify problem/need)
§ Goals and Strategies
§ Targeted and prioritized policies for all
housing options and levels
§ Framework to evaluate impact
§ Align with community goals, e.g., affordable
housing, carbon neutrality, and more
Spring 2021: Implementation Plan
§ Timelines, roles, indicators, costs, etc.
19
Source: Authorstech
Everyone has stable and healthy
housing they can afford
20
MO3
LE17
MO5
Slide 20
MO3 What do you think about including this? It's a good summary of the issues/connection between
housing and health. Comes out of the H2H Health Impact Assessment.
Meaghan Overton, 8/11/2020
LE17 what do you think about backup slide if they ask about the connection between housing and health?
We've already got a fairly long slide deck...
Lindsay Ex, 8/12/2020
MO5 Yep, that works!
Meaghan Overton, 8/12/2020
• Healthy Larimer
Committee
• Non-profit
partners
• Residents with
limited-English
proficiency
• Low-income
and/or cost-
burdened
residents
• Students