[bouldercouncilhotline] Hotline: Housing Task Force

[kohls at bouldercolorado.gov]

Sender: Kohl, Susan

KC,



In response to your inquiry regarding the Affordable Housing Task Force, I am providing an update on the status of the Task Force work which may be helpful.



The Task Force has been meeting since late June 2010. The early focus of the Task Force was on education, such that all members shared a common understanding of the issues affecting Boulder’s affordable housing programs in order to make informed recommendations to City Council.



As of now, priorities from the Task Force discussion are trending toward the following:



•             Goals of the housing program

Ø  Clarify the values which serve as a foundation of the housing program

•             Funding (how the program is funded)

Ø  Evaluate potential funding sources beyond those currently being used and the tradeoffs involved

•             Inclusionary Housing Ordinance (IHO) and the Homeownership Program - How these programs are working and how might they be changed

Ø  Implementation of some aspects of the IHO

Ø  Evaluate programmatic balance between rental and homeownership

Ø  Regulatory constraints that contribute toward these decisions

•             Land Use as it relates to acquisition of affordable housing

Ø  Evaluate density, size of units, and other land use tools that may contribute toward increasing the supply of affordable housing

Ø  Evaluate the planning process as it relates to affordable housing

•             Mobile homes

Ø  Evaluate issues relating to mobile homes and their contribution towards housing affordability

Ø  Evaluate implications of the Mobile Home Park Strategy that is on the Division of Housing’s workplan for 4th quarter and how Task Force recommendations may contribute toward the Strategy



The Task Force has subcommittees meeting currently in each of the above categories in order to refine recommendations to Council.



A check in with Council is scheduled for May 17, and final recommendations are scheduled for presentation to Council August 16. In scheduling the two Council meetings (May check in and presentation of recommendations in August), the timing was determined so there was a substantive level of progress to report on, but also that there was enough time for adjustment and further work based on feedback from Council.



The Task Force has discussed a broad range of topic areas to potentially work on. In January, the Task Force narrowed the extensive list, ultimately resulting in broad categories of priorities identified above. These are the areas which the subcommittees are now working on and refining to develop more specific recommendations in each category. The subcommittee work  will be discussed by the Task Force as a whole. This will be presented to council in May. Feedback from council will determine additional work needed and refinement to the work to date. Final recommendations will come to council in August.



Please let me know if I can provide any additional information to clarify the Task Force work or process.





Karen Rahn

Director, Housing and Human Services

City of Boulder

P.O. Box 791, Boulder, Colorado 80306

1101 Arapahoe 2nd floor, Boulder, Colorado 80302

303-441-3161

720-289-1745





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-----Original Message-----
From: Becker, KC
Sent: Sunday, March 13, 2011 9:55 AM
To: HOTLINE
Subject: Housing Task Force



In January, 2010, Council made affordable housing one of our top 3 priorities. The city manager convened a Housing Task Force made up of diverse representative to make recommendations on housing issues the city faces. It's now been about a year that that task force has been meeting. I believe the Housing and Human Services Department plans to present something to council this summer.



I was hoping we could do a quick, informal check-in about the where the Task Force is in the process and what they are focusing on. I know that most of the last year has been spent getting everyone on the task force on the same page and up to speed. I've heard concerns that there may not be enough time to meet the city's goal of a report to council by this summer. That is fine by me, but other council members may want to weigh in. Also, I'd appreciate knowing where the task force plans to focus its efforts going forward, and what issues have been brought up as concern to them. I don't want to be surprised, come this summer, about what specifically they ended up working on and only then realize we didn't achieve with the task force what he had hoped for.



Thanks,





KC Becker

Boulder City Council Member