On March 2, 2020, City Council held its first work session since October 21 (read recap) to discuss actions on the Equitable Housing Strategic Plan (starts on page 42 of 174). Work sessions are important because they are where options are determined for the public hearings and vote.
My main takeaway is that Council is still searching for what equity needs they want to address and will take their time to finalize the Equitable Housing Strategic Plan.
The proposed plan of actions and performance measures have been vetted by the Planning Commission and Task Force, but any action is most likely in May at the earliest, as the Planning Commission is not scheduled to hold a public hearing until May 13.
Get caught up by reading a quick recap of the meeting below, or for a deeper dive, read through my coverage of the Task Force meetings that vetted the draft plan of actions and performance measures (one, two, and three).
Then, go to the Act page and in one click, you can email City Council and Planning Commission with your thoughts today!
Read the proposed plan of goals, actions, and performance measures
QUICK RECAP (MY COMMENTARY IN ITALICS)
On March 2, 2020, City Council held its first work session since October 21 (read recap) to discuss actions on the Equitable Housing Strategic Plan (starts on page 42 of 174).
Councilor Lehan recounted the history of Frog Pond West. A small group of people wanted to it be all larger lot, higher income ($800,000+) single-family homes. The development community said it could not be done because there is a lack of water or open space views. They said density was needed to make neighborhood development pencil out. (31:00)
This would support Action 1C, “Equitable Housing Approaches in New Growth Areas” from the proposed plan. Keep this in mind for the future battle when Frog Pond East is developed.
Staff presented the actions and objectives of the Equitable Housing Strategic Plan. Council is seeing the same draft plan that was recently brought before the Planning Commission and the Task Force. (44:00)
Mayor Knapp asked about how to address rising rents after apartments are renovated. Staff responded that Action 1D, “Create Housing Tax Abatement Programs to Achieve Housing Diversity and Affordability” could address this need. The housing preservation tax credit or abatement would be tied with rent increase limitations. (51:00)
Mayor Knapp inquired about Wilsonville’s enterprise zones and affordable housing. Staff responded that enterprise zones could be used, but are an investment tool not specific to affordable housing. (54:00)
Enterprise zones can support mix-use, mix-income development (see examples in Gresham and Beaverton).
Read about how an enterprise zone helped support mix-use, mix-income development
Staff presented the performance measures of the Equitable Housing Strategic Plan. (59:00)
Councilor Linville was not on Council for the project goal setting, and is working to catch up by wanting to understand the central purpose of the project. She is a supporter of clear metrics, but is unsure about tracking race. She does not want to create pockets of poverty; therefore, she would question a development solely dedicated to subsidized housing. (1:02:00)
To understand whether we are creating pockets of poverty, I would recommend that we want to track race and income at the neighborhood-level.
Councilor Lehan did not see where supportive or transitional housing, especially for mental health, is addressed. (1:12:00)
The missing need of housing people for emergency shelter, or in transitional housing, has been an equity gap from the outset of the analysis.
Councilor Askerville asked about what other cities are using as equitable housing metrics and targets. Staff will research and provide information. (1:15:00)
City Manager Cosgrove posed a the final question, what does the Council want to specifically accomplish? Without a clear answer from Council, staff agreed that another work session is needed to prepare options for a public hearing. (1:16:00)
Read the proposed objectives and performance measures from March 2, 2020
BE HEARD!
Now that you are caught up, go to the Act page and in one click, you can email City Council and Planning Commission with your thoughts today! For encouragement, I provided a sample letter below.
SAMPLE LETTER
Dear City Council,
I thank you, City staff, Planning Commission, and the Task Force for all your work on the Equitable Housing Strategic Plan. In listening and writing about your March 2 work session, I have the following comments:
In searching for clear and objective goals, I recommend that we prioritize investment to address the following equity gaps:
Latinx community needs for affordable, multi-room housing
Single-parent households who need housing that is affordable and connected to jobs and services (e.g. locations such as Villebois, Town Center, Frog Pond, and SMART Transit Center)
Homeownership for lower-income working families
Emergency housing for people experiencing homelessness for a temporary or transitional time, or need longer term supportive housing
I support the following comments made by Mayor and the Council:
Make use of enterprise zones to facilitate affordable housing development (examples in Gresham and Beaverton)
Offer tax abatements with rent increase restrictions to property owners for apartment renovation
Track race and income at the neighborhood-level to accomplish Councilor Linville’s goal for a diverse, inclusive community
Please contact me if you would like to discuss. Thank you for your time and service!