Debate needed on affordable housing rules

I want to present my understanding of the ordinance passed on Monday evening. Bill is right that this can no longer be called, in the strictest definition, an Inclusionary ordinance.

It is an up-front tax on developers who intend to build residential condos in buildings exceeding 25 units. It no longer will even address any affordable units on site.

My understanding of what was passed however, puts a potentially higher price on the developers than $4000 per unit. The wording of the hastily passed ordinance is "...the developer shall pay to the Affordable Housing Tax Fund monies equal to $40,000 multiplied by 10% of the total number of dwelling units, with all fractions of a dwelling unit rounded up to the nearest whole number." For example, a builder of a 25 unit building will have to pay the city 3 x $40,000 which equals $120,000.

Because of the rounding up feature, what this ordinance may do is spur developers to ask for a greater number of units in multiples of 10, so that they don't have to 'overpay' this development tax.

Since affordable housing advocates have promoted inclusionary housing units in new developments, this ordinance is very disappointing. Aldermen pointed out that they intend to use the funds to allow people to choose what part of town they wish to live in so in this way it will be inclusionary.

However, the 'rules' for the distribution of the generated funds have not anywhere been specified. All the general guidelines for use of generated funds in the proposed ordinance were excised Monday evening.

For citizens who care about the prospective use of the monies in the Affordable Housing Tax Fund, it is essential that you participate in the upcoming conversation.

Some questions you should keep in mind:

• Should renters have access to any of these funds?
• Should those who are lacking enough funds for a down payment on a home be given money from this fund with no obligation to repay upon sale of the home?
• What protections will be built in to assure that recipient families can afford the costs of ownership?
• What sort of income guidelines should apply to have access to this fund? Should this be equally accessible to all segments of the community, including disabled, elderly, single mothers, etc.?
• How do not-for-profit Community Housing Development Corporations fit into this picture? (At this point, the possibility of the Community Land Trust using these funds remains in the language of the ordinance.)

Your opinions are important. Please be part of this decision-making process.