CITY OF TALLAHASSEE
CITY COMMISSION AGENDA ITEM
ACTION REQUESTED ON: February 25, 2009
SUBJECT/TITLE: Amendment of the 2007-2010 Local Housing Assistance Plan to include the Affordable Housing Advisory Committee 2008 Incentive Recommendations
TARGET ISSUE: Affordable Housing

STATEMENT OF ISSUE
In 2008, the Affordable Housing Advisory Committee (AHAC) reviewed the City’s established policies, procedures, ordinances, land development regulations and comprehensive plan elements, and recommended specific initiatives to encourage or facilitate affordable housing, as required by F.S. 420.9076. The AHAC submitted their Report of Barriers and Recommendations to the City Commission December 10, 2008.

The City Commission made decisions whether or not to implement each of the AHAC’s recommendations at the Target Issues Workshop February 18, 2009. By State Statute, adopted recommendations considered new incentives must be adopted by resolution into the Local Housing Assistance Plan (LHAP). Failure to amend new incentives into the LHAP for implementation before March 10, 2009 will cause the State to withhold State Housing Initiatives Partnership (SHIP) funds. Any other recommendations adopted by the City Commission will be implemented according to a schedule.

RECOMMENDED ACTION
Approve Option 1. Adopt changes to the 2007-2010 Local Housing Assistance Plan by resolution and adopt the implementation schedule for other approved AHAC recommendations.

FISCAL IMPACT
The fiscal impacts of each Affordable Housing Advisory Committee recommendation are listed in Attachment 4.

Thomas H. Lewis, Director, Economic & Community Development

Anita Favors Thompson, City Manager

For information, please contact: Ellen Meyi, at 891-6500.

SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIAL/ISSUE ANALYSIS
HISTORY/FACTS & ISSUES
The Mayor and City Commission, in keeping with F.S. 420.9076, appointed the 11-member Affordable Housing Advisory Committee (AHAC) after a public hearing on June 25, 2008. The AHAC was mandated to submit a report of findings by December 31, 2008 or the City of Tallahassee’s State Housing Initiatives Partnership (SHIP) funding would be withheld.

The following people were appointed in the following categories in which they are actively engaged with affordable housing:

1. Residential home building industry: Mr. Forrest Boone
2. Banking or mortgage banking industry: Ms. Pamela Keller
3. Area of labor within the home building industry: Mr. Allan Franklin Jr.
4. Advocate for low-income persons: Ms. Dorothy Inman-Johnson
5. For-profit provider of affordable housing: Mr. John Whetsel
6. Not-for-profit provider of affordable housing: Ms. Regina Davis
7. Real estate professional: Ms. Patti Ketcham
8. Local planning agency representative: Mr. Terence Hinson
9. Resident of the jurisdiction: Ms. Priscilla Howard
10. Representative of employers in the jurisdiction: Mr. Warren Jones
11. Representative of “essential services personnel” as defined by the jurisdiction: Mr. Larry Cone

The committee members reviewed the Comprehensive Plan Elements, Land Development Regulations, City Ordinances, City Commission Policies, and other City documents, and discussed regulatory barriers to affordable housing. Staff from Economic & Community Development, Planning and Growth Management met with committee members directly. All recommendations were generated by the AHAC. Staff’s role in this process was to provide research and clarification of City procedures.

The Committee held advertised public meetings on seven occasions prior to its adoption of the report on November 14, 2008 (July 24, August 6, August 22, September 11, September 15, September 30, and October 22). At the meetings, the AHAC established 25 short-term recommendations and 8 long-term recommendations. Meeting minutes are available on the City’s Electronic Data Management System (EDMS). Attachment 1 is a summary table of the AHAC’s short-term and long-term recommendations to overcome the identified barriers and to encourage more affordable housing in the City and the action taken on each recommendation at the February 18, 2009 Target Issues Workshop.

The City Commission received the report from the AHAC on December 10, 2008. The Affordable Housing Advisory Committee final report was reviewed by the City Attorney’s Office, the Office of Budget and Policy, and Directors of the Public Works Department, Planning Department, Growth Management Department, Economic and Community Development Department, and Star Metro Transit. Staff comments were received about each recommendation and were considered by the City Commission at the Target Issues Workshop February 18, 2009. The following decisions were made at the Target Issues Workshop meeting:

• Short-term recommendations #1, #3 (bullets 1, 5, 6 & 7) and #10 were adopted as administrative changes to documents that will be implemented in 2009.
  
• Short-term recommendations #13, #14, #15, #16, #20, and #22; and long-term recommendations #4, #6, and #7 were adopted as new or enhanced programs to be implemented in 2009.
  
• Short-term recommendations #2 and #9 were adopted for ordinance changes or new ordinances to be implemented in 2009 with the City Attorney’s Office.
  
• Short-term recommendation #3 (bullet 3), #7, and #11 were adopted and will involve Comprehensive Plan amendments to be introduced in the next amendment cycle in November 2009.
  
• Short-term recommendation #19 and long-term recommendation #2 were adopted and will be considered during the FY 2009-2010 budget deliberations.
  
• Short-term recommendations # 8, #10, #17, and #18 are incentives to be added into the 2007-2010 Local Housing Assistance Plan (LHAP) and implemented into the Land Development Code when applicable.
  
• Short-term recommendation #23 was adopted to be “considered” and long-term recommendation #3 will be analyzed further by City Commissioners at a future Long Range Target Issue meeting.
  
• Short-term recommendations #4, #5, #6, #12, #21, #24, #25 and long-term recommendations #1, #5, #8 were not adopted for implementation at this time.

Table 1. Implementation Schedule for the Adopted AHAC Recommendations, 2009

Adopted recommendations were decided by the City Commission at the February 18 Target Issues Workshop meeting.

Table 1 shows the implementation schedule for the adopted recommendations. According to 420.9076 F.S., any recommendations that will be implemented into the City’s Local Housing Assistance Plan (LHAP) as incentives or new strategies must be adopted at a City Commission meeting before March 10, 2009 (90 days from the date of receipt.) The City Attorney’s Office has developed a Resolution to adopt the changes to the Local Housing Assistance Plan (Attachment 2). Attachment 3 is the LHAP document with the additions. Please note that minor corrections were made to existing incentives, and the contact information was also revised. Three incentives that already exist in the City regulations were added: Regulation Reduction for Inclusionary Housing, Density Bonus for Affordable Housing, and Allowance of Accessory Dwelling Units in Residential Areas.

CHARITABLE CONTRIBUTIONS
N/A

OPTIONS

• Option 1. Adopt changes to the 2007-2010 Local Housing Assistance Plan by resolution and adopt the implementation schedule for other approved AHAC recommendations.

Pros:
1. Amending the 2007-2010 LHAP with the AHAC’s adopted recommendations would comply with F.S. 420.9076 and would maintain the City’s eligibility to receive State Housing Initiatives Partnership (SHIP) funds.
2. Implemented recommendations may improve administrative issues and encourage construction of affordable housing in the City.

Cons:
1. None are identified in amending the 2007-2010 LHAP as required.

Option 2. Do not adopt changes to the 2007-2010 Local Housing Assistance Plan by resolution and do not adopt the implementation schedule for other approved AHAC recommendations. Provide staff with alternate direction.

Pros:
1. None identified.

Cons:
1. The City would not comply with State Statute 420.9076 F.S. if the City did not amend the 2007-2010 LHAP to add adopted AHAC recommendations, and would lose eligibility to receive SHIP funds.
2. Approved recommendations would not improve the administration and encourage the construction of affordable housing in the City.

ATTACHMENTS/REFERENCES

1. Summary of Affordable Housing Advisory Committee Recommendations
2. Resolution to Amend the 2007-2010 Local Housing Assistance Plan
3. 2007-2010 Local Housing Assistance Plan with changes
4. Staff Analysis of Fiscal Impact for each of the AHAC Recommendations