5 ALAMEDA COUNTY HOUSING BOND Stakeholder Proposals and Input 3-25-16
Priority Populations 6 House the most vulnerable (prioritize) Homeless people: with disabilities with mental illness Chronically homeless people with Substance Abuse issues Homeless families with children Homeless youth/foster care youth Assign percentage to homeless by categories (e.g. mentally ill) Low income people in Skilled Nursing Facilities - to move back to the community Survivors of human trafficking Extremely Low Income people Very Low Income people
Priority Populations, continued 7 Low-income seniors New refugees (housing 1 st ) Elderly homeowners and tenant families at risk of displacement Moderate-income renters Renters who don t qualify for Section 8 Teachers and First responders Working poor Work force housing First-time homebuyers
Affordability/Income Levels 8 SSI income level (15% of AMI) Extremely Low Income (30% AMI) Very Low Income (50% of AMI) under 60% median household income Middle income (80-120% of AMI) Market rate (create more, to avoid displacement) Deeper affordability: extremely low to low Concentrate on ELI/VLI Units Deeply affordable housing prioritized over all other housing Making affordable housing truly affordable esp those on SSI Population mix
9 Stakeholder Proposals & Input Program Types/Focus Probably Eligible for GO Bond: Down payment assistance (with equity component) New construction of rental units Affordable long-term/permanent (subsidized) housing New construction or Acquisition/Rehabilitation of: Emergency Shelter Emergency housing Transitional housing Permanent Supportive Housing Owner-occupied housing rehabilitation Rental housing rehabilitation Disabled accessibility rehabilitation/improvements Acquisition/Rehabilitation Hotels/Motels SROs Vacant/multi-family properties Apartment complexes Shared housing options new construction or acquisition/rehabilitation
10 Stakeholder Proposals & Input Program Types/Focus Probably NOT Eligible for GO Bond: Rental Assistance Rental Stability (assistance to renters to stay in their housing) Expand Section 8 funding (by leveraging local funds) Operations and Services for: Emergency Shelter Emergency housing Transitional housing Permanent Supportive Housing (housing with services for homeless people with disabilities) Shared housing options (incentives) Allow homeowners to lease/rent out to non-profit orgs that provide services Creative solutions to help mom & pop owners willing to rent to VLI & ELI Uncertain Eligibility for GO Bond: Housing Stability (assistance to owners to stay in their housing) Mobile homes
11 Stakeholder Proposals & Input Program Components Properties: Alameda County Property Tax Defaulted Auction Houses -- use them as affordable housing or make available for low income sale Activate vacant units, blighted/boarded up/abandoned properties City & Bank owned properties Unused government/public land Scattered site (affordable units in market rate complexes) Locations: Live where you work Focus housing near transit/transit-oriented Development Units/Design: Family-size units (3+ BR) Development of housing that is affordable by design (without need for on-going subsidy) High Density
12 Stakeholder Proposals & Input Program Components Affordability over time: Maintain long-term/permanent affordability for housing built by bond Allowable Rent Increase caps tie to CPI Increase in long term affordability Re-use of funds/leveraging: Shared equity homeownership Set up as a revolving loan-- Some portions could be paid back to subsidize future affordable housing units Leverage other state, federal and local funds (Cap & Trade) Other development models than non-profit/for-profit Low-barrier ELI housing Local employment opportunities
Distribution throughout County 13 All cities don t have concentrated poverty Local match from cities Geographic distribution by highest need Provide affordable housing where homeless families are currently located so kids can stay in their existing schools Ensure equitable distribution of funds: Geographically Consideration of where there is significant lack of housing for homeless families.
Other Bond/Finance Recommendations 14 Choose one focus for the bond money that creates a real impact - small allocations towards a number of programs won t create real change. Allow cities to seek funding directly, without partnering with a developer. If bond passes, boomerang funds possibly shifted from construction to providing subsidies. Conduct a review of how of how housing dollars are currently utilized. Compare cost of affordable housing development vs market rate housing development. Explore other forms of raising funds for housing possibly with more flexibility to meet immediate needs.
Other Issues and Needs 15 Outside the Scope of a GO Bond Car camping Money Rent Control Just Cause Eviction No Ellis Act Deeper look/examination Expedited permit processing for construction of affordable housing 1 st time homebuyer tax credit Massive housing production that is contextual Destroy Costa-Hawkins Act Inclusionary Housing
Other Issues and Needs 16 Outside the Scope of a GO Bond Assistance needs Safety net services Support for Education Job Training Housing assistance counseling Subsidies & support for tenants & rights Tenant Job centers Outreach/Education
Survey Results as of 3/25/16 (N=8) 17 Top 3 Very Important Priorities: Affordable housing for low income individuals & families (6) Affordable housing for middle income individuals and families (5) Gentrification/displacement (5) Top Housing Options that County should support and pursue: Rental Assistance Program (7) Housing for Homeless (7) Housing for Disabled (6) Housing for Seniors (6)
18 Stakeholder Proposals & Input Survey Results as of 3/25/16 (N=8) Other Feedback: Affordable housing should be targeted to extremely low and very low income families (ie: SSI/SSDI recipients; <30% AMI). Need to define middle-income and types of assistance available to them Landlords raising rents at unreasonable rates. Supportive housing should be clarified for whom and what type of services. Need to increase incentives and opportunities for both purely affordable housing developments and mixed-income projects. Simplify approval process for accessory dwelling structures. Develop anti-displacement trust fund. Consider low-interest rate loans for property improvement in exchange for increase in in-perpetuity BMR units. Advocate for jobs/housing balance within county regions.
19 Discussion