Title
Housing Charlotte Framework
Action
Action:
Approve the Housing Charlotte Framework for building and expanding access to opportunity through housing investments.
Body
Committee Chair:
LaWana Mayfield, Housing and Neighborhood Development
Staff Resource(s):
Pamela Wideman, Housing and Neighborhood Services
Explanation
§ The Housing Charlotte Framework (Framework) establishes a collaborative effort among the City and other community partners for the allocation of private and public resources to guide the City’s affordable housing investments, policies, processes, and related decisions.
§ The framework’s recommended key strategies and short-term priority financial tools represent specific policy objectives and methods the City and its partners will explore to address housing affordability challenges.
§ The framework builds on recent community initiatives, plans, and studies including City Council’s 2016 Letter to the Community, the Urban Land Institute’s Terwilliger Center for Housing report, the Leading on Opportunity report, and the recently completed Evergreen Task Force report.
Framework Process
§ The Framework development process began in April 2017 and involved focus group discussions.
§ The development process also included updates to the Housing and Neighborhood Development Committee, as well as updates to City Council during the August 28, 2017, April 2, 2018 and July 23, 2018 Council Meetings.
Framework Outline
§ The Framework is guided by three core considerations:
- Increasing capacity to serve low-income residents with a focus on households earning below 60 percent of area median income,
- Serving residents vulnerable to housing displacement, and
- Using housing to build and expand access to opportunity.
§ It also entails a three-pronged approach:
- Expanding the supply of high-quality rental housing and homeownership opportunities,
- Preserving the affordability and quality of existing rental housing stock, and
- Supporting family self-sufficiency.
§ The Framework includes an executive summary as well as sections that provide an overview of the existing and anticipated future housing conditions; existing local tools, policies, resources and initiatives; proposed strategies; and potential tools to increase the production and preservation of affordable housing.
§ While some of the proposed strategies and priority financial tools are items the City can consider implementing, many will require new public and private-sector support and resources.
Committee Discussion
§ The Housing and Neighborhood Development Committee (Committee) received updates on the Framework during the Committee meetings on April 26, 2017, and June 28, 2017.
§ During the Housing Retreat on April 20, 2018, the Committee reviewed the Framework’s core considerations, affirmed the three-pronged approach (housing expansion, preservation, and family self-sufficiency), and reviewed proposed tools for addressing each of the three approaches.
§ The Committee continued discussion and review of the Framework at the May 16, 2018, and June 4, 2018, meetings.
§ On June 13, 2018, the Committee unanimously recommended the Framework be considered by City Council.
Attachments
Attachment(s)
Housing Charlotte Framework