Council introduces down-payment assistance ordinance; commission forms subcommittee to develop program guidelines

City staff told the Davis Social Services Commission that the City Council has introduced an ordinance that creates a framework for down‑payment assistance programs for income‑qualified households, and asked the commission to provide programmatic input.

Kelly Sackowitz, assistant city manager, said the ordinance intentionally sets out a broad framework rather than a specific program. "The framework, it was very intentionally left broad so that it is actually a framework. It's not a program in and of itself," Sackowitz said. She added that program details — such as eligibility bands, assistance amounts and funding sources — would come later in a resolution that the council could revise more easily than an ordinance.

The ordinance as introduced does not allocate city funds. Sackowitz told commissioners that programs could be funded wholly by the city, by outside grants, or by a combination; specifics would be set when the council adopts program guidelines by resolution. Sackowitz also said the ordinance needs a…