Committee on Housing adopts rules, appoints staff; chair outlines housing priorities

Council member Robert White, council member at large and chair of the Committee on Housing, opened an organizational meeting at 11:06 a.m. Jan. 23, 2025, in room 123 of the Johnny Wilson Building and on Zoom and led the committee in adopting its rules and approving committee staff appointments.

The committee adopted the “rules of organization and procedure for the committee on housing Council period 26 resolution of 2025” by voice vote with Chair Robert White moving the measure and declaring, “in the opinion of the chair, the ayes have it, and the measure passes.” White then moved the committee print of the committee on housing staff appointment resolution of 2025; the chair again declared the ayes carried the measure.

The rules adoption was presented as a technical update: White said the rules “incorporates by reference the rules we circulated yesterday” and that “there are no substantive changes from our prior rules.” He moved the rules “with leave for staff to make technical and conforming changes.” The staff appointment resolution named Sean Hildendorf to continue serving as committee director, Katie Whitehouse as legislative director with expanded committee responsibilities, Sean Cuddyhigh as deputy committee director, Francesca Bryce as legislative counsel and Kate Conquest as legislative assistant. White also noted that Caitlin Kotchelova, who previously served as senior legislative counsel, is being promoted to deputy legislative director though she was not named in the resolution because she will dedicate more time to non-committee projects.

White used the organizational meeting to summarize the committee’s recent work and to flag priorities for the new period. He listed actions the committee has taken in the past two years, including ending apartment application fees, updating local voucher eligibility rules to reduce barriers for people exiting homelessness, supporting public housing residents through housing authority reforms, banning practices that created barriers for pet owners, and advancing a mentorship program that still needs funding and implementation.

White said the committee must continue work on voucher and public housing problems and on legislation to change the housing authority’s board structure: “We’ll need to take up legislation to phase in a new board structure soon since the Stabilization and Reform Board has completed their initial 2 year term,” he said. He also described planned work on boosting affordable housing production and preservation, downtown revitalization tied to a focused economic development corporation, and measures to reduce bias in real estate transactions.

White described current housing market and program challenges he said the committee will pursue: he said the CFO’s office told the committee new multifamily housing permits “have stopped cold,” nonprofit landlords are “really hurting,” and some for‑profit buildings are experiencing “serious housing condition failures.” He also referenced the Talbot Street situation, saying draft legislation would seek “additional assistance for the financially injured residents struggling through the Talbot Street crisis.”

The meeting was brief and procedural: White asked for any discussion on the rules and on the staff appointments; Council member Matt Fruman indicated “No” when asked for discussion, and the chair called voice votes. The chair closed the meeting at 11:14 a.m. and invited listeners to sign up for the committee newsletter, reading an email address during the meeting.

The adopted rules and the staff appointments were the only formal actions taken at the meeting; White presented the committee’s near-term legislative priorities and administrative plans but did not introduce substantive legislation at this session.