At a Jan. 6 workshop the City Commission considered appointment of an elected official to the cityAffordable Housing Advisory Committee (AHAC) and a committee report recommending new incentive strategies.

Maxine Calloway, deputy city manager and community development director, reviewed statutory requirements: cities receiving SHIP funds must maintain an AHAC composed of specified representation and must name one local elected official to the panel. Calloway said the committee reviews incentive strategies annually and submits recommendations to the commission; the commission may adopt or reject them.

Commissioner Crystal Patterson was nominated by Commissioner Wright to serve as the elected official on the AHAC; Patterson accepted the nomination and the commission directed the city clerk to place the nomination on the Jan. 8 meeting agenda for formal appointment.

The AHAC recommended four new strategies in addition to four existing strategies the city already maintains. The committee's proposed additions were: (1) allow flexibility in densities for affordable housing, (2) permit accessory dwelling units (ADUs) in residential zones, (3) reduce parking and setback requirements for affordable projects, and (4) prepare a printed inventory of city-owned land suitable for affordable housing.

Staff recommended adopting items (1) and (2) because the city code already provides for density flexibility and accessory units in certain circumstances, and recommended rejecting (3) and (4): staff said removing parking and setback requirements posed infrastructure and neighborhood compatibility challenges, and the city has no publicly owned land it is prepared to list for affordable housing.

After extended discussion commissioners expressed differing views about the efficacy of the new measures. Several commissioners said the city should avoid blanket policy changes that could create unintended consequences; others said the city must continue working to expand workforce and attainable housing. The commission directed staff to reflect the discussion in the AHAC report and did not accept the committeerecommendations to adopt the two measures staff opposed. Calloway said staff would update the report accordingly for the Jan. 8 agenda.

Whathappens next: The commission formally will consider nominating Commissioner Patterson to the AHAC and the AHAC report on Jan. 8; staff will revise the AHAC report to show the commission's direction on the new strategies.