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Commissioners approve documents to advance 500 East Main affordable housing project; ask for tenant-selection and long-term protections
Summary
The board reviewed documents for a 195-unit affordable housing project on the county-owned 500 East Main site; commissioners sought assurances that 40-year affordability terms, a county right of control and a process to connect units to the existing homeless-services waiting list would be incorporated before HUD closing.
County staff told commissioners the 500 East Main Street affordable housing project is moving toward HUD financing and that key documents require the board’s authorization this month so the developer can proceed toward closing.
Commissioner Olivia Jacobs (full first name used in meeting) led a line of questioning seeking clarity on the length and enforceability of affordability and on how low-income units would be matched to needs identified by city and county homelessness and housing partners. County staff said the county will retain ownership of the land under a long ground lease (described as a 99-year lease) and that the project structure follows the model used for the recently completed 300 East Main project. Staff confirmed the project includes 195 units, of which 53 units are planned at 30 percent of area median income (AMI) or below; the project also includes roughly 31 units planned as Section 8 voucher-restricted units.
“Before we approve this, I would like to know how we can incorporate into the agreement that these units’ eligibility for these units will … be connected back to the waiting list that we have,” Jacobs said. She asked staff to return with a framework describing how units at deep affordability levels will be coordinated with the city’s and housing authority’s placement and referrals. County staff said HUD’s requirements affect the timing of document approvals but that staff will return with a proposed tenant-selection and coordination process for board review.
Perry Manns, deputy director for County Engineering, and other staff explained that the county owns the underlying parcel, that HUD financing requires certain contract and document approvals before closing, and that the county’s position and rights are protected via the ground-lease structure. Staff said that at years 36–40 of the lease the county and developer will review the project’s status and could determine whether to continue terms or change course; staff also said the county retains ownership of the land and can exercise rights consistent with the ground-lease terms.
Commissioners praised progress on the project but asked staff to provide a written description of the referral and waiting-list coordination process and to confirm legal protections and the county’s right to be involved in future disposition discussions. Staff said they would return with explicit language and a timeline for how HUD closing will proceed.
Ending: The board authorized staff to execute required project documents to keep the financing on schedule and requested follow-up materials on tenant selection, 40-year affordability protections and a proposed process for matching deeply affordable units to households on local waiting lists.
