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Candidates emphasize housing as top priority; mayor highlights $37.5M pro-housing grant
Summary
At the forum candidates described multiple strategies for affordable housing, including permanent supportive housing, zoning changes, nonprofit partnerships and use of a federal pro-housing grant the mayor cited as $37.5 million to allow the city to act as a developer.
Affordable housing dominated several forum answers as candidates discussed short- and long-term pathways.
Bruce Teague cited a federal pro-housing grant of $37,500,000 that the city obtained and said it would enable the city to do consumer education and to act as a developer to create permanently affordable units. “What this is gonna allow the city to do…is to be a developer,” Teague said, adding that the city will also continue to use TIF and other tools and partner with nonprofit developers.
Amy Hospadarski and Clara Reinen both stressed permanent supportive housing and buying land now to keep future costs down. Hospadarski also urged protecting and increasing the city’s affordable housing fund. Reinen advocated tenant organizing and stronger tenant protections as part of the strategy.
Incumbents and challengers discussed the scale of the need: Newman Abu Issa said housing prices rose about 30% in the last four years and argued for higher-density development and mixed-use projects. Candidates agreed multiple tools are needed—a combination of subsidies, regulatory changes, nonprofit partnerships and direct city involvement—to produce more units across price points.
Several candidates said eventual decisions should be guided by the city’s strategic plan, robust community input and oversight. No specific project timelines were announced at the forum; candidates emphasized planning, partnerships and fiscal tools as next steps.
