Public speakers urge action on housing as director requests report after board declares housing crisis

The Little Rock Board of Directors heard multiple public comments March 17 urging action on employee pay and the city's housing challenges, and a director requested a staff report with data on housing starts, vacant properties and eviction filings.

Director Adcock asked that agenda item 13, which included a resolution to declare a housing crisis in the City of Little Rock and to affirm commitments to expand affordable housing, be read separately. She requested that Kevin Howard and Brad Jordan bring a report the following week detailing local housing starts, the current number of vacant or boarded properties and other measures; during the meeting Director Adcock said the metropolitan waiting list for subsidized housing stands at about "6,500" people and asked staff to supply the underlying numbers.

During the citizens communication period Pastor Tony Orr and Carlos Perry urged the board to prioritize compensation for city employees; both speakers tied morale and retention to pay equity. Those remarks preceded public comments and statements urging the board to address eviction and habitability issues across wards; a commenter cited Pulaski County eviction filings as more than doubling since 2018 and reported 4,345 evictions filed last year and 812 filed in the first two months of the current year.

Mayor Frank Scott Jr. and staff said the board would supply the requested housing data and that the housing-related resolution would remain on the consent packet unless separated by a successful motion; an effort to remove the item failed for lack of a second. Staff committed to provide the numbers Director Adcock requested.

Ending: Staff will deliver the housing data requested by Director Adcock and the housing resolution will return to future agenda work if members request further deliberation; the board did not take additional action on housing at the March 17 meeting.