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Habitat and Housing Works urge flexible land‑control options; warn deed restrictions could exclude partners
Summary
Sisters Habitat and Housing Works told the council that mandatory deed‑restriction language could preclude land‑lease or land‑trust models and jeopardize some funding streams, arguing the ordinance should allow alternatives to preserve nonprofit participation.
Peter Hoover, executive director of Sisters Habitat for Humanity, asked the council not to lock 'deed restrictions' into ordinance language because that approach could exclude organizations that rely on land leases or land‑trust mechanisms. "If you have deed restrictions, you're going to eliminate Sisters Habitat for Humanity," he said, adding that some funding sources require land‑lease models.
Lynn McConnell of Housing Works offered practical options: deed conveyance at final plat, parcel dedication with deed restrictions where appropriate, or conveyance to a competent nonprofit or the city so that providers have site control when applying for competitive funding. McConnell cautioned that timing matters because subsidy queues are long and site control is a prerequisite for many grants.
