DATE: September 24, 2019
TO: Members of the Housing & Redevelopment Authority
FROM: Janine Atchison, Housing Coordinator
Title
HRA Work Plan for 2019-2020
Body
SUMMARY AND ACTION REQUESTED:
The Housing & Redevelopment Authority (HRA) to review and adopt priorities for the 2019-2020 work plan.
BACKGROUND:
On February 19, 2019, the HRA held a retreat meeting in the conference room at the Fairfield Inn. Staff provided an overview of the Affordable Housing Priority outlined in the Northfield Strategic Plan. The Affordable Housing Strategic Priority contains 3 Desired Outcomes which includes:
Grow & Maintain Affordable Housing
More Senior Units
Expanded Supportive & Emergency Housing
At the July 1, 2019 regular meeting of the HRA the priorities ideas developed at the HRA retreat were narrowed down to 17 specific action items.
Grow & Maintain Affordable Housing
• Develop Remaining Land at Southbridge
• Explore Possibilities for Tiny Homes
• Create Housing Trust Fund
• Purchase Property for Ruth’s House of Hope Programs
• Consider Fund for DPA Assistance for Manufactured Homes
• Partner with EDA to provide mixed use building(s) on DOT Site
• Florella’s Manufactured Home Park
• Partner with Other Agencies for Development
• Plan for Koester Court to Remain Affordable
• Consider Incentives to Attract Development
• Redevelopment Plan
• Housing Market Study Every 2 - 3 Years
More Senior Units
• Incentives for Single Level Unit Development
• Market Study to determine Senior Housing Needs
• Develop Inventory of Senior Housing Units, Affordable & Market Rate
• Replicate Wellstone Commons Senior Apartments
Expanded Supportive & Emergency Housing
• Work with CAC to Develop Manger Inn Site
At the Direction of the HRA, Staff, with the help of HRA Youth Representative Mila Matney, created a Google poll for each HRA Board member to rate the priority for each item. Staff combined the rating scores for each action item and assigned an average value.
On-going, established programs/projects including Residential Rehab Program, Northern Oaks Rehab, Viking Terrace Rehab Program, Street Assessment Assistance Program, and the Down Payment Assistance Program were not included in the Google Poll as they will automatically continue.
ANALYSIS:
It should be noted that many of the items under the strategic priority “Grow & Maintain Affordable Housing” encompass other strategic priorities such as “More Senior Units” and “Expand Supportive & Emergency Housing”.
It should also be noted there is a 3-way tie for the 4th place ranking and a 2-way tie for the 7th place ranking.
Ranking priorities is a good tool to assist the HRA and Staff with decisions of how resources will be utilized. However, even those items which the HRA has ranked lower in priority could be moved forward in priority as circumstances change. Each action item listed fits into the strategic plan and the need for both additional housing opportunities and maintaining existing housing.
Although a market study to determine housing needs was ranked lower, it is vital to other higher prioritized action items such as development of the HRA’s land at Southbridge, and Creating a Housing Trust fund. The HRA has already committed 2020 funding for a housing market study. Staff has already begun identifying the information they want to receive from a housing market study.
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends removing Housing Market Study from the list of priorities as it is a tool which is needed every 2 - 3 years in order to define housing priorities.