City of Wauwatosa, Wisconsin Housing Policy & Action Plan
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
CITY OF WAUWATOSA, WISCONSIN HOUSING POLICY & ACTION PLAN DRAFTDRAFT October 30, 2017 CITY OF WAUWATOSA HOUSING POLICY & ACTION PLAN TABLE OF CONTENTS 1 DRAFT HOUSING POLICY 3 HOUSING ACTION PLAN 5 Potential Implementation Strategies 5 Policy Priority A: Increase Availability and Improve Affordability of Housing for the Local Workforce, Lower Income Families, Seniors and People with Special Needs 5 Identify and Solicit Affordable Housing Developers through an RFP Process 6 Develop Incentive-Based Inclusionary Housing Policy 7 Identify or Prepare Affordable, Senior or Supportive Housing Development Sites 8 Develop a City-Administered Affordable Housing Fund 9 Target Use of Community Development Block Grant Funds for Housing Production 9 Create Down-Payment Assistance Program and/or Employer-Assisted Housing Program 10 Promote Use of HOME Funds 11 Develop/Enhance Partnerships with Affordable Housing Organizations 11 Policy Priority B: Preserve Existing Housing by Addressing Accessibility and Deferred Maintenance Issues Associated with an Aging Housing Stock 11 Develop a General Housing Fund 12 Create Modification Programs for Owner-Occupied and Rental Properties 13 Acquire and Make Available City-Owned Accessibility Improvements 14 Redevelop Select Properties 14 Policy Priority C: Enhance Ability of Current Residents to Age in Place within the Community 14 Develop New Senior Housing Options 15 Develop Financial Assistance Programs for Fixed-Income Seniors 15 Connect Seniors to Service Networks 16 Consider the Built Environment and its Impact on Seniors 16 Policy Priority D: Ensure a Mix of Housing Types is Available 16 Refine Regulatory Framework 18 Provide Financial Assistance 21 Toolkit 21 Tax Increment Financing 22 Community DevelopmentDRAFT Block Grant Funding 23 HOME Investment Partnership Program Funding 24 Regulatory Tools 24 City-Administered Housing Funds 25 Dedicated Housing Department or Staff 26 Strengthened Relationship with WHEDA 29 Administrative & Implementation Considerations 33 Appendices & Additional Information SB FRIEDMAN DEVELOPMENT ADVISORS 221 N. LaSalle St. Suite 820 Chicago, IL 60601 Contact: Fran Lefor Rood, AICP T: 312.424.4253 E: [email protected] TABLE OF CONTENTS CITY OF WAUWATOSA HOUSING POLICY & ACTION PLAN City of The City of Wauwatosa recognizes the need to ensure housing Wauwatosa options are available in the community for households of all ages, incomes and levels of physical ability; that the City’s housing stock is a significant asset that should be maintained Housing Policy over time; and that an array of housing options is necessary to accommodate a diverse population and attract and retain (DRAFT) businesses. As outlined in the 2016 Comprehensive Housing Study and Needs Analysis, the City’s existing housing supply and pipeline of private market development is not adequately For consideration on November 14, 2017 addressing the range of housing needs. The City therefore seeks to implement a comprehensive housing policy to ensure availability of a range of high-quality housing options today and in the future. The City intends to use available tools and resources to proactively address existing and future housing issues. The policies outlined below will guide the City’s housing investment and regulatory programs, with a menu of specific strategies outlined in the attached Housing Action Plan. Policy Priority A: Increase Availability and Improve Affordability of Housing for the Local Workforce, Lower Income Families, Seniors and People with Special Needs Finding affordably-priced housing units in Wauwatosa can be challenging for households with low or fixed incomes DRAFTand residents with special needs, such as physical or mental disabilities or those at risk or with a history of homelessness. A lack of affordable units for these populations limits their ability to benefit from the high quality of life, employment and educational opportunities, and amenities that Wauwatosa offers. Furthermore, Wauwatosa is a major employment center that supports a workforce with a diversity of skill sets and incomes. The availability of affordable housing allows employees of Wauwatosa businesses to live nearby, decreasing commute times and increasing reliability. Recognizing the importance of providing housing options to a range of income levels and physical abilities, the City will proactively increase the availability of housing units affordable to a wide range of households and segments of the population that often face housing challenges, especially as new development occurs. PAGE 1 CITY OF WAUWATOSA HOUSING POLICY & ACTION PLAN Policy Priority B: Preserve Existing Housing Therefore, the City will undertake efforts to enhance the ability Stock by Addressing Accessibility and Deferred of residents to remain in Wauwatosa as they age by addressing Maintenance Issues Associated with Aging Housing both the challenges of remaining in their current homes over the Stock long term, and ensuring sufficient alternatives exist for seniors of different incomes, ages and ability levels once they have Wauwatosa’s housing stock represents a significant local asset decided to move. which requires ongoing investment to maintain. Without proper maintenance, declining housing quality may over time reduce Policy Priority D: Ensure a Mix of Housing Types is property values and remove units from the stock entirely, Available in Wauwatosa requiring more substantial investment in new construction to simply maintain the current number of housing units in the Different types of households prefer and can afford different community. Investing in existing units prevents their loss and types of housing units. Anticipated population growth and permits new construction to expand housing options, allowing demographic shifts over the coming years are expected to the existing housing stock to serve as a more moderately-priced drive demand for a different mix of housing types than currently option relative to new construction. Investments in maintaining exists in Wauwatosa, including additional rental multifamily and updating the existing housing stock, specifically and for-sale attached housing, such as townhomes and through updates to major building systems and accessibility condominiums. Furthermore, a diversity of housing options is improvements, are critical to preserving Wauwatosa’s existing important to ensure the local workforce is attractive to current housing resources and ensuring safe, accessible living spaces. and potential businesses. The City recognizes that financing home improvements can To ensure that Wauwatosa’s housing stock includes options be challenging, especially for lower- or moderate-income for households of all types, City policies and programs will be households, including senior households on fixed incomes, designed to ensure a variety of housing types in Wauwatosa. and private owners of small rental buildings. Therefore, as an investment in this community asset, its existing residents and overall housing affordability, the City will prioritize assisting property owners who may not otherwise have access to funds for home maintenance. DRAFT Policy Priority C: Enhance Ability of Current Residents to Age in Place within the Community Growth in households headed by empty nesters and seniors are expected drive a significant share of Wauwatosa’s housing growth over the next five to 15 years. Therefore, special consideration should be given to the needs of this group to ensure that the housing stock accommodates a range of physical abilities and incomes. Furthermore, the City recognizes the importance to its senior residents of remaining in their homes as long as possible and that when relocating, either by choice or by need, appropriate housing options exist within the community. PAGE 2 CITY OF WAUWATOSA HOUSING POLICY & ACTION PLAN City of In 2015, the City of Wauwatosa (the “City”) engaged Wauwatosa SB Friedman Development Advisors (SB Friedman) to assess the City’s housing stock, evaluate its ability to meet the current and future needs of residents, and identify unmet housing needs and Housing other housing-related issues. The resulting 2016 Comprehensive Housing Study and Needs Analysis (the “Housing Study”) Action Plan identified several key housing issues, including: • Lack of available and/or affordable housing options for the local workforce, lower income families, seniors, and people with special needs; • Accessibility and deferred maintenance issues associated with an aging housing stock; • Challenges to the ability of current residents to age in place within the community; and • Limited availability of a mix of housing types. The City’s Common Council then authorized City staff to work with SB Friedman in developing a Housing Policy and Action Plan to address the issues identified in the Housing Study. PURPOSE This Housing Policy and Action Plan outlines a draft City Housing Policy (see page 1-2) and presents a number of potential strategies to proactively implement the Policy and address unmet housing needs. Many of the strategies DRAFTrecommended within have been successful in peer communities in the Midwest in advancing similar housing objectives, while others reflect best practices nationwide. Peer communities (detailed in Appendices E and H) are either: demographically and geographically comparable to Wauwatosa, recognized for having model housing programs/policies and/or have experience with strategies currently under consideration. STRUCTURE Strategies are outlined in Section 1 (pages