In a letter sent to City Council yesterday, the Seattle Planning Commission recommended the Housing Levy be passed with at least $145 million.  Their letter illustrates how affordable housing meets broad community planning goals and is consistent with Seattle’s Comprehensive Plan.

To view the letter: SPC Recommendations Housing Levy Ordinance

The Housing Levy Needs You!

City Council is about to start making decisions about components of the Housing Levy begining this Tuesday the 26th at 2:30 p.m.  Please attend these meetings and testify with the following messages:

1. Please adopt the levy at at least the $145 million level. This will only maintain our current level of service.
2. Please ensure that the emphasis of the levy is on the poorest in our community while also allowing flexibility to serve the entire housing continuum. At least 55% of funding should be for households with incomes below 30% of AMI
3. The housing community is willing to work very hard to pass the levy.
4. We encourage you to continue moving deliberately to adopt the levy ordinance.

By far, the most discussed issue related to this year’s Housing Levy (and probably in all other years) is income targeting. For those of us who use these funds, it can amount to “who gets what?”

In today’s funding climate, the competition among housing providers has the potential to be fierce. At the same time, Seattle voters are the ones who ultimately determine who the levy serves. A survey of Seattle residents about the Housing Levy clearly indicated that people want the programs to serve families and individuals with fewest resources.

Advocates and City Councilmembers have a responsibility to balance the public will with what is necessary to actually make projects pencil-out.

To that end, it looks as though City Council will likely add at least one additional income set-aside to the minimum included in the Mayor’s proposal.  One idea being floated is to maintain at least 55% or even 60% of rental funds for households below 30% of AMI.  In addition, the plan would add a cap of no more than 10% of funds for households above 60% AMI.  This would mean that there is some flexibility for funds to be used all the way up to 80% AMI while also providing a guarantee to advocates and the public that the vast majority of funds will serve people in dire situations.

This plan would align with HDC’s principles to serve the entire continuum of housing and support community and economic development while also maintaining the focus on the poorest in our community.

The Mayor’s proposal included targeting for the lowest income level.  At least 55% of rental funds must be used for people with incomes below 30% of median income.  By law, the funds must all be used for people earning less than 80% of median income.  Councilmembers discussed what to do with the other 45% of funds and how to distribute them among all those families earning between 30% and 80% of median income.

After some attempts at word smithing by Councilmembers Rasmussen and McIver, Councilmember Sally Clark summed up the council’s intent to ensure that the funds are serving those most in need while not putting so many restrictions on the funds that they are unusable.

It looks like the council will settle on adding a restriction that no more than about 10% of rental funds can serve families earning more than 60% of median income.  That leaves at least 35% of funds, and probably more, for low wage families earning between 31% and 60% of median income.

For your viewing pleasure, the Seattle Channel has the entire discusson:

City Council Housing Levy Discussion

http://seattlepostglobe.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=299:please-hold-for-monday&catid=40:opinion&Itemid=57

Over 40 HDC organized testimonies

15 non-profit housing providers/developers

9 business members
5 supporting citizens

8 allied organizations

6 first time homebuyers
5 low-income tenants

Donald Chamberlain posted his moving tesimony on the Building Changes blog:

The Stranger covered the event with a bent toward income targeting.

http://www.capitolhilltimes.com/main.asp?SectionID=9&SubSectionID=9&ArticleID=27626

You can testify in support of the Housing Levy at each of these:

Thurs. 5/7 – 2:00 p.m. (2 hours) – Levy Programs & Funding; Program Priority Areas;

Tues. 5/12 – 5:30 p.m. Public Hearing

Fri. 5/15 – 10:00 a.m. (2 hours) – Identification and review of possible modifications of Mayor’s Proposed Housing Levy

Tues. 5/26 – After Full Council 3:00 (1.5 hours) – Review and discussion of Options for modifications to Mayor’s Proposed Housing Levy

Thurs. 6/11 – 2:00 Final (2 hours) – Final vote on Modifications to Mayor’s Proposed Housing Levy

Thurs. 6/18 – 2:00 (2 hours) FINAL COW Backup date – Final vote on Modifications to Mayor’s Proposed Housing Levy

Mon. 6/22 – 2:00 Full Council Adoption of Levy Renewal
Mon. 6/29 – 2:00 Backup date – Full Council Adoption

On Wednesday morning, April 29^th, Mayor Nickels announced his proposal for the renewal of the Housing Levy at an event held on April 29^th at HRG’s Stoneway Apartments in Wallingford.  Mayor Nickels was joined by Seattle City Councilmembers McIver, Godden and Burgess along with several people who have benefited directly from the Housing Levy who shared their stories with the audience.

1. Documents with complete information are below but some highlights include:

- Rental Preservation and Production and NHOP are combined into one program

-55% of Rental funds are set-aside for households earning below 30% of AMI.

-New Acquisition and Opportunity fund for property purchases during the first three levy years.  Loans are repaid into the O&M account.

-The Operating & Maintenance Fund will not be funded in the first two years allowing those funds to be used for acquisition.

-Rental assistance is not funded during the first three years because of the $5 million infusion for this purpose from the federal stimulus package.

-The full cost to administer the levy (9.1%) is included the proposal to compensate for Seattle general fund cuts.

Here is a fact sheet on the details for the Mayor’s proposal.

The Office of Housing commissioned a survey of Seattle residents’ attitudes about the Housing Levy.

To see a list of past voter approved housing levies: http://www.seattle.gov/mayor/pdf/090429PR-VoterApprovedHousingPrograms.pdf

To read the Mayor’s Press Release on the Housing Levy: http://www.seattle.gov/news/detail.asp?ID=9651&Dept=40