DEPARTMENT:
Neighborhood & Housing Services Department
DEPARTMENT HEAD:
Verónica R. Soto, AICP, Director
COUNCIL DISTRICTS IMPACTED:
Citywide
SUBJECT:
Briefing on the updated Displacement Prevention Strategy.
SUMMARY:
Briefing on the updated Displacement Prevention Strategy.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
In August of 2017, Mayor Ron Nirenberg established the Mayor’s Housing Policy Task Force (MHPTF) to develop a comprehensive and compassionate housing policy roadmap and lead a policy-making process grounded in community, data, and best practices to address the full spectrum of housing. In September of 2018, City Council accepted the Mayor’s Housing Policy Task Force Final Report and approved key recommendations to ensure an adequate supply of affordable housing.
In March 2019, City Council approved a Risk Mitigation plan as a first step to a larger displacement strategy. However, after feedback from the public and local stakeholder groups there was clear support for an expedited and expanded Displacement Prevention Strategy. This strategy was crafted, with input from COPS Metro, by expediting displacement prevention projects in the current three-year business plan.
ISSUE:
The Displacement Prevention Strategy focuses on a holistic, community driven approach to preventing displacement across the city. Staff met with COPS metro in early April to discuss displacement concerns and gain guidance for the following Displacement Prevention Strategy.
To date, a part-time staff person has been hired to conduct a displacement prevention work plan and an application has been submitted for the ForEveryoneHome Initiative, a match-funded policy consultancy and technical assistance program with Grounded Solutions Network. The ForEveryoneHome Initiative will focus on measures to prevent displacement in low-income communities of color.
Before the end of April, staff will begin analyzing displacement near the UTSA downtown campus and the near Westside along with developing a Displacement Prevention Assessment RFP. Staff will analyze existing displacement prevention reports from across the state and country in order to create an action plan with prioritized displacement prevention strategies. The action plan will also be used to inform an RFP to identify strategies and polices to prevent displacement, pinpoint neighborhoods or communities most vulnerable to displacement, and provide a framework for revitalization without displacement. The RFP is projected to be released the first week of May.
The department will also continue to support needed reform at the state level. The Anchor Neighbor Bill, HB 1102, sponsored by Representative Bernal is one of our priority bills. This bill would freeze school district property taxes for homeowners who have lived in the same primary residence for at least 15 years and had at least a 120% increase in school district taxes. Other priority bills include HB 2185 and SB 1128, regarding the City’s ability to create Homestead Preservation Districts. In July, staff will analyze and update the Vulnerable Communities Assessment originally conducted in 2017 by National Association for Latino Community Asset Builders. In an effort to increase affordable housing production, a Neighborhood Empowerment Zone policy will be crafted and rolled out before the end of August. Before the end of FY2019, staff will also work to expand the land title remediation program and Housing Navigators will work to target and registers seniors for tax exemptions.
Priorities for displacement after FY2019 include developing policies and updating the Unified Development Code to address barriers to developing affordable housing (December 2019) and creating a public outreach campaign in partnership with the Housing Navigators (January 2020).
Each project will be led by Neighborhood and Housing Services staff in conjunction with CCDO, Finance, Development Services, Planning, Economic Development, and Budget, as appropriate. In addition, these projects will seek feedback from the community and the appropriate committees during the development process.
ALTERNATIVES:
This item is for briefing purpose only.
FISCAL IMPACT:
This item is for briefing purpose only. There is no fiscal impact to the City’s budget.
RECOMMENDATION:
This item is for briefing purpose only.