DEPARTMENT: Planning and Community Development
DEPARTMENT HEAD: John Dugan
COUNCIL DISTRICTS IMPACTED: Citywide
SUBJECT:
Briefing on the Mayor’s Task Force on Preserving Dynamic and Diverse Neighborhoods
SUMMARY:
This item will include a briefing on the Mayor’s Task Force on Preserving Dynamic and Diverse Neighborhoods Final Report. The Housing Commission is charged with developing and implementing the recommendations included in the Final Report.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
The Mayor’s Task Force on Preserving Dynamic and Diverse Neighborhoods Final Report was accepted by City Council on May 14, 2015. The Mayor's Task Force was established on July 11, 2014 with a specific charge to identify policies and programs that encourage investment in inner city neighborhoods but minimize or prevent displacement of people or adverse impacts related to history, culture, and quality of life of unique neighborhoods. The Task Force was comprised of community advocates, academics, non-profit housing partners, developers, and elected officials.
Members of the Task Force developed short- and long-term recommendations that focus on providing tools and policies to achieve the following goals:
• Strengthen the fabric of our existing neighborhoods so current homeowners may remain in their homes amidst economic reinvestment and neighborhood revitalization
• Create vibrant, diverse, and inclusive neighborhoods where new residents and businesses thrive alongside current residents and established businesses;
• Provide for the protection of our most vulnerable residents from the adverse impacts of neighborhood change.
The Mayor's Task Force Final Report includes five (5) short-term and eight (8) long-term recommendations which are outlined below.
Short-Term Recommendations
1. Create a San Antonio Housing Commission to Increase Workforce and Affordable Housing Preservation and Production and Implement Task Force Recommendations
2. Amend the Zoning Change Notification Process to Include Notification for Renter Households and Commercial Tenants
3. Designate the City Housing Counseling Program and the Fair Housing Council of Greater San Antonio as Primary Resources for Vulnerable Residents to Minimize Displacement and Mitigate the Effects of Neighborhood Change
4. Develop a Relocation Assistance Policy for Circumstances When Displacement Cannot be Avoided
5. Plan and Host an Annual Housing Summit
Long-Term Recommendations
1. Conduct a Systematic Assessment of Policies, Programs, and City Boards/ Commissions to Determine their Impact on Displacement, Loss of Affordable Housing, and Neighborhood Change
2. Explore and Implement Workforce/ Affordable Inclusionary Housing Policies for Residential Development
3. Develop a Plan and Timeline for the Issuance of a Housing Bond for the Rehabilitation, Preservation, and Creation of Workforce/ Affordable Housing
4. Identify Ongoing Sources of Funds to be Utilized by the San Antonio Housing Trust and Nonprofit Housing Providers for the Rehabilitation, Preservation and Creation of Workforce & Affordable Housing
5. Amend the Unified Development Code to Support the Rehabilitation and Creation of Alternative Housing Types
6. Explore the Development of a Community Land Trust to Construct, Acquire, Rehabilitate, and Resell Housing
7. Explore Community Land Trust and Other Tools for the Protection of Existing Mobile/ Manufactured Home Communities and Residents
8. Explore the Creation of a Neighborhood Empowerment Zone and Other Tools to Provide Targeted Property Tax Relief for Long-Time Residents, Preserve and Create Workforce/ Affordable Housing, Increase Economic Opportunities, and Improve Services to Residents
ISSUE:
This item will include a briefing on the Mayor’s Task Force on Preserving Dynamic and Diverse Neighborhoods Final Report. The Housing Commission is charged with developing and implementing the recommendations included in the Final Report.
ALTERNATIVES:
N/A
FISCAL IMPACT:
N/A
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends that the Commission be provided with a briefing on the Mayor’s Task Force on Preserving Dynamic and Diverse Neighborhoods Final Report.