DEPARTMENT: Neighborhood & Housing Services Department
DEPARTMENT HEAD: Ver?nica R. Soto, FAICP, Neighborhood & Housing Services Department Director
COUNCIL DISTRICTS IMPACTED: Citywide
SUMMARY:
Discussion and possible action to formalize a letter of support defining housing affordability to be included in the Strategic Housing Implementation Plan.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
The term 'Affordable Housing' appears several times in City policies and programs however does not have one standard definition. Currently several programs and policies contain a definition of affordable housing including the UDC, Neighborhood Improvements Bond program, Center City Housing Incentive Policy, City Fee Waiver program, City rehabilitation programs, and administered federal funding sources.
On February 26th, 2020, the Housing Commission was asked by the Removing Barriers to Affordable Housing Committee to discuss the creation of a singular definition for affordable housing. Since that time the Strategic Housing Implementation Plan (SHIP) stakeholders began work to recalibrate the 10-year housing goals and create implementation strategies for the Housing Policy Framework (HPF), also known as the Mayor's Housing Policy Taskforce Report. The Housing Commission selected Chair Jessica O. Guerrero to serve as the Housing Commission representative on the SHIP. In addition to the new housing goals and strategies, the SHIP will also be the document that contains the City's definition of affordable housing.
From September through December 2020, Commissioners heard presentations from the Office of Innovation on the digital divide, and VIA Metropolitan Transit, San Antonio Water System (SAWS) and City Public Service (CPS) on the average households' utility and public transportation costs.
The Housing Commission requested public input on the definition of affordability. Staff published a public intake form that was available for two weeks; comments were presented at small focus groups wi...
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