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HomeMy WebLinkAboutAHAB minutes 111516AFFORDABLE HOUSING ADVISORY BOARD 2501 Homestead Road, Chapel Hill, NC 27514 Tuesday, November 15, 2016, 5:30 PM Members Present: Eleanor Kinnaird; Patsy Barbee; Alex Nickodem; Nannie Richmond; Narayanan Venkatakrishman Palikad; Daniel Bullock; and Tammy Jacobs Excused Absence: Arthur Sprinczeles, Vice Chair Unexcused Absence: Joshua Brown, Adrian Moreno, Kolby Herndon, Noah Oswald Staff Present: Audrey Spencer - Horsley, Director; Alicia Jones, Housing Programs Manager; Millicent Bowie, Administrative Temp Welcome /Introduction: Director Audrey Spencer - Horsley called the meeting to order. She welcomed everyone and thanked them for allowing her to adjust the regular meeting time so she can attend the Board of Orange County of Commissioners (BOCC) meeting at 7 pm. Approval of Minutes Eleanor Kinnaird made a motion to approve the minutes of October 11, 2016 and Nannie Richmond seconded the motion. The minutes were approved unanimously. Discussion of Presentations and AHAB Feedback Ms. Spencer - Horsley asked the members their thoughts on the presentations to date, the last one was on Orange County Land Use Control and Zoning Regulations related to the development and preservation of affordable housing. Ms. Ashley Moncado's made this presentation on October 11, 2016 for Craig Benedict, Planning Director. Nannie Richmond wanted to know whether a modular home could be put in place of a single wide as an accessory unit in back of a home. It was discussed that could put a mobile home anywhere a residential home was allowed and that accessory units were permitted in the County. The general consensus of the members was that the presentations including the presentation by the Homelessness Coordinator for the County had been informative and that they would like to continue them. Alex Nickodem raised concern that the homeless were affected by pollution in places they can find to temporarily reside. He talked about sustainability and solutions for the County to explore. He said he would like to see environmental issues addressed relative to affordable housing and homeless populations. Affordable Housing Bond Ms. Spencer - Horsley talked about the Affordable Housing Bond passing and the community support for the Bond. She briefly discussed the great affordable housing needs in the County and priorities discussed by the BOCC for use of the five million dollars particularly rental housing at the lowest incomes and special needs populations of the County and work force housing. Eleanor Kinnaird and Tammy Jacobs talked about joint sessions with the Board to discuss how the money would be "rolled out" and if there are directives in place. Ms. Spencer - Horsley said that the AHAB will have a role in the allocation of funding for affordable housing projects as well as County owned land that has been approved by the BOCC. Alex Nickodem commented that the BOCC should also look at how transportation affects low income people and that is was as important as housing. Ms. Spencer - Horsley responded that transportation was one of the criteria and concerns discussed by the BOCC and will be part of the scoring criteria for proposals for funding. The BOCC approved Income Targets for County funding and put a 20 % cap on funds for projects targeted to populations at the 60 to 80% median income. The BOCC also approved project evaluation criteria for proposed projects. Ms. Spencer - Horsley also stated that mixed use and mixed income projects were added to criteria approved by the BOCC for Bond and other County funding. Other criteria she explained included people having access to daily living needs such as shopping, services, etc. To encourage projects in rural areas, community water and sewer systems that meet local and state standards would also receive points under the scoring criteria. Ms. Spencer - Horsley added that universal design was also a key criterion discussed like transportation. Tammy Jacobs stated we are good at producing home ownership and poor at producing lower income rentals. Daniel Bullock asked about plans for development of the Green Tract jointly owned by Orange County and the towns. Ms. Spencer - Horsley said that would be discussed and developed through a separate process. She noted that the shared community goal is up to one thousand units county -wide over the next five years. One question to consider is how much do we invest in acquisitions and or rehabilitation? It was noted during the discussion that the Green Tract has been discussed for 30 to 40 years and originally was to be a landfill. Finally, Ms. Spencer - Horsley pointed out that there is currently two million dollars set aside for land banking; one million specifically for a mobile home strategy. She said there are county partnerships working to end homelessness. She added that some homeless persons require supportive services in order to end homelessness and remain in stable housing. Otherwise they will be set up to fail again and again. Tammy Jacobs commented that there should be programs that support the homeless through Human Services. Eleanor Kinnaird wanted to see specific parameters in place on how the bond money will be spent. Alex Nickodem spoke about a nonprofit LLC Boone that was a donor /investor as a way to raise additional monies. He stated that some of the funds invested will be returned. Audrey Spencer - Horsley stated that a summary report was provided to the BOCC on the use of all the original bond money and how used. Nannie Richmond spoke about how a portion of the bond money sat she believes for eight years and was finally used. Daniel Bullock stated there should be community engagement on how the bond money is spent. Eleanor Kinnaird commented on having a study, assessment and review. Other comments included that housing at a minimum should meet Housing Choice Voucher (HCV; Section 8) standards and assisted projects should accept the HCVs. Tammy Jacobs said the AHAB should look at the previous bond guidelines and if the bond materials will be sent out? M,s. Spencer - Horsley said the AHAB would be sent this information along with other information about the Bond project funding process. AHAB Tour A second AHAB tour was discussed and will probably be in or after March 2017. AHAB Annual Report to BOCC Ms. Spencer - Horsley excused herself at 6:55 pm to attend a BOCC meeting and mentioned in closing that the AHAB annual report is due to the BOCC next month, December 2016. Eleanor Kinnaird made a motion to end the meeting and Daniel Bullock seconded the motion. The next meeting will be December 13, 2016. There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 7:00 pm. Respectfully submitted: Millicent Bowie, Administrative Temp Audrey Spencer - Horsley, Director Housing, Human Rights and Community Development