City of Bloomington, Indiana Facebook Live Town Halls, 9 Aug 2018

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From YouTube: Facebook Live Town Hall: Affordable Housing

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August 9, 2018

Local experts discuss affordable housing initiatives that have been implemented in the City of Bloomington, along with forward-thinking strategies for the future.

Our guests from left to right:
Doris Sims, Director of City of Bloomington, IN- Housing and Neighborhood Development - HAND
Alex Crowley, Director of City of Bloomington Economic & Sustainable Development
Terri Porter, Director of City of Bloomington Planning and Transportation Department
John Hamilton, Mayor, City of Bloomington
Amber Skoby, Executive Director, Bloomington Housing Authority
Yael Ksander, Communications Director, City of Bloomington

A

Hi,, it's august in bloomington, a time when the annual influx of new residents.

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Reminds us of housing issues here in the city.. Most people know that housing and.

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In particular, affordable housing is challenged in bloomington, so today we're.

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Taking a look at our city's shortage of affordable housing and sharing some.

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Updates on a number of strategies that the city has implemented we'll be.

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Talking about progress that we've made a plans in the works, including several.

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Pilot programs to make it easier for those who want to live in bloomington to.

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Do so I'm yael ksander the city's communications director and joining us.

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Today are the members of the city's affordable housing team, along with mayor.

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John hamilton mayor I'd also like to introduce the members of the.

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Conversation today with us here to my right are doris sims, the director of the.

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Housing and neighborhood development department of the city, we also have alex.

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Crowley who's, the director of economic and sustainable development department.

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We have terri porter, the director of planning and transportation in the city.

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And to my immediate right is amber skoby, the director of the bloomington.

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Housing authority so to get the conversation started mayor, we recall.

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That in 2016, when we came into office, you proposed addressing some of the.

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Factors that contribute to the affordable housing shortage with policy.

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That would shape the future development of affordable housing in the city. So why.

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Don't you get us started with sharing today sure thanks, yeah ellen almost so.

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Being here, thank you all for dealing with a great big ocean liner that that's.

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Hard to change because development, it's take years, there's patterns that happen.

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But we've got it, we are moving and we've got to keep moving the direction of this.

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But you also hear individual stories. You know. I still remember when we heard from.

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A college student who contacted our office and said, can I live in my car for.

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The rest of the semester, because I can't make rent and tuition you know that.

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Happens, we know there are many many people in bloomington or spending way.

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More of their income on housing than they should be, it's just not affordable.

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So it's a huge issue is our our community is the most.

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Expensive community in the state for rental and ownership, housing and that.

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Reflects the fact that it's a great community to be in.

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People will pay a lot of money. These theories reflects the fact of the.

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University of the impact of that, but it's it's really important to work on.

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And I'm really proud of the team. That's working on this every day, evenings too.

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Sometimes long days to try to rest with us, I'm so today we're going to try to.

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Talk some about where we've come in 16 and 17 and now into 18 what we've been.

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Doing and then also talk about some things where we're headed, and you know.

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I'm it's never enough, but I'm proud that in the first two years we we now know.

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That there are 422 bedrooms, that's how we count on the mornington scientists.

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Unions, 422 bedrooms of the fordable housing that we've been able to attract.

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And invest in or get others to invest in covering people from seniors on medicaid.

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Will have had a chance to have a place here like the evergreen to chronically.

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Disabled and homeless, who are now housed in crawford to work, force working.

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Families or working couples or individuals who can be a urban station.

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Or or other places, and so that's out that's about 15% of the total units.

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Bedrooms that got built or approved 15% of them have been affordable. That's a.

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Good, that's a good step. It's a good first thing: we've also done some serious.

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Work with the city council to help do new things like approve accessory.

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Dwelling units so that people can age in place so that a person could maybe find.

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A small place, that's more affordable right in that walkable downtown area. We.

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We, you know we're continuing to support cooperative housing and cohousing your.

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New approaches like we modified into downtown overlay late.

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Last year, because too many people were building by writing and doing things.

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That were smart, so I don't want to get into all the details. All you people know.

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A lot more than I do about it, glutton housing authority is doing some.

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Really exciting things to help you know we a lot of us, don't know that every.

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Night, I don't know the exact number and a mermaid may or may not. I don't know.

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The exact number, but every night, thousands more than two thousand people.

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Are sleeping in our community in public housing, with public housing support to.

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Section eight into our our housing and that's that's a good thing to help those.

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Times we and we can do better and enabling the housing authority doing.

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Some exciting things, so you know we have to wrestle with this problem. We have to.

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We have to make bloomington a place that can welcome. You know what young artist.

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Who wants to come here or a young person working in the hospitality industry? Can.

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Be able to form their new families who, who are working here and want to live in.

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The city do you enjoy all the great stuff and and we've seen around the.

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Country, if you don't, if you don't get into this problem and wrestle with it.

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You really can price people right out of your community and we that happens now.

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In bloomington already, but we're wrestling with how.

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The many steps we can try to take to to move that ship get it in a better.

B

A

Yeah and it's exciting to talk about the various strategies that were complying.

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With the planning level, also by leveraging federal funds and local funds,.

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And some of the incentives that we can offer it to developers who might.

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Otherwise, not think about developing affordable housing.

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Alex so you are the city, maybe you can get a little give us a little bit of.

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Insights and some comparison, comparisons for the kind of situation that we're.

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Dealing with here in bloomington in terms of our affordability, why is it.

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That we're dealing with this particular set of challenges here and what are.

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Other communities similar to ours doing about it well, so let's talk about what.

C

It means have, I mean in the end, it's it's a very complex problem. That's.

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That's very simply explained with the following two inputs: one is: what is the.

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Cost of housing and two is: what are you making and have it a to match up so hud.

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Uses uses a threshold of 30%, it basically.

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Says that if you're spending more than 30% of your gross income on housing,.

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Which includes utilities as well, then you are exceeding what you should be.

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Spending and you become what's called a cost, so affordability is not just a.

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Problem at the very lowest levels of income, it actually is a problem across.

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All income levels- you know there are federal programs that target the lower.

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End of income, which is typically referred to as 60% of the area median.

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Income, they tend to drop off, though sometimes they go up to 80% of the.

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Income levels area median income, but but after that it gets a little bit less.

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Well, funded from a federal perspective, so we think about affordability, both of.

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Those lower income brackets, but also in the brackets that exceed men. So what we.

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Refer to as workforce housing tends to pick up at around 80 percent of the area.

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Median income, which is what we did about $38,000 when you say, workforce housing.

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Would you well that's really the it's really housing that is affordable to.

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People who are you know, working regular jobs right. I didn't imagine that could.

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Be everything from some teachers, the retail services industry, people working.

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On manufacturing floors, there's a whole group that falls inside of that.

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And that is being priced out of the house. Prices like it is that would but.

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It's before ability really goes up pretty high in terms of the income.

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Levels that people are making and being able to match them against what we have.

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Similar to our employment, so so that's that's! The the income challenge.

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Bloomington has wage growth challenges. The mayor put together a task force in.

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2016 with recommendations on how to address that.

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Or working on that for about economic development perspective, so that's the.

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One half of the equation, the other half of the equation, is what are the housing prices and if you look at single-family homes in our county, those have increased.

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Year-Over-Year most recently, there was a study by the indian association of.

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Realtors pointed to an 80% increase in the single-family home prices, 18 percent.

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18 percent 20-year medians, we have home sales prices in one year, so we and we on.

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The right aside, because of the student population, among other things, rental, so.

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That's the home price of single-family home prices, rental prices for apartments.

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Are much more elevated than any other market in the state? So so we have a very.

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Expensive home and apartment market, and so what we talk about, affordability is.

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Trying to look at both, how do you address the income wage challenge, but.

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Also, what do you do about the the right end? Purchase price.

A

Well, let's talk about some of the solutions before we already have a.

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Pretty lively audience here and some questions coming in, but let's let's go.

A

Back to some of those points you were making there about the investment that.

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We're making in affordable housing- maybe we can start with some of the it's up to.

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You guys we can start with some of those units that we've been added and what.

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We're doing for people who are at that 60 percent or lower ami or some of the.

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Other investments we're doing things we're doing in terms of planning. So yes,.

A

So in the house he used that we've added we've worked in adding units for the.

D

Folks, who are homeless, which was crawford to the house of neighborhood,.

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Department the hand apartments would are well known on how, with her home dollars,.

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Which is a common desmond partnership towers that we receive from the federal.

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Government to provide assistance to developers to build affordable housing.

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Within our community, so we would assist it with crawford one which was build.

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Site to town- and it was such a success that we helped with the building of.

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Crawford 2, which is 30 40 minutes for those who are chronically homeless.

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And they are always at 100% mark. You can see with that. We also assist it with.

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Head core, which is building human heights office off rogers off of roger.

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Stringer bell foundry and that's going to be an affordable housing development.

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That's close to our downtown area for low-income people were just a quiet.

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Investment in our community because people could walk toward downtown. We.

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Know we have only the most life worldwide live in the downtown's, and so.

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That would be a great investment with the walker business of the downtown, with.

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Supermarkets, so that's a great investment that we've actually done this.

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Wall and they're never going. Village george is for senior housing. That's 115.

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Student one-bedroom apartments there on the south side of town and senior.

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Housing is something that we haven't seen in our community in a while, so that.

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Was very well received, and this allow our seniors to age in place and they.

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Have their own housing units you know to be able to enjoy by the way, and it's an.

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Assistant learning, so there are other services they've been offered outside.

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Their notices, the seniors as they age in place and indoors that I think evergreen.

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Also, is it's unusual and accepting medicaid, which means a lot of low-income.

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Seniors will be able to live here in bloomington. The thing they often just.

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Couldn't do it before.

D

And, as alex said, there's the workforce housing, which is people who are between.

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81 81 % or aren't or 20% of media, and we kind of look at workforce housing as the.

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Housing for people who got policy that it's not subsidized, seriously federal.

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Program subsidized housing for people were 80 percent or less than meaning.

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Income but there's nothing in between those between 80 120 percent, so we're.

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Working with our affordable housing committee of trying to get more.

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Commitments of housing developers to provide that type of housing within.

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Their development and we've been successful with a couple projects. One be.

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An urban station that 10 units there, five one-bedroom apartments as well as.

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Five: two bedroom apartments. We have worked with park south, which is a.

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Development on for hillside, where we have four units of efficiency, apartments.

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And we're adams village, which is the development that will happen on the.

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South side of town they're, just under construction there's also this one.

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Coming in union and crescent yes, so yeah it was another affordable, housing.

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Project where we've worked to get affordability for a longer period of.

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D

So we're continually working to break developments outside you know with new.

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Developments to provide contributions.

D

Right and we'll talk in just a moment more about how you do manage to persuade.

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Developers who can build anything they want to provide housing in this.

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Particular price point I do feel like we had, we do a very active audience and I.

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Want to at least two to get a few of these questions in for our panel, the.

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First, one comes from alison and I apologize if a few guys haven't been.

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Able to hear us we'll all speak more loudly.

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Let's see alison says, people are already being priced out of bloomington the.

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Constant approval of luxury housing is pushing people out, and so there's.

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There's not really question, but that's for comment. Well, I I agree. I mean I.

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Think it is a real issue. That is one of the main reasons that we changed. The.

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Downtown overlay last year, because we were seeing in a way what we call by.

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Right development, meaning the developer or owner of a piece of property, doesn't.

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Need to get particular approvals on height or density, to build what they.

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Want to build there's still, some requirements have setbacks and styles and other things, but ultimately they can build the building of the size and scope.

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That they want so last year with the city council support, we actually lowered.

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The buy-rite authority in the city developers didn't like that.

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They reduce their ability to do what they wanted in order to require that.

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Those developers work with the city to create more affordable housing.

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You know property owners will buy property and develop it as allowed to.

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Develop that happens in an attractive market, so our job in the city and as the.

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Community is to figure out how do we channel that investment to help create.

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More opportunities for others, it's it's also why I actively support things like.

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You know co, housing and new styles of housing that can put more units in one.

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Space that are targeting areas that we want other than a very difficult balance.

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Because we have such a strong market for market rate, rental housing and with all.

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The amenities, yes, that can be determined as luxury housing, but how do you strike.

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The balance, because empirical data that's coming forward that really.

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Suggests that we to address affordable housing, we've got to increase our.

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Affordability, stock or our housing stock in general, we've got to have more units.

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On the ground and the pressure for these market rate units and trying to balance.

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That with developing more affordable units throughout the city, downtown and.

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Everywhere else for people who you know are working for people who need lower.

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Income now that's really the struggle and it's it's not bloomington struggle.

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Alone, it's a national issue and and from the planning perspective.

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Plans, city plans are just now coming along in larger cities have been more.

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Involved but they're just now coming along to where they're trying to address.

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These challenges, but but it's really it's very difficult. There's no easy.

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Answer and a question that we've just received actually speaks to that issue.

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From ian who says, we need to expand the amount of housing in our community.

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Faster than population growth, so he's just talking about supply alone, which is.

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Sort of the point that you're bringing up and then he says, based on population.

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Growth, how many additional units will we need over the next ten years? What will.

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It take to ensure those units and more are built and he's not discriminating.

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Among affordable oil versus market rate workforce versus market rate, so there is.

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Some data in the comp plan- I think about that. I would just note just as I just as.

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A benchmark, you know our pattern over the last decade, or so it's been about a.

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Thousand people a year increasing in wilmington our student growth apart.

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Resident other growth, if you take that as the pattern.

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The fact that we've built and approved 2,800 bedrooms in the last two years.

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Means maybe we got a little bit ahead of that, because there were two thousands of.

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People I made it 2,800 bedrooms, maybe where maybe we're chipping away at that.

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The affordability of 400 plus of them is important, but we did have a number in.

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There it's projecting out to 2040, which sounds like wow. That's a long time in.

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The future, but it's really 2021 years away, considered 2019 projected housing.

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Needs are well over 12,000 additional units to meet the needs for the growing.

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Population in bloomington, and to also try to keep up with the housing units.

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That will need to be renovated to meet code and that's another 2,700 units. So.

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It's a vis. We have mechanisms within our system that allow for that renovation. I.

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Want to actually give the floor to someone who hasn't spoken yet.

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Amber scobie, who is the director of the bloomington housing authority, and there.

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Is an exciting new structure in place? That's going to allow us to start to.

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Take care of sorely in need of I'm sorry.

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They just don't probably what how do you think we're tiny we're kind of shifting.

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From what we've been doing, where we are the status of what we've done in 16 and.

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17 to really looking at some next efforts and next stages of things and.

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Bloomington, a housing authority which, which is really an anchor and gem in our.

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Community has really amber you've been there leading it now for a year, plus.

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Your plus, and has really attached some exciting opportunities for this.

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Important part of our city going forward looking for housing authority, has had a.

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Presence in this area and one durham county for over 50 years now, our two.

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Main programs are public housing and our housing choice voucher program. We.

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Currently own and operate 312 units of low-income public housing and you can.

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Imagine some of them, especially our christop communities, years old in the.

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Amount of maintenance and upkeep that's needed, and our staff has been working.

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Really hard doing renovations as the money is available and just trying to.

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Continually move both chrismukkah community reverend.

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Butler my woods, we recently had an assessment done and excited over 12.

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Million dollars in immediate physical improvement needs, but on the flip side,.

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Were mainly funded by the us department of housing and urban development and.

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They're giving us about on average, a half a million each year, tour physical.

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Improvement needs sounds like a lot, but when you compare it to the 12 million.

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And the immediate need you know: it'll take us 24 25 years to do.

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Just those improvements that we see needed today, not really looking out to.

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The future, so our key leadership staff, our board of commissioners, just feel.

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Like this isn't sustainable for us to be able to offer good quality public.

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Housing to our community, so we've been trying to look for a.

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Solution- and we found one that will, you know, bring in the resources and capital.

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Needed to do those renovations in a much shorter timeframe, and so the program is.

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Called the rental assistance demonstration program or rad, it's a hud.

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Program, it was approved in 2012 and again is a useful tool that allows.

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Housing authorities to alter the way that they do their renovations and that.

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We can attract different sources of financing and capital like low income.

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Housing tax credits and different will allow us to do those $20.

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Renovations in a much shorter timeframe for estimating about five five years, it.

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Also changes us to a section eight funding platform, which is a lot more.

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Stable and predictable and increased funding as compared to public housing.

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Operating subsidies, so we're really excited about this opportunity that.

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Brings some resident protections that residents are all really excited about.

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Better quality units to come as well, I mean that's just a huge deal when you.

B

Think about many making. Many of our viewers have been to crest mud, while the.

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Woods and others, these public housing areas and what what this means is those.

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300 families in the next few years will be able to get better quality housing.

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Improve rehabilitated, rather than dragging on for two plus decades, waiting.

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To improve that's a really important investment for people who depend upon.

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This for safe and decent housing here and the financial operations of our.

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Agency as a whole, it's much more stable funding platform. Real are more resilient.

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Or not as on whatever congress decides to.

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Appropriate in terms of funding, so we feel like we're also more in control of.

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Our destiny, because we want to be around for the next generations to come, that.

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Need the housing that we offer, we primarily serve low, extremely low income.

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Families, disabled elderly, there's a lot of kids that live in our units. So when.

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There is a housing shortage and what the market pressure is doing right now,.

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Bloomington, it really does impact those that we serve, and sometimes they are the.

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Most vulnerable, so we we have so many questions here from our audience. Thank.

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You so much for watching today, I'm talking about affordable housing today.

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In this town hall and thanks for being part of the conversation, this is a.

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Question from deborah- and it might be something that you can speak to terry.

A

What kinds of regulatory barriers are there that make it challenging to build.

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More affordable housing, how can those barriers be reduced ever asks? Well.

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That's a great question different and we are working on that as we speak.

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It's again a balance of regulatory versus opening up the floodgates so.

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Because we're not talking about something that, if we make a mistake and.

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Something gets built in five years that we can erase erase. I mean we're we're.

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Stuck for 30 50 years, so it's a very careful decision-making process, but we.

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Are looking at ways this up before the comprehensive plan.

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This can be yours if you're watching on facebook, you have access to the internet.

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Just google city of bloomington comprehensive plan and you'll come right.

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To the link for it for this document and terry, this and updates a plan that was.

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In place it was 16 years old, it updates the growth policies plan. It was just.

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Adopted in march of this year, so this is a very new document. There's a lot in.

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Here and I want to say in general, if you want an understanding of city's goals,.

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And their values look for their comprehensive plan because that's where.

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It is that's where these they will list out what they value and we're very proud.

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Of this document, this document goes into detail of what we're trying to put in.

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Place and what we're trying to change to make affordable housing more possible.

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And to integrate it into the fabric of our community and our land-use decisions.

E

As well so yeah I mean I, the city council approves this plan. They did a.

B

Lot of amending too, it goes through the planning, commission and city council, but.

B

The basics of the question really hit a lot of other things like you know. If the.

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City can get control of land if we can own land that lets us make the.

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Affordable housing more possible because you can take the cost of land out which.

B

Is high cost in bloomington? So that's for example, why the purchase of the.

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Current hospital site, 24 acres there that the city is, is contracted to buy a.

B

Very steep discount is going to let us control that land and maybe dedicate a.

B

Big substantial parts of that to create affordability by making it cheaper.

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Because affordability requires cheaper rents, which means you got a lower cost.

B

Somewhere or you've gotta increase subsidies, so subsidy is one way for us.

B

To do that, we may talk about other things were doing in that regard. Another.

B

One no- and this is a big- this is a big debate in the community. If you have a.

B

Piece of property- and you want more affordability there, one basic regulatory.

B

Question is well how many units can you build it because you can only build one.

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Unit on a one acre piece of property- that's going to be expensive! That's.

A

Limiting, if you can build 50 units on there, then those are going to be less.

B

Important but the people right next to it care a lot about what happens on that.

B

And the choice are communities and many communities have to make this. How do we.

B

Trade, how do we balance density height, type of construction, with the.

B

Affordability and that's a big issue of our community, as we mentioned earlier.

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Some development plans that we've explored and are, in fact implementing.

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And improving are the ad used, the accessory dwelling units and the pocket.

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Neighborhoods, so increasing that density, allowing that density to be increased is.

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Happening so we're exploring that order. The debate right, but we have a debate.

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That's gonna go on now about whether you can do a duplex or a triplex or or flex.

B

Where you, otherwise you do. One and different people feel differently about.

B

That- and you know, I think one of the challenges to our community is how open.

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Early, how open are we to letting more people enjoy this quality of life in.

B

Different ways you know, many of our traditional neighborhoods are pretty.

B

Mixed with single-family housing density of multifamily, all kind of mixed in as.

B

It grew the city had that mixture, where you had duplexes or for plexes or at a.

B

Unit apartment building, next to a single-family home, we have intended to.

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Do that lately, since world war two I have been- and this is a big question.

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About what do we want this? How do we want to city development? Right mostly, I.

B

Think one other thing which is a little bit more inside our control, which is the.

C

Hidden cost of development that comes from lack of predictability in the.

C

Process and those translate, you know: we've got very seasoned and professional.

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Developers, both local developers and people in that town, who are interested.

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In building implemented- and you know, I think that the extent to which we can.

C

And part of the you do, process that terry's working on is is really focused.

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On this is to eliminate the lack of predictability to the extent possible so.

C

That the hidden cost of that delay, that happens as a result of you know.

C

It can be eliminated into the development, but that does is it actually.

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Literally lowers the price of development, which then allows for rents.

C

Would be potentially lower right, it makes a development possible sometimes.

C

That would otherwise not be possible. Yeah great great point and our listeners.

A

Are coming up with some great points to a lot of folks asking about alternatives.

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Someone else is asking sarah asks as the land value of property sky rock.

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Skyrockets, regardless of the conditions of the home.

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Property taxes and insurance rates are rising in concert and driving up the.

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Cost of home ownership and rental property does the city have a plan to.

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Address the subpar condition of many rental properties, as they increase in.

A

D

Doesn't know that every mental unit within the corporate members of the city.

D

Is required to be inspected at either three four or five-year basis to make.

D

Sure that they're decent, safe and sanitary housing, so if you run across.

D

Any new cholera department, eight one, two, three, four, nine three, four old one. You.

D

Know, but I think you know other than that in the hand department. We also have.

D

Various federal programs that we implement, particularly a community.

D

Development block grant program and our home dollars that I mentioned earlier.

D

Where we utilize those dollars to, we can bone them to invest or owners of.

D

Properties were just homeowners to fix up their properties to make sure that.

D

They're, not substandard properties that are in our community, and I quote that of.

D

Course is anything because property gets older, it ages, it needs more work, needs.

D

To be done, and so do that we also offer a down payment and.

D

Closing cost assistance program for low-income potential homebuyers. You know.

D

We have an online class to help demystify the home buying process and.

D

Based upon the income guidelines there alex talked about earlier, but if they.

D

Qualified they can apply through our department for a down payment. Closing.

D

Cost assistance and then there's other programs out there to provide down the.

D

Closing cost assistance as well the people interested in leadership and.

B

Their I just might mention there they're nonprofits, that are pretty active in.

B

This right, like habitat psycho and karen I mean you, work with them right.

B

To help habitat, we do, of course, nurses based on members families, but they can.

D

Contact a patek and they're toward homeownership. In fact, the air I'm a new.

D

Habitat director and they're interested in increasing, as well as psycho, which is.

D

Self centered in their housing organization, which is a not-for-profit housing developer that was actually created by amber's organization, who.

D

Moved in housing authority and their mission is to increase the non.

D

Affordable housing and, in fact, they're looking to build a local housing project.

D

That's our newest parks, which are part because switch our apartments.

D

Given to the 99 here, at least by the city point, so we're hoping that they'll.

D

Be able to break ground sometime, this fall on the first eight years.

A

Oh, that's a great points bring up and marian does mary ann thanks for watching.

A

Asks about partnering with habitat, and it's important to point out that the.

A

City doesn't build things per se, but we set the stage for that and so that's.

A

What our natural assistants, because I wanted to enough wearing of five minutes.

D

To be able to do that, so it's not just what we have that we bring to the table.

D

Where our federal dollars, but what our local dogs, with our housing development.

D

Fund but also the state of indiana, the little income housing tax credit program.

D

As well as the state has their affordable housing and then you know.

D

Members of the federal home loan bank locally, with their affordable housing.

D

Funds so there's different avenues out there for developers interesting and.

D

Really, building affordable housing that we can help them assistant.

E

To your comment about to make the development process more predictable and.

E

You mentioned that you do, the you do. Is it's the update of the unified.

E

Development ordinance and what that is, its title: 20 of bloomington's municipal.

E

Code and we're working right now to some, since we have so many people online. I.

E

Want to take advantage, I'm sorry of another another plug for a republic.

E

Process now we are updating the unified development ordinance and we are still.

E

Taking public comments online and if you google city of bloomington, you you.

E

Update you will get to the site where this document is available. This is.

E

Module 1, where we are looking at the specifics of how we can make development.

E

Easier in bloomington and one of the tools, I don't think that I can open.

E

Right to it, but it's fine is that we will have tables in here where a.

E

Developer, anyone can look up. Okay, I want to develop single-family housing and I.

E

Want to find out how to do it and it's a go at the table and a link and they link.

E

On that and up pops all the criteria that they need to know the setbacks, the.

E

Dimensions, the districts that they can build in what the pipe lifts are all of.

E

It is all right there in one place, rather than having to search through the.

E

Entire document and then the public process, if you go to that website, you.

E

Can sign up for email updates? You also submit comments at any time and we.

E

Send them directly on to our very experienced consultant who's working on.

E

This update and our next round of public hearings will be in september september.

E

11Th and 12th we have all day to day and an evening meeting and we publicize it.

E

To the best of our ability, if you sign up for an email, you'll get notifications.

E

Of that and we'll be discussing very lively in september because we've been.

E

Discussing dimensional and development standards, so please please, please get.

E

Involved and if you have some ideas, we don't have all the answers. Do you have.

E

Some ideas, if you think you want us to think about, send us an email, give us a.

E

Call we really want to hear those ideas so that we can do a little research and.

E

See? Ok, well that so please! I do hope that you add 1:1 differentiation, which.

A

Is for those who are uninitiated in these documents? Can you explain the.

A

Difference between the comp plan and the you do short george ezra, just real quick.

E

So, but the comp plan, for example, just an example. It says that we should adopt.

E

Different types of housing to appeal to wider needs, housing needs to address.

E

Those, and that would include we've already discussed but accessory dwelling.

E

Units pocket neighborhoods cohousing that so it's.

E

Mentioned in here as a policy, so that what happens here is that and what.

E

Already has happened is that ordinances were updated to allow for accessory.

E

Dwelling units to allow for tiny homes, zoning law and those word not allowed.

E

Before but now because we have updated parts of the video already, they are.

E

Allowed so this enforces, this document enforces the vision and direction of the.

E

Comp plan yeah, okay, so yes, now this might be question for alex from nathan.

A

Who asks for the funds being collected from developers who decided not to build.

A

Affordable housing as part of their multifamily projects will there be a.

A

Grant application process, how will these funds be directed to serve affordable.

A

Housing needs and yes, those funds are literally put into a housing development.

C

Fund, which is one of about five or six tools that that we have to help to.

C

Create incentives for developers to put affordable housing in place either as.

C

Part of a market rate development project or to bring in people who focus.

C

On affordable housing properties, so I'll give you an example: well, first, the tools.

C

That we have include the housing development fund, which is where money is.

C

Collected from a developer that doesn't want to put it on site, so they're going.

C

To give money and make it terrible for a contribution to the housing.

C

Development fund, we have tax abatement, that's a tool that we use to help to.

C

Create incentives for developers to carve out either part of their.

C

Development or to actually you know the entirety of the development we have land.

C

Value the mayor talked about land value. Of course, one of the reasons why the.

C

City, sometimes purchases land is to take the cost of land off the table, so we can.

C

Actually, leverage that and turn it into portability either by lowering the price.

C

Of development and/or attracting people who bring in certain types of projects.

C

There are holding dollars which are through hud, which are sometimes packaged.

C

Together as part of the local incentive private package- and those are those are.

C

Technically, loans, but often are forgivable loans, depending on how the.

C

Developer performs against the loan requirements. There are vouchers that.

C

Amber's group puts out so that can be part of a local incentive, and then there.

C

Things that we have used less of but they're out there things like tax.

C

Increment financing dollars which have a very limited use, but that's a potential.

C

Way to incentivize certain types of outcomes that we would.

C

Want there have been uses in the single-family world to actually waive utility hookup fees? So that's a weighted.

C

Lowers of costs for well traditionally have been single-family incentives and.

C

Then we're starting to really work very aggressively on community development.

C

Financial institution month, which is outside money.

C

That is used to help finance projects that are harder to finance and.

C

Traditional banks might be willing to do so by using local dollars. We can attract.

C

Outside capital that is really designed to help things like affordable housing.

C

Or small businesses or community centers and we can use our local monies and we.

C

Can we can start to attract that capital as well? So I wonder if I can ask you, you.

B

Kind of run that fun you get applications right. We don't. We really.

B

Welcome them on a rolling basis right, we try to make it as flexible as we can for.

B

People to bring projects to us in the fund right so there's the housing.

D

Development fund was created and in 2016 by ordinance, and it started with a.

D

Contribution from a developer, as well as funds from a holder, a housing trust fund.

D

That the city had that was located above the community foundation and we have.

D

Actually developed an application and we've received applications from.

D

Developers who are interested in building affordable housing will miss.

D

The crescent road development that we spoke about earlier, as well as what the.

D

Cycle development- that's going down near switchyard park and we also will see.

D

B

What if I talk about money for a minute, okay, money kind of drives a lot of.

A

People say it's not well. I may be a little news today too, but I think his.

B

Doors mentioned we asked the city council to create this new housing.

B

Development fund, which has become an important tool, a million and a half dollars, have already come in to that fund and then back out to the community.

B

To support, affordable housing, and so that's been a new, a new source of money.

B

To support, affordable housing and really as we're looking now at eighteen.

B

Nineteen, twenty eighteen and nineteen as we as we assemble. What we're doing and.

B

Planning to do it's really another six million dollars of local money, new.

B

Efforts to support affordable housing that are a combination of continued.

B

Support for the housing development fund, I have asked and indicated that I.

B

Believe some of that tax increment finance money that we have that we use.

B

In many ways in the community to support economic growth and health and vitality,.

B

Should be dedicated to housing, three million dollars of that to.

B

Be dedicated to housing and then an additional million and a half that we.

B

Think this community development financial industry can bring to us for a.

B

Total of six million dollars of new local money to support housing, we've.

B

Never had anything like that before that I know of in this community to try to.

B

Bring that many millions of dollars together- and this is the team along with.

B

Our partners in the nonprofit's and the other governments and private sector.

B

That will be trying to use that money as well as we can to accelerate the four.

B

Hundred twenty two bedrooms that we did in 1617 to do to do more in eighteen and.

B

Nineteen and that's out that's six million dollars of new local money that.

B

We project being able to push into for the housing by hopeful moving that big.

B

Ship at the right direction: well, that's.

A

Exciting and dave who's watching us also thinks that we're doing a good job. He.

A

Wants to say thanks, probably work for the city I and then dave says I think.

A

One thing: that's missing from debates about housing development is that.

A

Building more housing, whether it's luxury, apartments or quad classes,.

A

Etcetera reduces the property tax rates. We all pay, because the county can only.

A

Collect an amount set by the state so often opponents.

A

Development points of personal impacts without acknowledging the many benefits.

A

To the entire community yeah, so that's a tricky tax. I wondered whether we should.

B

Try to explain it I'll see if I can that when you pay property tax, the it's based.

B

On the assessed value of the whole area and the assessed value is what all the.

B

Buildings and properties worth and we have a levy. That's a dollar amount that.

B

Gets collected each year and the higher the assessed value, the lower percentage.

B

Everybody pays because that levius spread over the whole the whole assessed.

B

Value, so actually, if they knew 50 million dollar property comes into.

B

Bloomington that doesn't, it actually lowers relatively the property taxes of.

B

Everybody else, because the let me is if sent against is set against more higher.

B

Value, so it is true that when you have more investment in value to me, it can be.

B

Manufacturing the housing other things it actually reduces the the percentage.

B

Tax you pay on your own property. We can well more. Development also helps the.

C

Community and that it puts downward pressure on pricing, where you have more.

C

Supply when you have more supply as long as you're outpacing your demand, then you.

C

Actually will start to see a lowering of price right and it's it's a slow process.

A

We have to kind of that's the slow burn and we.

G

Feared it and the theory, so we were just talking earlier about not just folks at.

A

The 60% of ami and not the luxury housing, but that missing middle and and.

A

Dave has a question: it's the same day or another day, but dave says: has the city.

A

Looked at what south bend has been doing to increase its supply of missing middle.

A

Housing he would love to see bloomington. Do a similar study. They've also been.

A

Doing some great things on demolishing and rehabbing vacant units throughout.

A

Your city, well, I know I do know south bend, had a project to demolish a.

B

Thousand vacant buildings and replace them, we don't have that problem. Any.

B

Substantial amount of vacant building, so that's a very different economy and it's.

B

The right thing to do, I think it does prompt us to talk about the study. That's.

B

Coming up which, which which we haven't mentioned yet today, we have a lot of.

B

Studies, we have a lot of data about housing, amber it's david or is this data.

B

Terry is data alex you get data to about housing, we assemble it, but there is some.

B

Interest in doing a more comprehensive look at the housing market that we have.

B

And we have decided to work with regional opportunities initiative which.

B

Is part of the community foundation locally is going to do a regional housing study in economic study and we've been working with them.

B

To say: well, let's, let's put some extra effort in bloomington we can. We can put.

B

Some resources in so that we get a strong new study of the housing status.

B

Challenges: opportunities in bloomington and I think george, can we expect an.

B

Annex housing information, it is important that we evaluate bloomington.

A

On its own terms, because we are quite unlike some of the surrounding areas and.

A

Another question that we just a just collecting information and understanding.

C

The dynamic of what's going on, I do want to give a sort of shout out to the.

C

Glooms and economic development corporation, who is doing a panel at the.

C

End of august, there their focus on workforce, housing, they're, particularly.

C

Looking at single family council which, and we spend a lot of time talking about.

C

Apartments things like that, and certainly there are a lot of people who want to live in apartments, do little bit for our two thirds of us do.

C

There are those who want to live in homes and when I have a little backyard.

C

You want to have it because it's a starter homes, that sort of thing, so they.

C

Are going to be looking they're going to look very closely at that dynamic both.

C

From a banking perspective, developer perspective, real estate, perspective, etc,.

C

And that ties very well to some of the work out of the city when it comes to.

C

Tracts of land that are currently undeveloped and the potential for how.

C

Those might be developed in a combination of single-family and.

C

Multi-Family ways, but I did want to raise that because that will be a very.

C

Interesting look into what's happening in that we have such today and you were.

A

Speaking, you know it's important to remember that, as you said, two-thirds of.

A

Us live in apartments here in town, and some people prefer to live in rentals.

A

For the long term, so joe asks is there anything to be done with regards to long.

A

Term rentals to reward long term residents who may not be interested in.

A

Home ownership, at this time or to incentivize retention of long term.

A

Tenants in a way that controls rental prices for tennis, we hear about rent.

A

Control, big cities: I guess he's wondering whether we're exploring that.

A

Idea, it is august 29 just check any 30th.

B

The convention center so wednesday, the 29th rent control, is illegal in indiana.

B

State legislature does a lot of things to stop us from directing our housing.

B

The way we want doris mentioned, we have a rental inspection program. That's that's only allowed because we've have it for so.

B

Long that they couldn't prohibit it, they grandfathered it's in, but they stopped.

B

Other people from doing that housing they displace last year prohibited.

B

Inclusionary zoning, which is a strategy often used in communities like ours,.

B

Around the country- and they do not allow rent control, so you know we need to.

B

Focus locally and we do focus locally, I'm doing everything we can to help this.

B

Issue also of of really thinking about, where is the change gonna happen in.

B

Bloomington, it helps us think about when we buy the property at the hospital. The.

B

24 acres: that's a huge opportunity to think about creating affordable.

B

Community, that's it going to be a big community process to do that. We have 12.

B

Acres that think that the ceo's that the community owns in the tres district.

B

Where we know we're gonna see job growth happen, but we also with paid for is.

B

Already there low income housing another choice for the community to make about.

B

Where and how we want that affordability to be built in there's also what if we.

B

Think there's a several hundred acre tract west of switch arts park southwest.

B

Of cattle on what used to be called pharmaco, several hundred acres, the.

B

Biggest undeveloped area of the city that right now we're working to think.

B

About how this should that develop some of that public?

B

You know counting those 90 acres, a lot of it's privately owned, but that's a.

B

Community process, it's going to be part of the you do and part of the planning.

B

To think how do we, how do we create new neighborhoods and will help meet these.

B

Needs and and that's a really exciting opportunity to have all of that lined up.

B

The hospital, the traces you leave, the area of sudbury farms in there and then.

B

Right around switchyard party party, we bought a couple pieces of property.

B

Let's get the right kind of housing in there and welcome public. That's that's a.

B

Really important point you're talking about market rate affordable, we have a.

B

Thousand manufactured homes in the city of wilmington somebody great some really.

B

Nice neighborhoods others that are it needs some work. That's market, affordable.

B

For many people we want to make sure the whole range of options of safe, decent.

B

Housing we continue to explore that and one issue that we haven't.

B

Is the length of affordability- and I know we talked about that- it just hasn't.

B

Come up but communities in my view make mistakes when they do short term.

B

Affordable restrictions because once we get an affordable unit, we want to make.

B

It permanently or very long term affordable so that we're not chasing our.

B

Tail every 15 years having something that was affordable, become not.

B

Affordable and so we keep building up that building up that asset, so we're.

B

Working on that too right so we have and so tom- and we are.

A

Kind of we may choose to go longer to these questions, but we are coming up at.

A

The end unto the end of the hour tom says, broadly speaking: affordable housing.

A

In bloomington is a two-fold problem: only two he says, affordable.

G

Housing for low-income working folks and affordable housing for college students.

A

Like the student who had to choose between education and sleeping in their.

A

Car these two groups are competing for the affordable housing stock. Although.

A

Some might argue that the students are on a have a different economic setup.

A

Some of them do the competition can give upward pressure.

A

To rentals and housing costs, how can we manage this competition? How to.

A

Proportionately target some housing to one group or the other, or both I think.

C

It's a good point to recognize. I mean you know, people talk about student.

C

Housing and immediately go to high luxury, throw in the widescreen tv.

C

Granite countertop and there is a market, but it's relatively smaller market. They.

C

Can afford to pay that the majority of iu students and ivy tech students and.

C

You know other students living in bloomington dump can't afford that right.

C

So this point is very well taken that there you know nothing. We don't there's.

C

No assumption that every student, if you're a student, then therefore you can.

C

You know for the highest rent, so yeah there's an overlapping market. It's a.

C

Where you have, there are almost two markets, but they overlap. So if you have.

C

A student market and you have a non student market and that overlap is where.

C

They're competing for the same housing stock that can kind of go either way and.

C

That's where you have that's, where the elevation of right becomes the most.

C

Challenge. Because, because there's that competition to be the two markets on the.

C

Same potential unit, we see that you know houses that foot block between being.

C

Rental homes to students and either home owned or rental homes, to families and.

C

Sometimes go back and forth every couple of years we we have characterizations.

B

That are often correct, amber I'm sure a lot of people.

B

Boy are working right, just need that help they're not making that money. Yeah.

F

We serve seniors on fixed income. Those are the disability about a third of our.

F

Families are employed, raising kids in public housing and also folks aren't.

F

Having choice about your program, it's again all different types: no family, no.

F

Household is the same yeah, so sarah asks it speaks to this. The wages in.

A

Bloomington sarah says your website indicates that the living wage in.

A

Bloomington is 1283 an hour, yet many non students work for wages much lower than.

A

This, how it where did she develop, that wage figure and does it take into.

A

Consideration the monumental rise in housing costs, the bloomington is.

A

Experienced in the last five years, how can the city address stagnating wages of.

A

Among the service sector, well, that's actually one of the biggest reasons that.

E

Affordable housing is such a national issue is that wage rates have not kept.

E

Up with the cost of of housing so but it might might be worth a little.

B

Notice, as you said, terry, that our country over the last generation has.

B

Seen wealth and income concentrated at a high level, very small numbers.

B

Percentage-Wise of people and, as you said, they'd, be a real wage for working.

B

People in america hasn't changed for like 30 years.

B

Whereas housing prices have gone up, I think I saw 30 percent, let's say real.

B

Housing prices up wages not going up. It, creates this huge pressure and some of.

B

Thats national trends that you know the tax system and the federal government we.

B

Could go into a lot of that here now which I won't like, but that definitely.

B

Affects our housing market and we do of course, have the wage growth. The task.

A

Force here in the city, one of your 2016 initiatives, so we are looking at that.

C

Specifically here in town, but we did start to look at that and the way to.

C

Address you know one of the recommendations that are going, but other.

C

Programs that are in place look at you know the both retaining and growing.

C

Small and mid-sized companies and large companies that are in bloomington.

C

Helping them succeed getting out of their way sometimes and helping them.

C

Succeed, cultivating companies that may be interested moving to bloomington them.

C

That, then, there are some that are out there and when, in fact, that that is it's.

C

Interesting to see how that may be increasing and then also you know.

C

Helping to grow the new economy, which is and helping the.

C

City as a whole embrace the new economy, which really is.

C

Not the only future for the, but it is a an interesting way to companies. So we.

B

Review that each year of housing and just a reminder, the state legislature.

B

Does not allow any city in indiana to create its own minimum wage by state law.

B

We are not allowed to do that, so the living wages are the best we can do to.

B

Try to support that and use it for student contacts, another site. You know.

B

One name the city did is and employers. We know everybody makes at least $15 an.

B

Hour that works in any full-time or permanent part-time position, with the.

B

City to try to help do is, is to hold on do that in the programs that the housing.

F

Authority offers especially the housing choice, voucher program, those.

F

Participating pay 30% of their income towards rent and then the funding that.

F

We received from hud makes up the difference to pay that rent amount.

F

That's passed by the landlord, so it really is designed for folks who are.

F

Income eligible and can't pay some of the higher rents that we can make up.

A

That gap we are really out of time and we've had such a great conversation.

A

Thank you so much for watching today and remember this conversation will be.

A

Archived online, so you can watch later and refer your friends to it. Well, thanks.

B

For everybody's patience, a little over thanks for this team of very dedicated.

B

People who are working every day we keep credit, we're trying to move this big.

B

Ship that that is hard to move but help from the community. It's important too, to.

B

Talk about this issue to bring the stories that say how important.

B

Affordability is for each of us for you for your friends, your family, because.

B

Shifting this ship, it is hard work, new money, new programs working with city.

B

Council working with our partners- and I just think the future of our city.

B

Depends on we've got to be a city that works for people from all walks of life.

B

Who can come here live here, play raise families, study and retire, and that's.

B

That's our commitment to try to make that possible for more people from.

B

Thanks everybody for your attention and for all the work you do every day.

B

Thank you. Thank you. Well joining the conversation today have been doris sims.

A

The director of hand, the housing and neighborhood developed an alex crowley.

G

Director of economic and sustainable development, terry porter, director of.

A

Planning and transportation and amber scoe.

A

The director of the bloomington housing authority, along with mayor john hamilton,.

A

Itil cassandra, thank you so much for watching today.