Market demand for housing and vacant land has outpaced the rate of growth of wages to pay for these unfairly inflated housing prices. Many households, as a result, put an unsustainable amount of their income into housing costs. Other essential necessities such as food and healthcare cannot be addressed individually and then become a community-wide financial and social burden to provide various safety nets. Government, with public support, has many tools available to better assist in creating affordable housing. We just need the political will to use these tools.

Yes. All social issues are environmental issues Ð how can we take care of other aspects of our environment if we cannot take care of our own population? Do the homeless make the choice to respect the earth when their survival is at stake? Does the air get any cleaner by people making false choices that it is better to buy/rent in the County and commute to the City? A solution to affordable housing is efficient and properly sized housing. This style of housing is less expensive, uses less energy to maintain, and uses the minimal amount of resources.

I applaud the hard work our communityÕs service providers accomplish everyday. They do their best with the limited resources available to them. But the fact remains, there are over 1200 children and adults on the streets at any given time and one of the main causes is the lack of affordable housing. I would like to see us securing funding for strengthening the current strategy of homelessness prevention while at the same time bolster transitional housing programs and mental health programs to directly assist those in need.

General Fund support of any discretionary program is difficult in these post-Eyman days. That said, any investment in the creation of affordable housing is in the CityÕs long-term interest. I would like to see dedicated annual funding from the General Fund to provide a reduction in impact fees for qualified developments together with more flexibility in providing gap funding for preferred projects. All other financial assistance must come from other sources such as REET, a levy, or more aggressive grant writing.

Yes. I would like to see the Trust funded, at a minimum, by a combination of voter-approved Real Estate Excise Taxes and an Affordable Housing Levy. This fund can be coupled with existing Block Grant and HOME funding the City receives.

Yes. Real estate speculation and investment is a privilege, not a right. I would expect the development and real estate interests to do the right thing from the start in return for policy windfalls coming from density bonuses. Because they donÕt as a group, it would be unfair to the developers who are willing to contribute to the betterment of the community not to make this program mandatory. We must be serious about solving the affordable housing crisis, not simply always looking out for the best financial return of development.

Yes. Permitting for development that is in the right place and right amounts that solve community problems such as affordable housing for low- and moderate-incomes instead of developments that manufacture problems such as traffic impacts of sprawl should benefit from expedited permit processing. I want to prioritize these changes within the Planning Department next year. In addition, substantial development code changes must occur to assist in affordability.

I lived in a town with a 20-year growth moratorium. Housing prices escalated at the same rate as towns in the region with rampant growth. I have seen first hand that a growth solution is a dangerous urban myth. What is needed is smart, managed growth focusing on appropriately-sized infill units with government and neighborhood streamlining and buying-in to this approach. Nature teaches us all of the time what Òlimits to growthÓ mean. Supply side only is not sustainable and creates more serious problems down the road.

Higher wage jobs are only part of the answer and only help those who are fortunate enough to secure one of them. Yes, it will take the edge off the problem, but this approach is a difficult battle to win when reports of region-wide (multi-state) troubles with living wages exist. I am supportive of doing our best to attract better wage jobs and to encourage current local employers to pay more, but it would be na•ve to think this is a silver bullet to the affordable housing crisis Ð it is part of a solution.