Motion for Grove: Employer Assisted Housing Program

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Ann Kitchen
Posts: 294
Joined: Fri Jan 09, 2015 4:04 pm

Motion for Grove: Employer Assisted Housing Program

Post by Ann Kitchen »

All

I want to congratulate all involved for the agreement recently reached on the Grove development and to thank everyone for their time, efforts, and passion for creating a community asset for the city and the neighborhoods.

I intend to support the mediated agreement as proposed, and have a motion to bring forward for an exciting pilot that works within that agreement without changing the points of that agreement.

As we have discussed often, housing + transportation + jobs are critical to individual's ability to afford to live in Austin. The absence of affordable housing located near lower wage jobs, in an environment where affordable transportation options are limited, contributes to the difficulties the workers we depend on have in making ends meet - people like our health care workers, nurses, and personal care assistants.

It's time to try to work with employers on creative ways to address these needs. We need to try tools like the employer assisted housing programs that have been used in other cities.

I plan to propose a motion substantially similar to the language below, though I am still wordsmithing.

Best

Ann Kitchen
City Council District 5


EMPLOYER ASSISTED HOUSING PROGRAM

WHEREAS, The Grove is located in a high opportunity area, with a high number of low and moderate-wage jobs.

WHEREAS, The Grove PUD will provide 138 units of affordable housing (both rental and ownership).

WHEREAS, Connecting housing and jobs helps to create “complete communities” and furthers the goals and priority programs of Imagine Austin.

WHEREAS, Next to housing, transportation is typically a household’s second largest budget item and by having affordable housing in proximity to jobs, we are increasing household affordability in accordance with Imagine Austin’s Priority Program #8.

WHEREAS, It will be important for ARG/The Grove to affirmatively market housing opportunities (including affordable housing opportunities) to employers within a two-mile radius of the site.

WHEREAS, The City of Austin should explore the creation of an Employer Assisted Housing Program. This was recommended in HousingWorks’ 2014 report Finding the Balance: http://housingworksaustin.org/wp-conten ... webFNL.pdf.

WHEREAS, The pilot program could be funded through public-private mechanism, potentially including contributions from local employers and seeded with funding from the City of Austin.


THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED:

The City Council directs the City Manager and City of Austin Neighborhood Housing and Community Development Department (NHCD) to develop language to be included in the Developer Agreement for the Grove that:

1. Establishes the city's intent to pursue a pilot program to connect housing and jobs through a voluntary program for local employers to help match income-qualified local employees with on-site affordable units. The pilot would include an evaluation component to determine the program impact on employee retention, satisfaction, and other appropriate factors related to program goals.

2. Establishes the city's role in locating funding for the pilot program which would match employer and city funding through which the employer would pay the differential between employee income and affordable rental and ownership opportunities.

3. Establishes intent that developer will affirmatively market housing opportunities, including affordable housing opportunities, to employers and their employees located within a 2 mile radius of the Grove development.
Ann Kitchen
Council Member District 5