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2 ' PRESERVI. NG HOUShNG: A BEST PRACTICES REVIEW <br /> <br />Cities should <br />select housing <br />strategies that <br />are aligned with <br />their housing <br />objectives. <br /> <br />Report Summary: <br /> <br />Preserving housing means keeping <br />residential units safe, livable, and <br />attractive to occupants. Quality Imusing <br />stock is important not only as shelter but <br />also as a means to long-term <br />neighborhood stability, communities' <br />economic viability, and strong tax bases. <br /> <br />Public sector responses to the need to <br />preserve housing include: property <br />maintenance codes, inspections of rental <br />units, programs requiring inspections <br />before homes are sold, proper <br />administration of the State Building Code, <br />housing information campaigns, and · <br />financial subsidies. Not all cities will <br />become involved with preserving housing, <br />but those that do should follow best <br />practices tied to the strategies they select. <br />Although we refer specifically to "cities," <br />counties or others working on local <br />governments' behalf may be involved. <br /> <br />Thinking Strategically <br /> <br />Cities should start by determining their <br />housing needs; if they have not already <br />done so. This involves analyzing <br />information on housing unit/~nd factors <br />that affect housing, such as demographic <br />trends. Another best practice is <br />identifying and prioritizing housing needsl <br />Many cities, especially smaller ones, may <br />need to enlist outside expertise to follow <br />these practices. <br /> <br />Cities should also study housing needs <br />and how they relate to other issues in the <br />community. Housing studies should be <br />part of long-term comprehensive and <br />strategic planning processes. <br /> <br />Example: Roseville developed a housing <br />improvement p/an that is part of that city's <br />comprehensive plan. The improvement <br />plan, which the city reviews yearly to <br />account for changing market conditions, <br />contains benchmarks for housing activities <br />and describes housing conditions in the <br />city. Together the housing improvement <br />plan and comprehensive plan have guided <br />the city's housing strategies and led to <br />collaborations with housing experts. <br /> <br />Once housing needs are identified, cities <br />should deterrrfine appropriate responses to <br />meet them. Involving elected officials in <br />setting housing goals and objectives is a <br />best practice to this end. Another is <br />evaluating a broad range of options and <br />designing strategies to meet h{~using <br />objectives. <br /> <br />Example: St. Louis Park has designed <br />multiple strategies to meet its housing <br />preservation needs. The city enforces a <br />property maintenance code and requires <br />property owners planning to soft their <br />structures to have them inspected and to <br />correct deficiencies. The city licenses and <br />inspects rental buildings with three or <br />more units. Further, St. Louis Park has <br />partnerships for. offering financial <br />assistance and housing preservation <br />information. <br /> <br />As part of deciding on appropriate housing <br />strategies, cities should determine Whether <br />they have sufficient internal capacity to <br />implement the strategies or whether they <br />should rely on outside professionals. <br /> <br />Example: Several metropolitan-area <br />cities lacking their own capacity to offer <br />housing information and expertise use the <br />Housing Resource Center, an arm of the <br />nonprofit Greater Metropolitan Housing <br />Corporation. The Center employs' <br />construction managers who answer home <br />improvement questions and help residents <br />evaluate contractors' bids. It also <br />administers various financing programs on' <br />the cities' behalf. <br /> <br />Garnering elected officials' support is <br />important when determining appropriate <br />housing responses, particularly if local <br />leaders have not been involved previously. <br />A final best practice is to plan for <br />adequate investments in infrastructure <br />such as streets and lighting. <br /> <br />Example: In South St. Paul, the city and <br />the HRA have been involved in activities <br />that form a base of local leader support for <br />housing initiatives. A housing committee, <br />made up of members of the city council, <br />HRA, planning commission, and staff, <br />meets regularly to discuss housing <br />conditions and needs. Plus, strategic <br />planning efforts among city stakeholders <br /> <br /> <br />