Agenda - Council Work Session - 06/11/2013

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CC Work Session 2. 3. Meeting Date: 06/11/2013 By: Tim Gladhill, Community Development Title: FOR DISCUSSION ONLY: Receive Update on Housing Assistance Policy Progress by Ad -Hoc Planning Commission Sub -Committee Background: The purpose of this Topic Report is to update the City Council on the status of the progress on the Housing Assistance Policy work by the Planning Commission (ad -hoc sub -committee). No formal action or feedback is being requested, other than to review the Interim Policy Statement. In 2013, the City Council directed Staff to form an ad -hoc sub -committee of the Planning Commission for formulate a Housing Assistance Policy. The purpose of the policy is to establish a framework in which to review requests for financial assistance (or other form of assistance) for housing projects. These requests could include, but are not limited to City financing options, third -party financing options, and grant opportunities available to the City. Given the number of requests the City has been receiving related to housing projects and the forecasted housing growth of the community, the City Council felt that a policy was necessary in order to ensure an equitable and fiscally responsible application to housing assistance. The Planning Commission did establish an ad -hoc subcommittee and has met on two (2) occasions. A majority of this initial work was providing and reviewing necessary demographic and market conditions to frame the development of the remainer of the policy. The sub -committee has reviewed the following: 1. Current Housing Plan, Goals, and Implementation Strategies 2. Current housing and population demographics (Census data) 3. Current housing and population forecasts (2030 Comprehensive Plan) 4. Current employment demographics 5. Current employment forecasts The sub -committee also has completed the following deliverables: 1. Framework of Policy 2. Interim Policy Statement 3. Housing Product Priority List Notification: No notification is required at this time. Observations/Alternatives: Interim Policy Statement The sub -committee first established an Interim Policy Statement to help guide requests that potentially may come to the City before final adoption of the Housing Assistance Policy. The sub -committee utilized much of the feedback from the City Council Work Session that directed Staff to begin final preparation of the Policy. The proposed Interim Policy Statement is as follows: It is hereby the Interim Policy of the City of Ramsey that assistance to housing projects will be considered for the following criteria: 1. Tax Increment Financing (TIF) will not be considered except for rehabilitation projects or redevelopment projects. In addition, any housing project that meets the criteria of the preceding statement must provide a