Agenda - Planning Commission - 09/04/2014

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Last revised July 24, 2014 Accountability Results matter. For the Council, accountability includes a commitment to monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of its housing policies and practices toward achieving shared outcomes and a willingness to adjust course to improve performance. Adopt a data -driven approach to measure progress Accountability focuses on measuring and managing progress toward outcomes to improve our region's performance. For example, an outcome -oriented approach measures how affordably, effectively and efficiently our region's residents are housed —not only the units of new housing built with public resources. Actions without outcomes waste public resources. With Thrive MSP 2040, the Council is adopting an outcomes -orientation to its regional policy and is challenging itself, local governments, and its regional partners and stakeholders to describe how their work advances the five Thrive outcomes. Outcomes describe how our investments and our policies are improving the region for our residents and businesses, not only how much money we are investing or how many units of affordable housing we are building. Managing to achieve outcomes helps us ask not only "Are we effectively implementing our housing policies?" but also "Are we implementing the most effective housing policies, the policies that will help our region and our residents thrive today and tomorrow?" Housing can be an emotional, controversial topic. There isn't much more important to one's quality of life than one's housing. Discussion of housing issues must include sensitivity and balance and requires policies and actions that are based on objective information. Anecdotal evidence can be powerful but can also skew the perceptions of decisionmakers toward the views of the most empowered to speak. The Housing Policy Plan Indicators (see Part V) will assess regional progress on the outcomes and strategies in this pan. The Council will use the Housing Policy Plan Indicators as a foundation for continuous improvement and public accountability —what do the Indicators tell us about the state of housing in the region and the Council's policies? Which policies are working well? How might we revise our policies where performance is less than our expectations? The Council will use the insights that emerge from analyzing the Housing Policy Plan Indicators to guide the Council's future decisions. Most importantly, the focus on the Thrive outcomes creates the foundation for dialogue with partners and stakeholders —what can and will the Council do to advance these housing outcomes, what will others do to advance these outcomes? And where are the gaps, overlaps and opportunities? Council role • Prepare and share annual updates of the Housing Policy Plan indicators, providing clear, easily accessible information about regional progress and Council housing policies. • Track all new housing and new affordable housing constructed in the region. • Maintain an annual Inventory of Affordable Housing. 2040 HOUSING POLICY PLAN I METROPOLITAN COUNCIL DRAFT RELEASED FOR PUBLIC COMMENT Part II: Principles (Accountability) I Page 47