Agenda - Planning Commission - 09/04/2014

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Last revised July 24, 2014 communities which desire to expand their housing choices but lack the experience to attract developers. Council staff can further assist in the development process by providing knowledge of the complex development finance world that dictates so much of what's possible in housing. Evaluating the financial reality of housing development and the potential solutions or tradeoffs to consider is crucial to determine a community's priorities. Furthermore, awareness of the financial products that exist to create or preserve housing, and the requirements or conditions of such products, will allow communities to make informed decisions about how to focus their efforts. The Council will partner with other subject matter experts and funders to ensure the assistance offered is accurate and current. A final area for expanded Council assistance is around community engagement. Meaningful community engagement continues to be a challenge for governmental entities —its importance only continues to rise along with the difficulties and challenges of doing it effectively. While the Council does not have all of the answers to the riddle of successful community engagement, Council staff do have experience and valuable perspective on methods and strategies for community engagement. This includes partnering with other organizations whose mission it is to empower communities to engage. The Council's Public Engagement Plan and the vast and varied individual community engagement experience of Council staff can provide resources to communities that would like to elevate their engagement with their stakeholders around housing issues. Council actions to expand technical assistance to support housing choices • Provide technical assistance to improve the alignment between local comprehensive plans — especially the Housing Element and Housing Implementation Plan —and the Need at all levels of affordability. • Identify opportunities for local governments to improve their performance on the Score by implementing additional tools or programs to support affordable housing. • Disseminate best practices, model ordinances, development guides, and local examples to support expanding housing choices through both the Local Planning Handbook and direct technical assistance with local governments. • Offer workshops for local planners on how to expand housing choice in local comprehensive plans. • Work with local staff to identify housing development sites, especially those that would address the Need, the Goal, and the Score of that local government or expand housing choice. • Identify resources to accomplish site assembly or site control, including the development of Requests for Proposals, grant and loan application assistance, and market information. • Provide technical assistance to local governments to create an attractive development environment that minimizes risk for and builds relationships with experienced developers. Convening and partnering to elevate regional housing dialogue As a regional entity, the Metropolitan Council was formed to address issues that transcend local government boundaries and cannot be adequately addressed by any single governmental unit. The Council will use its regional role to be a convener of regional conversations, both in areas where the Council has statutory authority and around issues with regional significance. The Council can make a significant contribution by identifying the key stakeholders, framing the scope, and facilitating the dialogue that will collectively develop regional or subregional solutions. This includes fostering 2040 HOUSING POLICY PLAN I METROPOLITAN COUNCIL DRAFT RELEASED FOR PUBLIC COMMENT Part III: Council Policies and Roles I Page 60