City Builds Housing Strategy
Author: Anonymous
In an article published in Where To Live Magazine, Ken Hotard, senior vice president of the Boulder Area Board of Realtors, describes how the strategy is organized around five themes:
- Managing Growth and Density
- Strengthening Partnerships
- Support of Low and Very Low Income Residents
- Keeping the Moderate Income Worker in Boulder
- Helping Special Populations and Seniors
"The strategy is Boulder's best attempt thus far at understanding and recognizing the impacts of other factors on the affordable housing issue, says Hotard.
According to Hotard, the strategy recognizes that the city's Residential Growth Management System has actually made the affordable housing situation worse by increasing housing prices and limiting the opportunities for affordable development projects.
On the partnership side, the city is working with the university and other advocates for affordable housing to address not only housing issues, but transportation issues that can help make affordable housing in neigh-boring communities more accessible for Boulder students and employees.
In addition, Hotard says, the strategy takes strong note of opportunities for the private sector to get involved with helping low and moderate income people buy homes in Boulder.
Programs offering down payment assistance, low interest loans, and referrals to other funding agencies, are all action steps recommended in the strategy. "Most refreshing is the recognition that there are programs outside of Boulder that can actually help us with this problem, Hotard said.
A nine member commission has been appointed by City Council to study how the strategy can be funded and what types of taxes or fees might be the most palatable to Boulder voters.
More information on the Comprehensive Housing Strategy is available on the city's website at http://www.bcn.boulder.co.com.
HOW AVAILABLE IS BOULDER'S AFFORDABLE HOUSING?
Since August 1, 1997, there have been 1877 homes in Boulder County sold for less than $131,600*, with 573 of them in the city of Boulder.
As of March 1, 1999, there were 258 properties listed for sale in Boulder County at or below $131,600. 100 of these properties were in the city of Boulder. More than 100 "affordable homes have sold each month in Boulder County since 1997.
*131,600 is the maximum amount for a home to be considered by the City to be "affordable. SOURCE: Boulder Area Board of Realtors.
