Affordable Housing Task Force

Regular Meeting

Columbia, SC · March 9, 2021

Minutes

COLUMBIA AFFORDABLE HOUSING TASK FORCE MEETING MINUTES TUESDAY, MARCH 9, 2021 CALLTO ORDER The meeting was called to order at 11:04 a.m. by Chair Tameika Isaac Devine. Attendee Name Present Absent Late Arrived Tameika Isaac Devine    John Andoh    Jeff Armstrong    Julie Ann Avin    Reggie Barner    Sue Berkowitz    Brenna Bernadin    Bryan Grady    Dylan Gunnels    Tonya Isaac    Jeff Larimore    Ivory Matthews    Jennifer Moore    Mary Louise Resch    Shayla Riley    Lila Anna Sauls    Gregory Sprouse    Allison Terracio    Regina Williams    11:20 AM Lester Young    Jim Zieche    Chris Zimmer    APPROVAL OF MINUTES 1. Approval of February 9, 2021 Meeting Minutes Upon a motion made by Mary Louise Resch and seconded by Reggie Barner, task force members voted unanimously to approve the February 9, 2021 Meeting Minutes. Page 1 of 4 COLUMBIA AFFORDABLE HOUSING TASK FORCE MEETING MINUTES TUESDAY, MARCH 9, 2021 COMMITTEE DISCUSSION 2. Committee Reports Councilwoman Devine said we have a definition for affordable housing. We will use 2021 benchmarks to set our goals for 2022, 2023, and 2024. The Accessibility Committee would like to delve into solutions for making access to quality affordable housing a reality for people within special populations. Reginal Barner, Financing Committee requested an update on the City of Columbia local affordable housing tax abatement program. To stimulate the development of affordable housing, he proposed a social impact fund for private investors. Atlanta issued an affordable housing bond. Some cities are putting affordable housing mechanisms into their one cent sales tax program. Tax increment financing and the multi-county industrial park legislation can be used to create affordable housing, as well. In Ohio, unclaimed state funds are used to financially assist with the creation of affordable housing. Communities also have land banks. There are a lot of infill lots in the city that we can tap into. Lastly, an affordable housing impact fee can be assessed at the city and county level on new residential and commercial development. A portion of the assessment can go into a fund to help create affordable housing. The state tax credit program is attracting developers to South Carolina. Jim Zieche asked if consideration was given to a countywide trust fund. Councilwoman Devine asked Gloria Saeed, Teresa Knox, and Patrick Wright to do additional research and provide a legal opinion on what is currently available, what needs legislative support, and what will require education and lobbying. Sue Berkowitz, Legal & Zoning Committee said we have an eviction crisis in Columbia and we want to talk about mechanisms to address the issue of providing assistance and funding. We want to look at innovative ideas and how zoning ordinances can help with abandoned properties like hotels and motels. Lila Anna Sauls, Legal & Zoning Committee said Charlotte renovated motels into single-use apartments. We have to identify what already exists and what modifications need to be made to incorporate special projects into the overall affordable housing plan. Councilwoman Devine requested information for tenants on their rights and how to report various concerns. Page 2 of 4 COLUMBIA AFFORDABLE HOUSING TASK FORCE MEETING MINUTES TUESDAY, MARCH 9, 2021 Sue Berkowitz, Legal & Zoning Committee requested an inventory of tax credit properties and properties that are accepting vouchers. Brenna Bernadin, Partnership & Education Committees reported that the committees formed eight outreach categories: political developers, business and community partners, state and local housing agencies, funders and real estate partners, neighborhood associations, potential homebuyers and new renters, community and neighborhood coalitions, and the media in partnership with the City’s Public & Media Relations Department. We want to start a success story model. The goal is to demonstrate the worth and positive side of affordable housing, to debunk the myths, and work with opposition. We will develop a one-pager with goals and a slogan for social media campaigns. Councilwoman Tameika Isaac Devine said we will create a one-page document with the Task Force’s goal and the committees' priorities by the end of this month. The document will be shared with all task force members for feedback. After next month's committee reports, we will finalize the document. Both Councilwoman Devine and Councilwoman Terracio will then present the report to their respective councils. ANNOUNCEMENTS Ivory Mathews invited property owners to partner with the Columbia Housing Authority by becoming landlords for the housing choice voucher program. A virtual meeting will be held on Monday, March 15, 2021 at 6:00 p.m. Register here Jeffrey Armstrong announced that Family Promise is hosting a virtual Night of Promise Gala on April 24, 2021 at 7:00 p.m. It is a fundraiser to help find creative housing solutions for families and provide stability for children. Click here to become a Gala Sponsor. Lila Anna Sauls, said Homeless No More opened the application process for Myrtle Grove, an affordable housing development for families on Waites Road. There are 15 units at 30%, 50%, and 60% AMI; they are not voucher driven. Click here for an application. Councilwoman Devine asked the accessibility committee to consider barriers to affordable housing for individuals who don’t make enough money and they don’t qualify for certain programs because they don’t have a family. Sue Berkowitz, SC Appleseed the NAACP is leading an Eviction Navigation Project. Individuals facing eviction will be partnered with a navigator. Page 3 of 4 COLUMBIA AFFORDABLE HOUSING TASK FORCE MEETING MINUTES TUESDAY, MARCH 9, 2021 Councilwoman Allison Terracio said we had turnover on Richland County Council and some of the new members are excited about working on affordable housing. That will go a long way towards working with staff and others. Councilwoman Devine acknowledged that this is campaign season. She pledged to not let the Task Force's work be politicized or derailed. NEXT MEETING DATE Tuesday, April 13, 2021 at 11:00 a.m. ADJOURNMENT The meeting was closed at 11:53 a.m. Respectfully submitted: Erika D. Moore Hammond, CMC City Clerk Page 4 of 4

Agenda

Packet

COLUMBIA AFFORDABLE HOUSING TASK FORCE MEETING AGENDA TUESDAY, MARCH 9, 2021 The Columbia Affordable Housing Task Force will conduct a meeting on Tuesday, March 9, 2021 at 11:00 a.m. using Video Conferencing Technology. The meeting will be streamed online at www.columbiasc.gov. CALL TO ORDER APPROVAL OF MINUTES 1. Approval of February 9, 2021 Meeting Minutes COMMITTEE DISCUSSION 2. Committee Reports Accessibility - Ms. Julie Ann Avin, Chair Financing - Mr. Reggie Barner, Chair Legal & Zoning - Ms. Sue Berkowitz and Ms. Lila Anna Sauls, Co-Chairs Partnerships - Ms. Jennifer Moore, Chair Public Education & Awareness Committee - Ms. Brenna Bernadin, Chair ANNOUNCEMENTS NEXT MEETING DATE April 13, 2021 at 11:00 a.m. ADJOURNMENT Page 1 of 1 1.a COLUMBIA AFFORDABLE HOUSING TASK FORCE MEETING MINUTES TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2021 CALL TO ORDER Attachment: AHTF_MN_020921 (6546 : Approval of February 9, 2021 Meeting Minutes) The meeting was called to order at 11:03 a.m. by Chair Tameika Isaac Devine. Attendee Name Present Absent Late Arrived Tameika Isaac Devine    John Andoh    11:31 AM Jeff Armstrong    Julie Ann Avin    Reggie Barner    Sue Berkowitz    Brenna Bernadin    Bryan Grady    Dylan Gunnels    Tonya Isaac    Jeff Larimore    Ivory Matthews    Jennifer Moore    Mary Louise Resch    Shayla Riley    Lila Anna Sauls    Gregory Sprouse    Allison Terracio    Regina Williams    Lester Young    Jim Zieche    Chris Zimmer    APPROVAL OF MINUTES 1. Approval of January 12, 2021 Meeting Minutes Upon a motion made by Ivory Matthews and seconded by Jennifer Moore, task force members voted unanimously to approve the January 12, 2021 Meeting Minutes as amended to mark Chris Zimmer as present during the January 12, 2021 meeting. Page 1 of 3 Packet Pg. 2 1.a COLUMBIA AFFORDABLE HOUSING TASK FORCE MEETING MINUTES TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2021 COMMITTEE DISCUSSION Attachment: AHTF_MN_020921 (6546 : Approval of February 9, 2021 Meeting Minutes) 2. Definition of Affordable Housing Upon a motion made by Sue Berkowitz and seconded by Ivory Matthews, task force members voted unanimously to approve the following definition of Affordable Housing: Affordable housing is a continuum of equitable, inclusive, and quality rental and homeownership opportunities for people at every income level, which is critical to creating safe, complete, and thriving communities. 3. Affordable Housing Unit Goal Krista Hampton, Planning and Development Services Director reported that multi-family housing projects are coming along. Lorick Place has been constructed in two phases with 12 units per building. The Pointe at Elmwood is under construction as a 58-unit senior housing project. Both are low income tax credit projects. There has been an increase in single-family construction over the past several years. A good amount of that is affordable at 80% to 100%. We are still lacking below that point. There are up to 160 multi-family units under construction. Gloria Saeed, Community Development Director said both projects also received community development block grant disaster recovery funding as an incentive. Councilwoman Devine noted that the Waites Road project is also coming online and Kevin Connelly and Bob Hughes are looking to develop affordable housing projects. We settled around a goal of 10,000 units over 10 years. We need a goal for 2021. Ivory Matthews, Columbia Housing Authority said a number of private developers have contacted us to issue multi-family tax incentive bonds. This will allow us to help preserve a lot of housing units. Preservation will have a great economic impact. She described how the Columbia Housing Authority is addressing maintenance challenges and redevelopment strategies. There was an in-depth discussion about the lack of low-to-moderate income housing inventory, benchmarks, and the need to track rental and homeownership units, levels of income (affordability), permits, and certificates of occupancy. There was a consensus of the task force members to track both the permits and the certificates of occupancy for 2021. During the fourth quarter of 2021, the task force will set goals for 2022, 2023, and 2024 based on the actual certificates of occupancy that have been issued. Krista Hampton was asked to provide the 2019 and 2020 numbers, as well. Page 2 of 3 Packet Pg. 3 1.a COLUMBIA AFFORDABLE HOUSING TASK FORCE MEETING MINUTES TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2021 ANNOUNCEMENTS Attachment: AHTF_MN_020921 (6546 : Approval of February 9, 2021 Meeting Minutes) Councilwoman Devine asked the committees to meet before the next task force meeting. Let's start talking about plans for community conversations and the education component. Sue Berkowitz, SC Appleseed announced that they are working with the NACCP on the Housing Navigator Pilot Project. There is an eviction diversion program and we hope to help people access the resources they need. Columbia is 8th in evictions and we hope this program will help to create stability. Bryan Grady, PhD, SC Housing Finance and Development Authority announced that the SC Stay Mortgage and Rental Assistance Program is available to assist households who are unable to pay mortgage or rent due to COVID-19. For more information, visit https://www.schousing.com/Home/SC-Stay. NEXT MEETING DATE Tuesday, March 9, 2021 at 11:00 a.m. ADJOURNMENT The meeting was closed at 12:09 p.m. Respectfully submitted by: Erika D. Moore, CMC City Clerk Page 3 of 3 Packet Pg. 4