Res. #10-018 - Electing to Continue Participation in LHIA Program

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• Household Growth Potential • Ratio of local low -wage jobs to low - wage workers • Current provision of affordable housing • Transit Service Based on their analysis, the Metropolitan Council's new affordable housing goal for Centerville is to create between 111 and 170 new affordable housing units between 2011 and 2020. The affordability limit is 60% of area median income for both owner and renter occupied. In addition, the City establishes the goal of 170 -270 Life -Cycle Housing units. The City has responded to this need and the need for additional housing in general by increasing areas to medium and high density at the same time they are working through the implementation of an aggressive downtown master plan that will bring over 300 units at densities at or above 8 units per acre. As shown on Table 18 there are 134 acres guided for residential densities at a range starting at 5 units an acre for Medium Density and up to 12 units an acre for High Density for a potential of 859 units. As the City is nearly fully developed, this acreage will be within MUSA prior to 2020 this land is considered available for development at a density that supports affordable housing prior to 2020. The City has also applied for LCA grants through the Met Council for construction of Chateau Goiffon, an affordable senior housing project that will include 40 units. This project may be completed before 2011, but the City wishes to count these 40 units towards their goal of 170 new units by 2020. While the City is doing their part in creating a regulatory land use plan to plan for areas of density greater then 5 du /acre for medium , 8 -12 du /acre for mixed use and 12 du /acre units where most affordable housing will occur. Barriers to development of affordable housing still exist in the region as well as in Centerville. Some of these barriers are beyond the City's control including: • Steady increases in land prices. • Increase in construction costs. When combined with land prices, it becomes more difficult to provide affordable units through new construction. • Physical limitations of land due to wetlands, poor access, poor soils that would increase the cost of land development or construction thus making it more difficult to build affordable units. • Limited amount of remaining developable land. • State, county and local tax structures. There are some significant barriers to construction of new affordable housing including the few named above. It is important that cities help in the effort to provide affordable housing. To assist in this effort, Centerville can use its regulatory tools, including implementing land use and zoning regulations that