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What were the housing-related con- cerns that were raised? Through small and large group discussions, par- ticipants identified several concems which can be grouped under the headings of housing maintenance and upgrades, rental property, housing policies and regulation, and the hous- ing market and city demographics. Themes that emerged under these headings are listed below. Housin� Maintenance and Un�ades :• Raseville housing stock is aging and many homes need basic upgrades to electrical and heating systems, plumbing, and technology supports. �r Rose�iile needs more housing options that — include maintenance services. — •,• Too many times older home rehabs are poorly designed and are not compatible with the neighborhood's character. Rental i'roperty •;• There are increasing numbers of owner- occupied, single-familyhouses being con- verted to rental properties. Housing Policies and Regulation •;• Some form of a"Truth-in-Housing" city pol- icy might be useful in addressing the need to upgrade older homes. �� Any regulatory poliei�s/programs need to he carefully thought through to avoid over- regulation or making upgrades so costly that l��meow��rs decide against making improvements. Housing Market and City L7ezzio�rapi�ics �, '�'he housing stock is not keeping pace with the needs of younger families. These young families are moving elsewhere, which is why the school district is seeing a decrease in enrollment. •,• Roseville assets, such as locationwithin the region and schools, need to be marketed more aggressively. ; Roseville needs more housing that is afford- able to younger families ($300, 000 or less). What other concerns were raised? A few transportation issues were Xde�t�f�.ed dur- ing the dialogue. They fall into two large cate- gories: Walking Paths and Pedestrian Friendliness •:* Some roads, such as South awasso and Vic- toria, lack adequate walking paths for the number of users and the condzt�a�s— narrow streets and high traffic volumes dur- ing rush hours. �* Sidewalks along high tza��i� volume streets are z�o1 pedesirian friendly making it difii- cult to walk to such places as Rosedale or the Har Mar Mall. Public Transit -� There is a need for more direct bus routes to high employment destinations, such as downtown St. Paul and Minneapolis. What can the City do to respond to these issues? °. Educate residents about the city housing code and its requirements. �� Be cautious not to over regulate, thus dis- couraging needed housing upgrades. •:� Encourage upgrades—by offering tax breaks not tax increases. �.- Promote existing housing programs. •.• Develop programs that help with the cost of upgrading items that don't add market value, e.g. electrical and heating systems. � Develop design assistance programs for sen- iors—ideas for upgrades to their homes so they can live on one floor, while at the same time making their houses more sellabie when they leave. What action ideas were participants willing to support? Five (5) persons indicated that they could per- sonally support one or more of the issues solu- tion ideas/�zojects discussed. They included: •:• Truth-in-I-3ousi��g requirements. (2 ��rsans) � �'rograms that provide iinancial assistance for utility upgrades. (2 person) � Strategies that �,4�i i i yield housing stock that matches what the desired "customer" wants. ��* Publication of information about city codes and program related to housing. -'r Moratorium on s�zuor housing. '� Development of user-friendly walking paths throughout the entize city.