From Parking Lot to Housing

2023 Ideas Challenge Entry

Faced with a shortage of affordable housing and an ambitious goal to develop 10,000 new affordable units by 2030, Fairfax County Supervisor James Walkinshaw has worked aggressively to convert vacant and underutilized county-owned land to affordable housing. Working in partnership with the county’s housing authority, non-profit affordable housing developers, and the private sector, the transfer of county-owned land can make possible projects that would otherwise be too expensive due to the significant cost of land acquisition in Northern Virginia. The county has also utilized federal COVID funds on several recent projects.

The conversion of surface parking to housing, community space, and child care will have economic, social, and environmental benefits.

Impact:

Success will be measured by progress toward the goal of creating 10,000 new affordable units in Fairfax County by 2030. Recently, the Board of Supervisors approved Residences at Government Center II, which when complete will deliver 279 units of housing affordable to families earning 30% to 70% of the area median income, and more than 100 child-care slots for low and moderate-income families on what is now an underutilized parking lot in front of the county’s main government center building.

Renters’ Right to Counsel Program

2023 Ideas Challenge Entry

The City of St. Louis is grappling with a housing affordability crisis, where nearly 60% of renter households pay an average monthly rent of $951. Although there was a slight dip in eviction during the pandemic, eviction filings have increased year over year and are more than twice as common in majority-black census tracts compared to majority-white ones.

As part of her broad initiative to provide families with a safe and stable roof over their heads, St. Louis Mayor Tishaura Jones launched the Right to Counsel program (RTC) to provide access to legal services for tenants facing eviction proceedings. She utilized $685,000 in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds to establish the program, ensuring St. Louis renters have access to legal services for tenants facing eviction and the ability to access the Missouri court system, regardless of income level. This bill demonstrates Jones’ commitment to strengthening tenant protections and reducing housing instability in the communities. 

 

Impact:

Mayor Jones signed the new ordinance into law in July 2023, and the city is currently distributing funds to several legal aid service providers across the city to serve ZIP codes with the highest rates of eviction. Additionally, the city is working to hire a program coordinator housed within the St. Louis Department of Human Services that will oversee the program’s implementation. Board Bill 59 also requires landlords to provide tenants with information regarding the availability of the program.

 

Affordable Housing Incentives

2023 Ideas Challenge Entry

At the beginning of 2023, Las Vegas City Councilmember Brian Knudsen and the Las Vegas City Council adopted an ordinance formalizing incentives for affordable housing. This created a process by which incentives can be offered to all developers during the application process. Incentives help to offset rising costs, stretch funding received for affordable housing from the state and federal government, and take risks associated with uncertainty away from developers and developments. Incentives include: expedited plan reviews, density bonuses, height bonuses, and permit fee reductions, which are all tied to a percentage of units being set aside as affordable.

Impact:

The city expects to see similar results to these incentives seven in peer cities (Austin, Denver, Virginia Beach, Nashville, Sacramento, Seattle, and Orlando), which resulted in 5% affordable housing units to total units built.

 

Ohio Franklin County Commissioner John O’Grady Approved Major Funding for Utility and Rental Assistance

Ohio: Franklin County Commissioner John O’Grady led the effort to approve $32 million for utility and rental assistance. The funds will be distributed to local nonprofits and the Department of Job and Family Services. Efforts they support will include eviction prevention and a Resiliency Bridge Pilot Program to help residents move into higher-paying careers. O’Grady said the county’s goal is to make a generational impact with these investments and empower struggling families.

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Ohio City Council President Shannon Hardin Allocated $2 Million to Help College Students Secure Housing

Columbus, Ohio City Council President Shannon Hardin and fellow city councilmembers allocated $2 million to extend the Success Bridge Housing Stabilization program, which coordinates with community partners to help college students secure housing. The program started as a pilot in 2020 and provided emergency financial assistance and longer-term housing solutions to nearly 100 students. Success Bridge closed earlier this year, but Hardin worked to authorize $1.6 million from the city to pair with $400,000 from the city’s federal Emergency Rental Assistance programs. “Students more often fall behind on rent rather than tuition,” Hardin said. “This is a proven way to keep people in school.”

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Rhode Island Brett Smiley Directs $3 Million Grant for Building Resilience in Non-Profits Serving Underserved Providence Communities Program

Providence: Rhode Island Mayor Brett Smiley announced $3 million in grants for the Building Resilience in Non-Profits Serving Underserved Providence Communities program. This grant will help the grantees improve and expand their impact, including key social and behavioral services, employment opportunities, and more. “These grants are a long-term investment that will help prepare our community organizations become more resilient in future disasters and ensure residents can still have access to quality services,” Smiley said.

American Rescue Plan: Clark County Commissioner Michael Naft Received Funding for First Wave of Support for Housing Projects

Nevada: Clark County Commissioner Michael Naft worked with the Board of Commissioners to approve new funding to get 3,000 affordable housing units up and running, adding to a multi-million dollar plan that includes federal HOME-ARP funding. The first round of new funding will support housing projects already in the pipeline while the second is expected to spur construction of new long-term rental housing. This will offer lower-income residents relief from housing costs.

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Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin Uses Federal CHOICE Neighborhood Funds to Revitalize Aged Housing Units

Alabama: Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin won a $50 million grant from the Housing and Urban Development CHOICE Neighborhood Program to modernize aged housing units. The project funded by the grant aims to provide 1,000 subsidized, affordable and market-value homes to replace 900 units in one of the nation’s oldest public housing communities. “Since my first day in office my number one priority has been neighborhood revitalization,” added Woodfin. This initial grant of $50 million will kickstart a $294 million investment in these neighborhoods.

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Michigan Senator Sam Singh Sponsored Legislation to Improve Affordable Housing with Brownfield Development Expansion

Michigan Senator Sam Singh sponsored a legislative package and signed into law this week will increase the supply of affordable housing in the state. The legislation includes modifications to the “state’s brownfield development fund, expanding it to support housing developments.” The brownfield development program in Michigan provides reimbursements for redeveloping contaminated, blighted, or historic properties through tax increment financing. Singh celebrated the signing, saying, “These bills will give our local communities more tools, and incentive, to invest in affordable housing projects.”

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San Diego Councilman Raul Campillo Supported Ordinance that Ensures Protections for Family Child Care Providers

California: San Diego Councilman Raul Campillo championed a new ordinance that strengthens protections for family child care providers operating from their homes. The new protections will prevent landlords from seeking unreasonable eviction or rent increases. “We know that family childcare providers play a vital role in providing essential services for families and that they can be a big part of improving the supply of childcare options in our city,” said Campillo.

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