Agenda Item - 2005-01-26Affordable Housing Task Force
Wednesday, January 26, 2005
The following is a list of recurring themes from this meeting:
Theme: Cost of Housing
• The Task Force needs to seek ways to retain the existing affordable housing that
exists in the community, rather than focusing solely on the construction of new
affordable units.
• Rapid increases in land values.
• Perception that density requirements are taking away affordability, driving up
housing costs
• The impact of tear-downs on affordability
• Teachers/public employees who work in Lake Oswego should be able to afford to
live here.
• Changing demographics--an aging population and fewer children.
• The need to add housing preservation/retention to the Matrix
Theme: Research and Data Gathering
• The final report must be based on high-quality data that clearly support the
findings, conclusions, and recommendations.
• Conduct an inventory of housing. So far the focus has been on 5+ unit housing
when most is smaller.
• There is a lack of hard data available regarding neighborhood housing
characteristics.
Theme: Land Use Impacts and Zoning Issues
• Each neighborhood is unique and their unique characteristics should be addressed
in terms of the recommendations of the Task Force.
• SDU (Secondary Dwelling Unit) standards—look into what other communities
do, such as Santa Cruz.
• SFD (Single Family Dwelling) is most common housing stock.
• Without size limits on SDUs, SFD zoning integrity is threatenend (i.e. density
will increase)
• There are many commercial conversions.
• Older apartment buildings may be threatened with redevelopment.
• There is a concern about owner/renter balance in some neighborhoods. (There
appears to be much variation in percentage of owners/renters from one
neighborhood to another.)
Theme: Public Policy at Local, State and Federal Levels
• New funds are needed for affordable housing, from local, state and federal
sources.
• There is a need to look at Measure 37 impacts.
• Why this process? It is required by the city, Metro and the state.
Theme: Task Force Logistics
• A mailing list of neighborhood chairs needs to be compiled to send out
information on the progress of the Task Force.
• There is a need for more community outreach, such as another Task Force Open
House.
• There is a need for an ongoing affordable housing committee.
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