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HPSTF Meeting 5 Breakout Rooms - Notes Lake Oswego Housing Production Strategy Task Force Meeting#5- December 8, 2023 Breakout Session Discussions During the HPS Task Force Meeting on December 8, 2023,Task Force members engaged in breakout group discussions focused on identifying housing production strategies that could best address the housing needs identified in the Lake Oswego Housing Needs Analysis and Contextualized Housing Needs Analysis.The conversations were related to the following categories of housing need: 1. Government-subsidized housing units affordable to people with very low or low incomes; 2. Housing affordable to households with moderate incomes; 3. Housing opt-ions/choices to meet a full range of household needs and preferences; and 4. Housing opportunities for seniors, people with disabilities, and aging in place. During these individual breakout sessions focused on high-priority housing needs,Task Force members will be asked to consider the following questions: • What strategy or strategies would be most effective in meeting this need? • Do you have any concerns about the strategy or its implementation? • What opportunities does this strategy present? • Which organizations or community groups could the City partner with to better address this need? Breakout Session#1: Government-subsidized housing units affordable to people with very low or low incomes • Donation of land seems critical o Land cost versus what you can build on it; if it's spread across more units, it's much more doable o Tax credits prioritize high opportunity areas o Zoning code is very restrictive; height limit is very restrictive;there are NIMBYs—older demographic doesn't want to see things change • City needs to rezone; there's not enough land for multi-family o AH developers having to buy land that has development on it; there's not enough vacant land o So many underutilized uses on Boones Ferry • Kate: We've been discussing nonresidential to residential; should we consider upzoning lower density areas? o Would need to be very strategic, only very underutilized areas. • Adapting homes for multi-generational living; Making homes available to be divided to add units; make it easy to build an ADU o Allowing two ADUs on a lot o Strategically promote the idea of multigenerational living; grassroots outreach/education o Education to the community about housing, affordable housing; promoting understanding; allaying fears • Height limits and design standards was a common theme from developers • Construction Excise Tax (CET) o City doesn't have a lot of industrial development; non-residential CET may not provide much funding o Can use for backfilling SDCs o Concerned about a strategy that has a negative impact on development • Housing Trust Funds—regional fund could be funded by state dollars rather than local revenues Breakout Session#2: Housing affordable to households with moderate incomes What strategy or strategies would be most effective in meeting this need?What are the concerns and opportunities of these strategies? (Note: we didn't get through all the strategies we wanted to discuss) • Code Audit and amendments—high impact strategy since code can be a barrier to all types of housing and this low-hanging fruit; concerns that it could impact neighbors if setbacks or heights are adjusted or if parking is reduced. • Rezone land—could be impactful, particularly where office buildings may be becoming obsolete and ripe for repurposing or redevelopment, but should focus on mixed-use zones; concerns about noise and other impacts of incompatible uses comingling • Modify SDC fee schedule—this will benefit all types of housing, but need to be sure it doesn't significantly constrain City's ability to provide infrastructure and services that are supported by these fees Breakout Session#3: Housing options/choices to meet a full range of household needs and preferences What strategy or strategies would be most effective in meeting this need? • Promote accessory dwelling units (ADUs) • Middle housing—duplexes/triplexes • Prepare underutilized land for development—particularly affordable housing—City needs to be opportunistic Do you have any concerns about the strategy or its implementation? • People want neighborhoods to stay the same;there will be a variety of problems with introducing new types of housing in these areas • Need to look at ways to provide housing options without disrupting neighborhood character; each individual community has unique character that should be responded to with new housing designs • Should focus on areas currently zoned for multifamily as well • How to incorporate livability in new developments? • There should be a reasonable transition between high-and low-density areas;they should look more alike • Housing construction/production takes time, need more immediate solutions that take effect *now* • A lot of these strategies will likely be rentals—how do we increase homeownership opportunities?This will increase access to wealth and transfer of wealth to future generations over time • There could be a lack of available land... however, Oregon has a fairly large amount of developable land compared to other states (despite urban growth boundary) What opportunities does this strategy present? • Could effectively increase density by a moderate amount within existing neighborhoods— opportunity to talk to residents about which ways they would like to see this happen • Can help increase walkability, proximity to schools/open space/ retail/commercial/amenities • Don't have housing located in areas without access to retail/amenities—perhaps new commercial nodes would be helpful in these areas • Opportunity to provide housing for folks who work in LO but live outside of LO—could focus on City employees and ensuring that they can afford to live in LO, it would be good for us Which organizations or community groups could the City partner with to better address this need? • Education and outreach are critical—folks should understand that this new development is positive for our community; can't complain about people living on the streets and then refuse them housing • Need special folks to connect with neighborhood associations and help them understand the positives about middle housing and housing production; HPS Task Force members are well- suited to play this role. Negative attitudes can make it incredibly difficult to have these discussions Breakout Session#4: Housing opportunities for seniors, people with disabilities, and aging in place What strategy or strategies would be most effective in meeting this need? • Tax abatement isn't very popular but for folks aging in place this is very important. Your income goes down as you retire...depends on how. • There is support for tax abatement-to make subsidized projects feasible. Lots of levels of subsidy are needed. Age-restricted multifamily developments could use tax abatement. • Size is the biggest issue-seniors are in larger homes that they cannot maintain inside or outside. But they can't find condos etc to downsize into. Independent living. Condos are expensive. • Just having more housing options will help loosen the market somewhat.There are lots of seniors in the City. Want community around. Cottage clusters are a good idea for this as well. The issue is having land availability. People are allowed to build them now. Community pushback to novel cluster projects exacerbate this. • 1st addition cottage cluster was pulled back as well. • City won't give a subsidy unless there's an affordability threshold. Very. • Do you have any concerns about the strategy or its implementation? What opportunities does this strategy present? Which organizations or community groups could the City partner with to better address this need? • Not sure who we have locally. Location of the buildings near services would be important. Looking at the transportation system - if you have mobility issues that's a bit problem. • Adult community center-door to door work with folks in the community. • Improving transportation options for seniors-shuttle, etc. • What's happened so far- hesitancy from the community.This pushes the smaller lots to the hinterlands. Seniors should be closer in to the town centers. • If you can build a large enough complex it'll fill. • Inclusionary zoning-subsidizing senior living. • Incentives for ADA features are a good idea. "Master on the main" features will be provided by the market in all likelihood. • New mixed use communities-apartments with commercial areas. • Areas with potential for redevelopment (older single family to newer single family) -town centers. If we don't want the redevelopment deep in the neighborhoods maybe we can densify our main corridors. Unannexed areas are a potential as well. • "Homeshare" I'd rather be in a very small condo. • Ashland -some cottage clusters recently completed.