1

Eugene’s Affordable Housing Strategy

2

Lane County

3

Housing Affordability in the Eugene-Springfield Metro Area

19% of population live in poverty

Median family income grew by 2% while median gross rent grew by 20% between 1970 and 2007.

55% of renters and 32% of homeowners have a housing cost burden.

74% of low- and extremely low-income renters have a housing cost burden.

Homeownership rate has fallen to 50%.

4

Eugene’s Primary Strategies for Increasing Affordable Housing Supply

Increase the supply of new affordable housing throughout the community through landbanking, construction subsidies, SDC waivers, and tax exemptions.

Preserve and improve existing affordable owner and renter housing stock through acquisition grants, rehabilitation loans, tax exemptions and emergency home repair loans and grants.

Create permanent supportive housing for persons with special needs including persons with mental illness, addictions, ex-offenders, and others.

Remove barriers to housing access and affirmatively further fair housing through rental housing code and education.

5

Eugene’s Approach to Equitable Distribution of Affordable Housing

In 1968, Eugene leaders recognized decline of housing supply affordable to low to middle-income families and concluded the City should endeavor to provide maximum choice of housing for all its residents. Eugene creates its first Housing Policy Statement which recommends an array of actions.

Between 1969 and 1983, Eugene develops and refines its Housing Dispersal Policy to guide the development of decent, safe and sanitary housing for low-income families in suitable areas.

In order to achieve the goals of the Housing Dispersal Policy, Eugene identifies landbanking as a way to increase the supply of affordable housing and ensure that its placement does not exacerbate concentrations of poverty.

6

Impact of Landbanking

90 acres acquired with first site purchase in 1979

22 projects with 828 units have been developed since 1990

133 units in pipeline

7

Landbanking Benefits Achieved dispersal of affordable housing throughout community with

access to public transit and services.

Fosters development capacity among nonprofit and public developers.

Uses limited resources efficiently and creates coordinated allocation process for multiple resources.

Achieve early community buy-in and acceptance of sites.

Site control and early local commitment leverages state and federal resources.

8

WestTown on 8th

Landbank Site Parcel Size: .95 acres Purchase Price: $570,000

Project Features 102 affordable rental units and 9

market rate live-work rental units. Affordable units targeted to

families, individuals, and seniors at or below 60% of median income.

Neighborhood Features Downtown location within a half

mile of grocery store and retail. Close to downtown transit center.

Access to new Bus Rapid Transit system and all major bus routes.

Project Financing 4% LIHTC Conduit Bond Financing

Local Financial Subsidies CDBG (land cost) Eugene General Funds Lane County Road Funds HOME Funds Eugene SDC Waivers EWEB SDC Waivers

Total Project Cost: $19,700,808

9

Bascom VillageLandbank Site Parcel Size: 6 acres Purchase Price: $580,000 in 1997

Project Features 101 affordable rental units to be

developed in two phases. Families, individuals, and seniors

at or below 50% of median income.

Community center, play areas, and open space.

Neighborhood Features Located near major areas of

employment and services. Elementary school and park within

a quarter mile. Near major public transportation

routes. Close to medical facilities.

Anticipated Project Financing 9% LIHTC OHCS Trust Fund OHCS GHAP

City Contributions - $2,113,088 CDBG (land) - $390,000 City General Funds (land) - $190,000 CDBG (infrastructure) - $346,136 HOME Funds - $713,013 Eugene SDC Waivers - $473,939 20 Year Property Tax Exemption

Total Estimated Project Cost: $17,496,231

10

Opportunities and Challenges for the Future

11

Created through a three-year HUD Sustainable Communities Regional Planning Grant and includes a dozen public and nonprofit partners.

Focused on strengthening linkages between housing, transportation, economic development, and public health.

Fostered new relationships and identify opportunities for collective impact among partners to link plans and investments, share data, and prioritize use of resources to achieve multiple benefits.

All products will be available at www.livabilitylane.org

Lane Livability Consortium

12

Equity and

Opportunity

Social and Demographic

Characterisitcs

Income and Poverty

Housing Access

Educational Opportunity

Employment Opportunities

Transportation Accesss

Safety, Health and Wellness

Equity and Opportunity Assessment

Multi agency process to identify key equity and opportunity indicators

Resulted in 70 comparable maps in 7 categories

Maps coupled with extensive outreach, surveys and focus groups with Latino and affordable housing residents

13

Demographically Vulnerable Populations Composite

14

Economically Vulnerable Populations Composite

15

St. Vincent de Paul using results of survey and focus groups to retool resident services to focus on access to opportunity.

City of Eugene and Lane County have partnered with Oregon Health Authority to conduct a HIA on affordable housing.

Lane Workforce Partnership partnering with affordable housing providers to give residents greater access to work readiness programs.

New understanding of need for transportation safety improvements around affordable housing developments.

Early Tangible Results from EOA

16

Supply of affordable housing is simply not keeping up with the needs created by demographic and economic changes.

Increasingly strict HUD requirements for committing/expending funds make it difficult for Eugene to provide “patient” project subsidies.

Providers have difficulty accessing the operating funds needs for special needs populations even if capital funds are available.

The growing number of homeless persons combined with reductions in services have overwhelmed human service and supportive housing systems. Eugene has spent enormous resources trying to meet the emergency housing needs.

Eugene’s Housing Challenges

17

New 20-year comprehensive plan, Envision Eugene, has provided opportunity to create clear connection with Consolidated Plan and Fair Housing.

Development of 2015 Consolidated Plan and Fair Housing Plan offer opportunity to reconsider goals, priorities, and strategies.

Lane Livability Consortium has created a better framework for understanding housing impacts and working across sectors and issue areas.

Eugene’s Housing Opportunities