Title
Resolution establishing the Pittsburgh Affordable Housing Implementation and Finance Committee.
Body
Whereas, much of the City’s housing stock is older and in need of repair, and many existing and prospective homeowners lack the resources to make necessary repairs. Repairing the existing housing stock helps to stabilize neighborhoods by maintaining property values in the surrounding neighborhood, reducing the incidence of vacancy and blight, and decreasing the need for City-funded demolition; and,
Whereas, much of the City’s housing stock is not energy efficient, and many property owners lack the resources to make energy efficiency improvements. Improving energy efficiency can help reduce utility costs and provide relief for families with severe housing cost burden. It can also help reduce the City’s carbon footprint; and,
Whereas, many Pittsburgh neighborhoods have very low rates of homeownership and high rates of absentee-owned properties. Increasing resident ownership of housing gives people more of a stake in the upkeep of their communities and helps to stabilize neighborhoods; and,
Whereas, the City is experiencing a shortage of decent, safe and sanitary housing that is affordable to extremely low-income families and individuals. The shortage of housing that is affordable to extremely low income families forces them to pay more for housing than they can afford, which reduces the supply of housing that would otherwise be available for families and individuals at other income levels and creates a ripple effect of unaffordability; and,
Whereas, over 23,000 Pittsburgh households are paying more than half of their household income on housing costs. This severe cost burden can make these households vulnerable to eviction, foreclosure, utility termination, and other hardships; and,
Whereas, many very-low income and extremely low-income families and individuals in Pittsburgh need better access to opportunity resources - such as public transportation, jobs, safe neighborhoods, high-quality schools, child care and grocery stores - that can help to improve their and their children’s health, safety and economic self-sufficiency; and,
Whereas, the City is also experiencing a shortage of decent, safe and sanitary housing that is accessible to people with mobility impairments and other disabilities; and,
Whereas, at any given time, there is an average of more than 2,000 homeless households on a waiting list for housing and homeless services in Pittsburgh and Allegheny County; and,
Whereas, existing affordable housing resources provide relatively short periods of affordability. This can cause the City to invest its limited resources into preserving the existing affordable housing stock instead of expanding the supply. Financing mission-driven developers and prioritizing permanent affordability will help maximize the effectiveness of the City’s housing resources; and,
Whereas, the City and its authorities have experienced steady decreases in funding from federal and state resources for investment in neighborhood development and affordable housing projects; and,
Whereas, establishing a Pittsburgh Affordable Housing Policy and Finance Committee will create methods to provide additional needed resources to help stabilize and improve Pittsburgh’s neighborhoods, to support the development and preservation of affordable and accessible housing in areas with good access to public transit, jobs, good schools, child care, grocery stores and other amenities that individuals and families need to improve their and their children’s health, safety and economic self-sufficiency, and to address other critical housing needs; and,
Be it therefore resolved by the Council of the City of Pittsburgh as follows:
Section 1. The Council of the City of Pittsburgh does hereby establish the Pittsburgh Affordable Housing Implementation and Finance Committee.
Section 2. The Purpose of the Pittsburgh Affordable Housing Implementation and Finance Committee is to recommend housing finance and implementation programs, policies and practices to the Mayor and City Council that:
a. Create and preserve affordable homeownership and rental housing
b. Strengthen and stabilize neighborhoods
c. Support working households, seniors and special needs populations
Section 3. The Pittsburgh Affordable Housing Implementation and Finance Committee will explore the policies, practices and processes of creating increased housing options in the City of Pittsburgh.
Section 4. The Pittsburgh Affordable Housing Implementation and Finance Committee will explore various financial tools to increase private and public investment including Affordable Housing Trusts, Affordable Housing Municipal Bonds, and Private Market incentives.
Section 5. The Pittsburgh Affordable Housing Implementation and Finance Committee will facilitate both private and public meetings investigate the creation of expanded housing options focusing on affordable housing both rental and homeownership.
Section 6. The Pittsburgh Affordable Housing Implementation and Finance Committee will review the findings and policy proposals of the Affordable Housing Task Force for possible recommendation and implementation.
Section 7. The Pittsburgh Affordable Housing Implementation and Finance Committee will submit quarterly reports to the Mayor and City Council detailing their progress and findings.
Section 8. The Pittsburgh Affordable Housing Implementation and Finance Committee shall be composed of:
1. The Mayor of the City of Pittsburgh or their designate;
2. Chief Economic Developmental Officer;
3. No fewer than two (2) and no more than four (4) members of Pittsburgh City Council as designated by the President of Council including:
a. A member who serves on the Board of Directors of the Urban Redevelopment Authority of Pittsburgh;
b. A member who serves on the Board of Directors of the Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh;
c. A member who serves on the City of Pittsburgh Land Bank;
4. Director of the Department of City Planning or their designate;
5. Executive Director of the Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh;
6. Executive Director of the Urban Redevelopment Authority of Pittsburgh;
7. Executive Director of the Pittsburgh Land Bank;
8. Other members at the discretion of the Committee.
Section 9. City Council’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Policy Analyst will serve as a staff for the Pittsburgh Affordable Housing Policy and Finance Committee.