Title
Resolution to Create a Policy Directing Proceeds from Sale of Public Land
Body
Whereas, It is a Community Value in the City Ann Arbor and the County of Washtenaw to provide housing and human services for the area's most vulnerable citizens;
Whereas, It is a Community Goal in the City of Ann Arbor to provide high quality, safe, efficient, and affordable housing choices to meet the current and future needs of our community, particularly for homeless and low-income households;
Whereas, It is a Community Goal in the City of Ann Arbor to provide services that meet basic human needs of impoverished and disenfranchised residents to maximize the health and well-being of the community;
Whereas, In 2004, the Washtenaw Housing Alliance, along with hundreds of partners in our community created "A Blueprint to End Homelessness" with a goal to increase the number of permanent supportive housing units by 500 by 2014;
Whereas, Since 2004, only 323 affordable rental units have been added County wide, 100 units have been removed, and 79 have been converted to market rate units for a net gain of only 156 units;
Whereas, The most recent "Point in Time" count of homeless individuals (2011) was 4,738;
Whereas, The Ann Arbor Housing Commission received over 17,500 applications for its 1,400 housing choice vouchers in a 48 hour period in August of 2012;
Whereas, The Ann Arbor Public Housing wait list has over 4,000 people on it currently;
Whereas, The City of Ann Arbor manages and maintains 355 low income housing units in 67 buildings with an identified need for investment of $14.5 million over the next 15 years;
Whereas, For many years, the City appropriated funds to the Ann Arbor Housing Trust Fund for the purpose of supporting projects that create, retain, rehabilitate or preserve long term affordable housing;
Whereas, In 1996, City Council created a policy to direct a portion of the proceeds from the sale of public land to the Housing Trust Fund (R-176-4-96) and in 1998, City Council revised that policy to dedicate all of the proceeds to the Housing Trust Fund (R-481-11-98);
Whereas, In 2007, The City Council revoked Resolution R-481-11-98;
Whereas, The City has recently revised our zoning to reduce or eliminate PUD's, which were another contributing source to the Housing Trust Fund;
Whereas, The Community's need for affordable housing continues to outpace our ability to provide units, and there is no policy in place currently to direct funds to the Housing Trust Fund, and;
WHEREAS, There is no policy in place to direct proceeds from the sale of publicly owned land;
RESOLVED, That proceeds from the sale of public land in the City of Ann Arbor be directed first to reimburse any funds expended relating to the disposition of the property. Of the remaining proceeds, if the property is in the Downtown Development Authority District 5% are to be directed for public plaza or open space creation, renovation or improvements within the DDA District; 10% are to be directed to any project designated in the City's Capital Improvement Plan, and 85% are to be directed to the Ann Arbor Housing Trust Fund, all regardless of budget year.
Sponsored by: Council Member Sandi Smith