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Springfield Affordable Housing News
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The Mayor, City Council and staff have been busy addressing housing needs in Springfield by implementing the Council's Strategies to create more affordable options across the housing continuum. Recent actions are listed under each of the Council's Strategies below.
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1. Expand Overnight Parking Program
Council Increased Funding
In September, City Council increased support from $10,000 to $37,000 to allow for a doubling of the number of sites hosting up to three vehicles/campers/trailers to accommodate otherwise homeless households. The City is encouraging churches and industrial sites to consider becoming a host as part of a supervised program. Contact Erin Fifield at
[email protected]
or 541.726.2302 if you know of a potential host site.
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2. Contribute to Income-Qualified Housing Development
RFP for Use of HOME Funds
The HOME Investment Partnership Program (HOME) funds come from the US Department of Housing and Urban Development and are available for projects in Springfield and Eugene. The HOME Consortium is seeking proposals for housing developments affordable to low-income persons. All potential applicants are encouraged to contact staff to discuss their project and must submit a letter of intent to apply by Thursday, October 18, 2018. Please see the Request for Proposals for more information.
Grand Opening of Myrtlewood
The grand opening for the Myrtlewood at 1072 Main Street is Tuesday, October 9 at 10:30 a.m. St. Vincent de Paul utilized HOME funds to build 34 apartments for low-income h
ouseholds, eight of which will target households with developmentally disabled persons.
Council Renewed a Tax Exemption for Low-Income Rental Housing
Last June, Council renewed the Low Income Rental Property Tax Exemption to incentivize creation of new rental housing for low-income households. This program is described in Section 3.500 of Chapter 3 in the Municipal Code
. This fall, other taxing entities such as the school districts, Willamalane Park and Recreation District, and Lane County, are considering if they will also support a property tax exemption.
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3. Encourage Construction of ADUs
New Video on ADUs
Check out the new video
that explains accessory dwelling units (ADUs) in Springfield. Staff shared the video at TinyFest Northwest this last weekend where Building Official David Bowlsby and Interim Community Development Manager Sandy Belson participated in panels about building codes for tiny homes and ADUs, respectively.
ADUs Allowed in the Urbanizable Fringe
Springfield City Council and Lane County Board of Commissioners adopted amendments in June/July that allow ADUs in the urbanizable fringe (the area between the city limits and the urban growth boundary (UGB). ADUs are now allowed on all residentially-zoned property within the city limits and the UGB. For a summary of the code requirements, please see the updated ADU brochure
.
SUB Reduces SDCs
At the City's request, Springfield Utility Board (SUB) reviewed the System Development Charge (SDC) methodology and decided to charge a subset of applicable SDCs for an ADU, reducing the charge by $625 in most cases and $1,997 for ADUs constructed at higher elevations. These reductions complement the payment of regional wastewater SDCs by the Metropolitan Wastewater Management Commission on behalf of the homeowner, and the City's waiver of SDCs.
SUB also refined its management practice to remove the cost of cutting the street to tap the water main in those cases where the water main is located on the other side of the street. Instead, if the service line to the main house is sufficient to serve the ADU, the tap to the service line would be just before the existing water meter. SUB will continue to require installation of a separate water meter for the service to the ADU. See the memo from Jeff Nelson to read more about SUB's efforts to reduce costs for adding an ADU.
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4. Secure Property for Targeted Residential Development
RFP for Redevelopment of 725 S. 57th Street The Council identified city-owned property at 725 S. 57th Street as a site for targeted residential development. The City is seeking proposals from developers to create new housing for homeownership by low-moderate-income households. The 1.22 acre site is zoned low-density residential. The City would award the chosen developer Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds to acquire the property, and potentially pay for "soft" costs and required improvements within the 57th Street right-of-way. See the full Request for Proposal for CDBG Housing 725 S. 57th Street for more information. Proposals are due by 2 p.m. on Monday, October 15, 2018. |
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5. Assist Homeowners with CDBG Funds
Springfield Home Repair Program
Between July 1, 2017 and June 30, 2018, Springfield provided assistance to 64 households who needed repairs to their homes. The program provides up to $5,000 in CDBG funds to very low-income property owners to correct conditions that create a threat to the health and safety of the occupants. CDBG funds continue to be available to help additional very low-income households repair their homes or make them accessible. For more information contact Penny Olsen at
[email protected]
or 541.736.1039.
Springfield Home Ownership Program (SHOP)
Between July 1, 2017 and June 30, 2018, Springfield provided down-payment assistance to eight low-income homeowners through 0% interest, deferred repayment loans of up to $7,000. CDBG funds continue to be available to help additional low-income households become homeowners. Download an application form and review the income limits
here
.
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6 . Promote Housing of Diverse Types
Presentation on Multi-Family Housing
Through an AARP grant, LOCUS-Smart Growth America is providing technical assistance to the City of Springfield to provide a developer's perspective on how to increase capacity to meet the market demand for multi-family housing in Springfield. The consultants will also make a recommendation as to whether a property tax exemption would be a viable tool to stimulate development of a greater diversity of housing types. LOCUS members will be sharing their findings in a virtual meeting on Friday, October 12 from 1 to 3 p.m. in the Jesse Maine Room of Springfield City Hall.
Please RSVP
to Sandy Belson at
[email protected]
or 541.736.7135.
Launch of Development Code Update
Senior Planner Mark Rust has launched the Development Code Update in work sessions with City Council (September 10 and October 1) and Planning Commission (September 18). The purpose of the project is to change the Code to support efficient, timely, and clear development review. The updated Development Code will support Springfield's economic development priorities and honor Springfield's home town feel now and in the future. One aspect of the project is to include clear and objectives standards for housing. To be included in the interested parties list, please provide contact information to Mark Rust at
[email protected]
or 541.726.3654.
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