The Affordable Housing Incentives Task Force

The City Council got spooked by spiraling condo prices downtown last summer.  It did what city councils everywhere do when they get spooked:  it created a task force.  The Affordable Housing Incentives Task Force opened for business back in July.  As its name implies, the Task Force is working the incentives angle; it's leaving subsidies to the advocates and the city.

Here is the Task Force's draft report.

The Task Force has both affordable housing advocates and developers -- i.e., people who want more affordable housing and people who know the obstacles.  That's a good combination.  It's produced some good suggestions, at any rate.  For example, the draft report suggests automatically up-zoning low-density multi-family to high-density multi-family if the developer agrees to set aside 10% of the units as affordable housing.  The new project would have to meet neighborhood compatibility standards, but FAR requirements would be waived.  This would permit densification in neighborhood interiors, where it is needed the most.

The Task Force is spiked with ANC representatives.  They don't seem too excited about the relaxed multi-family standards.  I'm shocked.