Seems like a no-brainer, right? Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha . . . it’s not, and it’s not the neighborhood that is likely to be the problem . . . please tell your alders (allalders@cityofmadison.com) and supervisors (county_board_recipients@co.dane.wi.us ) to help support affordable housing in this location!!!
Here’s the resolution that will be introduced tonight at the county board to provide affordable housing for families and an email from Supervisor Heidi Wegleitner who is the main sponsor along with some other information. At a time of intense investment in the East Wash corridor and a massive increase in luxury rentals, we must use the power of local government to build intentionally inclusive and equitable development! It will take a strong County-City-private sector collaboration to make this happen. Your vocal support can make that happen. MMSD has already identified 1100 homeless school kids this school year? We cannot count on the federal and state government to address our affordable housing crisis, we need to lead locally!
If you support this idea, please contact your elected representatives in County and City government. Emailing all alders (allalders@cityofmadison.com) and all supervisors (county_board_recipients@co.dane.wi.us ). If you want specific contact information or want to call them (what a concept!) here is the individual contact info for alders and supervisors. Make sure to include you address and personalize your emails. Most elected officials tally the results and respond only to their own constituents or people they know.
EMAIL TO NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION
Folks,
Attached please find a resolution to designate the County owned property at and near Messner’s (1326 E. Washington Ave) for a mixed income housing project that includes housing designated for very low income and extremely low income families. It will be introduced tomorrow and is expected to be on the agenda for the Personnel & Finance Committee on Jan. 30. If approved there, it would be on the County Board agenda Feb. 9. We’re trying to move forward deliberately and transparently and have built in many opportunities for public input. If the RFP is awarded to a developer at the County Board’s August meeting (which would happen by separate resolution), it would be possible for the developer to apply for WHEDA tax credits in November. We also are sensitive to concerns regarding the property languishing in its current vacant state.
This is just the beginning of the process. As you’ll see in the attached timeline, this resolution is to designate the property for this purpose and set forth a process for drafting the RFP, after a neighborhood meeting and consideration by the Personnel & Finance Committee. I know folks have many good ideas for what should be part of the RFP and I look forward to hearing more from you. The resolution provides one seat each for TLNA, TLNA’s alder, and TLNA’s supervisor on the RFP selection committee, in addition to one seat each for City and County staff. The award of the RFP requires final approval by the County Board and would be introduced by a separate resolution, which is expected to happen late July of this year. As you’ll see, the County hopes to partner with the City of Madison on this project.
I appreciate all the feedback I’ve received as I’ve been preparing this resolution, including the support from the TLNA Council.
Please let me know if you have any questions.
Thanks,
Heidi M. Wegleitner
County Board, District 2
333-3676
2016 RES – REDEVELOPMENT OF FORMER MESSNER PROPERTIES FOR AFFORDABLE RENTAL HOUSING FOR FAMILIES
In late 2015, Dane County purchased three parcels of property at or near 1326 E. Washington Avenue in the City of Madison for potential use as a comprehensive day resource center to serve persons experiencing homelessness. In 2016, Dane County purchased property at 615 E. Washington Ave., a site closer to downtown shelter and services, and secured a conditional use permit to operate the day resource center at that location. The parcels of property at and near 1326 E. Washington Ave. are now available for redevelopment for another purpose.
The 2015 Dane County Housing Needs Assessment identified a significant affordable housing shortage in Dane County, requiring the creation of tens of thousands of new units over the next 25 years and significant rent burdens for low income households. The most serious housing barriers exist for those at or below 30% of County Median Income (CMI) which the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development identifies as “extremely low income”.
The lack of affordable housing has a direct impact on the well-being and educational achievement of children in Dane County. In the 2015-2016 school year, the Madison Metropolitan School District identified over 1300 homeless school children and 1100 students have already been identified in the 2016-2017 school year. A disproportionate number of homeless students are students of color.
In 2015, Dane County established an affordable housing development fund to dedicate capital funding to address our affordable housing shortage. Each year, Dane County has partnered with the City of Madison on a joint project of permanent supportive housing and continues to collaborate with the City of Madison and the Homeless Services Consortium of Dane County on the Zero Initiative which seeks to end homelessness for 400 families by 2017. Creating new housing units targeted to homeless families is key to achieving our goal to end family homelessness.
NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that Dane County designate its property at and near 1326 E. Washington Ave., Madison, WI for a development project that includes mixed income residential rental housing, including affordable rental housing for very low income (below 50% county median income) and extremely low income families (below 30% county median income).
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that Dane County shall not operate the residential rental housing, but will select an operator through a request for proposals (RFP).
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that Dane County shall hold a public meeting in the Tenney Lapham neighborhood for gathering community input to guide the drafting of the RFP for the housing development project.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the RFP be approved by the Personnel & Finance Committee prior to its issuance.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a RFP for a housing project developer partner be issued in 2017.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that Dane County Affordable Housing Development funds be made available for the development of this project.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the County shall seek to partner with the City of Madison on this development project.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the RFP evaluation team include the following: a representative from the Tenney Lapham Neighborhood Association, City of Madison Community Development Staff, Dane County Affordable Housing Development Fund Staff, District 2 City Alder, and the District 2 County Supervisor; and
BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED that the award of the RFP shall require County Board approval.
HERE’S THE PROPOSED TIMELINE
MESSNER PROPERTY – 2017 PROPOSED RESOLUTION AND RFP TIMELINE
Jan. 26 Introduction of resolution to designate county property for housing development project
Jan. 30 Resolution considered by Personnel & Finance committee at 5:30 PM
Feb. 9 Resolution expected to be considered by County Board
Late Feb- Early March Community meeting to be held to gather input for RFP drafting
March 23 Personnel & Finance Committee to take public comment on draft RFP
April RFP is drafted by affordable housing development staff
May 8 Personnel & Finance Committee considers RFP approval
June 30 RFP closes
July RFP team selects proposal from RFP responses
August 17 County Board considers approval of RFP award
WHAT WILL THE OPPOSITION SAY
Names have been removed to protect the innocent . . .
Thanks for the opportunity to weigh in. I have a few thoughts.
First, I very much appreciate the County’s willingness to make this site available for affordable housing. That said, I think we would be well served by taking the time to have a conversation about it with them. A couple of points to consider. Soon, Stonehouse will begin construction of an affordable housing project on the 1000 block of East Wash/East Mifflin. Later this year, the Salvation Army intends to seek City and WHEDA support for a mixed-income affordable housing project as part of its redevelopment of the 600 Block of East. Wash. Across the street, the County is scheduled to open the day resource center by September.
Setting aside neighborhood reactions, are we okay with this or is it too much concentration? I note the County resolution doesn’t appear to be calling for a Rethke-like permanent supportive housing development to serve homeless persons. It’s something we’d want to confirm because the resolution language is a little bit unclear. But if true, it means a project at the Messners’ site will look more like the Stonehouse and Salvation Army projects than not – 60-70 units of affordable housing, about 8-10 units of which will serve very low income households.
I also wonder if this is an ideal location for family housing, especially for children? Might there be interest in selling the Messners property and using the proceeds to acquire a more family-friendly location? Without wanting to appear to be looking the County gift horse in the mouth, I just think it would be worthwhile for all of us to sit down and consider all the options before charging ahead.
An affordable housing project at Messners like that envisioned in the draft resolution will need low income housing tax credits. Its first chance to compete for them won’t come before November 2017, and it would take quite an effort for a developer to be ready by then. So we have some time.
Sigh . . . there are things to discuss and I understand people wanting to be cautious (and not “charge ahead”) but that is kind of why we are where we are at with affordable housing . . . too much hand wringing, this should be a no-brainer. The content in this email that bothers me the most is that people think they should sell the land and find someplace more appropriate. PUH-LEASE. Affordable housing is appropriate everywhere there is housing. There is no such thing as too much of a concentration of it given the need to build 26,000 units in the next 20 years to meet the needs in our community. Maybe that argument might be better made in Allied . . . oh, but wait, when the city worked to build affordable housing in that community (3 different projects – Prairie Crossing, Revival Ridge and Avalon Village) it was to “revitalize” the neighborhood because the affordable housing was a higher quality. Why can’t people have higher quality housing in a GREAT location . . . right by a school (Lapham, East and Marquette are not far), great public transportation, the grocery store just went in, several parks (including a skate park) within a 3 – 5 blocks (Reynolds, Central, Tenney, Burr Jones) – what’s not good about this location?
Please urge your elected officials to support!
