The Affordable Housing Action Alliance was formed in 1998 and has been working on Affordable Housing issues ever since. It’s a small group of dedicated people trying to move the needle. They recently asked the the Mayor and alder candidates 6 questions and school board candidates 2 questions – here are the answers! (Note: Many chose not to answer, including Soglin.) Just how important is affordable housing to the candidates – beyond the campaign . . .
PEOPLE WHO CHOSE NOT TO ANSWER
Mayor Candidates
Paul Soglin
Unchallenged alders
1- Barbara McKinney
4- Mike Verveer
5- Shiva Bidar
6 – Marsha Rummel
9- Paul Skidmore
11- Arvina Martin
14 – Sheri Carter
16- Michael Tierney
18- Rebecca Kemble
Opposed Candidates
2 – Jim White
3 – Lindsey Lemmer
7 – Badri Linkella
7 – Donna Hurd
10 – Kristin Johnson
10 – Zach Hernak (sp?)
12 – Syed Abbas
15 – Grant Foster
15 – Angela Jenkins
17 – Samba Baldeh
17 – James Mitchell Creighton
19 – Keith Furman
19 – Allison Martinson
20 – Christian Albouras
School Board
4 – Ali Muldrow
4 – David Blaska
5 – Ananda Mirilli
QUESTION 1
What will you do to create more housing in Madison that is affordable to people with incomes at or below 30% of the area median income?
MAYOR – SATYA RHODES CONWAY
As Mayor of Madison, affordable housing will be at the top of my agenda. While I believe it is critical to create housing that is affordable for folks at all income levels, I know it is critical to ensure housing for folks at or below 30% AMI. As Mayor, I will work in collaboration with the County, the United Way, non-profit housing developers, and other partners to make sure we are best leveraging our resources and coordinating our work. Creating units that are affordable at this level will require significant subsidies, so we will need to consider how we can find that funding – possibilities include the Affordable Housing Trust Fund (and giving bonus points to projects with housing at this level) , supplementing Section 8 funds locally, lobbying the state and/or working with the CDA. I will also explore how to make the development process easier for projects that include affordable housing.
In addition, we have to make sure that we we create housing for people who are currently homeless, we are providing adequate support and services in conjunction with that housing. That likely includes funding for non-profit services, but also training in Housing First best practices and trauma informed care. And we need to provide extra support to both surrounding neighborhoods and new residents when these projects open to ease the transition and help build community.
DISTRICT 2 – PATRICK HECK
Madison’s Affordable Housing Fund can help support more housing for residents in the bottom income tier and has been effective in recent years in leveraging additional resources. I will support increasing the budget for the Fund particularly for addressing the lowest income population. In addition, I support deploying the strategies I discuss below in Question 2 to people both below and just above the 30% threshold.
DISTRICT 3 – MIKE CERRO
This is a big issue and sadly, one that is not being addressed very well by the villages and towns that make up Dane County.
The City of Madison has taken on the burden single handidly for years, yet the housing issue is too large for one community to handle by itself.
We need Dane County to step up to the plate and take the lead in developing affordable housing in the surrounding communities.
Dane County still as of this month has no plan in place to work toward a solution to this housing issue.
I would work with the Common Council and provide guidance and advice to Dane County in their development of a plan to build more affordable housing in the towns and villages and throughout the surrounding communities in Dane County.
DISTRICT 8 – AVRA REDDY
I plan to uphold and increase our commitment to Madison’s Affordable Housing Fund to create an adequate supply of housing that fits that criteria.
DISTRICT 8 – MATTHEW MITNICK
It is vital to create affordable housing options in Madison, especially for people with incomes at or below the 30% area median income. With my district in particular being primarily students who are also paying college tuition, affordable housing is one of my greatest priorities. If we want to address other community issues, having sustainable and affordable housing is a must. Here is an example of an affordable housing project that I would propose and support: Co-op housing is an approach that can increase low income housing to meet resident needs. I would explore limited or zero-equity affordable housing co-ops, market rate co-ops, or rental / leasehold co-ops. In my model housing project, I would implement a rental / leasehold co-op.
By having residents collectively share costs, there will be less avenues for bankruptcy, foreclosure, and eviction. Residents will collectively commune with one another to build a sense of community – helping one another be better contributing members of society as a result. A nonprofit would own the building and rent to those who are unable to pay for a share in the collective cost. There will be lower maintenance, administrative, and operational costs. With less crime, areas around such developments will improve. I propose implementing this project in the area around the controversial 222 N. Charter St. development. A 6 story, 40 unit project would go a long way. Affordable housing rents are about 30% one’s gross monthly housing income. This is a hard number to quantify for students, many of which do not have full time jobs. In this case, I would suggest exploring low-income housing tax credits for developers to leave open a select amount of affordable units. Further, public housing that is government owned is also an option. Ideally, rents would be around $350 per month with attached units (1 bedroom) being 650 square feet.
There would be communal rooms and shared spaces for childcare, recreation, and communal activities. Additional funding could be subsidized from an affordable housing fund.
I envision projects that will benefit students in my district, but will also benefit the
Madison market as a whole. I am particularly interested in the Community GroundWorks at Troy Gardens affordable housing model, as it looks to be an innovative solution to rising housing costs. I do not think that expensive high density development is necessarily the answer, as this is pricing us out of our own neighborhood. University Housing has its prices driven by city market values, which is why the average dormitory price is over $900 per month. Although I cannot directly control dormitory prices as Alder, I can work to control the market value of development. We should incentivize developers to make housing affordable through exploring whether we can reopen the TIF districts (tax increment financing) and promoting cooperative housing, like I detailed above.
This is why Adrian Lampron, my campaign Field Director, shared my statement at the Planning Commission back in December as to why the 222 N. Charter Street high density development proposal should be rejected. And thankfully it was denied.
We need to make sure that housing not only falls within the purview of zoning guidelines, but that new development (even if its high density) has affordable set-aside requirements to ensure a certain percentage of units are affordable. Charging students $2,000 per month is simply not sustainable.
I will fight for affordable housing by subsidizing housing developments with TIF (Tax Increment Financing) money to raise post-project asset values, as well as bring rents down through capital redevelopment projects. It is also important to go after HUD (Housing & Urban Development) money, apply for opportunity zone funding, and go after federal and state grants. Affordable housing, density controls, regulations of high impact development in residential areas, and traffic monitoring will be promoted.
DISTRICT 12 – DIANE FARSETTA
Madison needs more affordable housing units at all levels, but especially for extremely-low income people at 30 percent of area median income. Even an efficiency at fair market rent for Dane County (estimated at $769 by the National Low Income Housing Coalition) is unaffordable for someone making 30 percent AMI; their affordable rent limit is $560 per month.
I support growing the city’s Affordable Housing Fund, including by exploring revolving loan funds, general obligation bonds and development impact fees. We should set criteria for these city funds that prioritize the creation of affordable units at 30% AMI. We should also use city funds to further lower the rents for lower-income tenants in affordable housing built with WHEDA subsidies.
I support establishing community land trusts, the same approach used by Troy Gardens Cohousing. Community land trusts allow for permanently-affordable residential and commercial spaces, even in areas of rising value. The city should also encourage private sector responses, such as cooperative or or other house-sharing arrangements, and rehabilitation of existing affordable housing stock.
DISTRICT 13 – TAG EVERS
The city has two main tools for building affordable housing: WHEDA tax credits and TIF. WHEDA tax credits, from what I understand, are typically used for higher income levels. TIF can be used to leverage developers to provide more affordable housing, and when funding is combined with the Affordable Housing Fund, developers should be required to set aside 20-25% of the unites for 30% AMI and below, including units for homeless families and individuals. Supportive services must be provided commensurate to need.
DISTRICT 13 – DAVID HOFFERT
The only way we’re going to get enough housing in Madison that is affordable for our neediest residents is by insisting on it, by which I mean providing strong incentives for developers to build units for 30% AMI and providing strong disincentives for developers to only build market rate units. I would continue to use the Affordable Housing Fund to support developers who are willing to build affordable units, and would continue to require that a certain portion of that fund specifically go to 30% AMI units. I also support what Satya Rhodes-Conway has been saying about cutting red tape and various other requirements for developers when and only when they are including affordable units in their developments. We can build on that by making the process ever more streamlined the more affordable units, and the more 30% AMI units specifically, a developer is willing to commit to.
DISTRICT 20 – ERICA JANISCH
Work with legislators to increase minimum wage so people don’t have to live in poverty. This way they can live where they want instead of areas the city chooses to close them off in.
QUESTION 2
In the Housing Needs Assessment for Dane County and its municipalities in 2015, researcher Kurt Paulsen found that our area will need 1,000 new units of affordable housing built each year for the next 26 years. How are we going to do that?
MAYOR – SATYA RHODES CONWAY
There are three key strategies to promote affordable housing that I will employ; 1) preserve existing affordable housing and improve its quality, 2) produce more units of housing – both market rate and affordable, 3) support tenants and prevent evictions to address housing instability caused by eviction and non-renewal of leases. In addition to these key strategies, I recognize that we will need a broad range of solutions.
In order to produce more units of housing, as Mayor I will, 1) fully leverage Tax Increment Financing [TIF] and the Affordable Housing Trust Fund to encourage the production of more affordable units in all neighborhoods and 2) explore waiving requirements like parking minimums and setbacks, and allowing a density bonus for projects containing significant number of affordable units, and projects located near transportation hubs.
I will support housing cooperatives as an affordable solution for people of all ages and all walks of life, nurture the creation of more tiny house villages, advance land banking for affordable housing, and encourage land trusts as an affordable ownership solution. I would like to explore how to encourage the production of affordable condos or the conversion of apartments into condos as a way to promote affordable homeownership, build wealth and ease the rental demand.
I will also work to strengthen and support programs that provide low income loans and free assistance for home improvement programs, which can ensure housing is safe and comfortable. Further, I’ll work to establish and promote programs that help reduce utility costs through efficiency, conservation and renewable energy, and to site transit and affordable housing in close proximity to help reduce transportation costs.
Our community planning process (neighborhood plans, the zoning code and the Comprehensive Plan) have identified areas within the City that are suitable for increased residential investments. To meet our housing needs we will need to build both affordable and market rate units in these areas. As the Mayor of Madison I will encourage decisions to increase housing quantity and density in accordance with community approved plans.
DISTRICT 2 – PATRICK HECK
In addition to the Affordable Housing Fund, the Section 42 Low Income Housing Tax Credit program continues to enable a number of new-construction affordable housing developments around the City. This has resulted in a significant increase in the number of affordable units across the city with many more on the way. This proven method, which has been effective around the country, should be continued and the funds available to the city’s Affordable Housing Fund should be expanded.
The City should also adopt policies that tie the provision of any city funds to an extension of affordability commitments that WHEDA may require. For example, The Valor project that will provide housing for veteran-led families on E. Washington will remain affordable for 99 years rather than the typical 15- to 20-year commitments that WHEDA requires because the County is leasing the land to the developer for a nominal fee. The City should take similar approaches in other cases to continue expanding the availability of affordable housing.
TIF funding should be directed towards truly blighted areas for economic development purposes, but should also be used to encourage projects to provide bona fide affordable housing, as opposed to luxury housing and amenities for market rate developments.
Zoning regulations could be refined to incentivize additional affordable housing development. Currently in Urban Design District 8, bonus stories are sometimes allowed on high rises if a variety of criteria are met, one of which is the inclusion of affordable units. The rewards for affordability could be strengthened and given extra weight in any calculation of the multiple factors that determine eligibility for bonuses or exceptions.
But we can’t look only to new construction as the strategy for solving this problem. Building new is expensive and almost always requires some type of subsidy for affordable housing to be cost-effective. Renovation of older housing or conversion of existing buildings can create less expensive housing. We need to look at ways to support the renovation of existing stock into affordable units of all kinds, from SRO options to family-sized dwellings. Small Cap TIF is one such strategy. We need to develop others.
Renovating and maintaining existing housing stock also contributes to keeping a neighborhood economically viable, as well as culturally and demographically diverse.
That said there is no single answer or model that will generate or maintain a sufficient stock of affordable housing. A variety of approaches will be required including:
● Continue the City’s process of purchasing available properties in appropriate locations and land banking these parcels for affordable housing as has been done at Union Corners.
● Community land trusts, several of which have been very successful in providing affordable ownership and rental opportunities, should be supported and expanded.
● Support a variety of housing options that provide a mix of unit types such as co-housing and grand family units, as well as more tiny houses.
● Madison has had a strong housing cooperative presence that has provided affordable housing for decades. Other intentional communities are also becoming more popular and can reduce housing costs. Options to expand these types of housing need to be explored and the city should promote its benefits for all ages and demographics.
● Work with employers who are looking to provide housing for employees convenient to the places of work.
In evaluating different models or proposals for affordable housing, I would look for factors such as location of units in all areas of the city. I support blending levels of housing, subsidized and market rate, to avoid socio-economic stratification and separation. New ideas or new versions of old ideas, such as rooming houses with meal plans, should be on the table.
DISTRICT 3 – MIKE CERRO
You have referenced the report by Kurt Paulsen Assoc. Prof. UW-Madison, provided to Dane County Health and Human Needs Committee, Dane County Department of Human Services and Dane County Planning and Development Department in 2015 titled “Housing Needs Assessment”.
I have read through this report, and developed several concerns with it that I have reached out to the author in regard, and am still awaiting his response.
In short, the author states that “These data are very cumbersome to acquire and work with because of HUD’s antiquated computer system and the format in which the data are available.” The author further states, that the calculations are essentially estimates, and that it is understood that the data that is prone to a percentage of error without the author giving any indication of the percent error accounted for in the data.
The author uses data from the ACS survey which only surveys 16.7% of the households in any given survey period and in a given geographical area. This ACS data has low income level errors, and by the ACS surveys’ own admission these are up to 25% in error.
The author in an early draft version had to revise and make Major changes from August 2014 draft: His earlier draft over-estimated the number of cost-burdened renter households by over 5,000 households as he had not removed college students from the Madison numbers. The report is prone to over-estimates of the number of households that are ‘cost burdened’.
In a review of the report for AMI at 30% and 50% range, there is no breakdown as to what percent of those households with a high school degree, no H.S. degree, some college, etc. There is no data is provided to give reference or relative perspective of who might be in the lower AMI ranges by educational level.
The ACS Survey, and the McKinney-Vento methodology assumes certain patterns of living arraingements are the norm, and then makes an assumptions about how people want to live. For example, the Hmong ethnic people are known to have a large family structure that often has several generations living together by choice, this would be erronesously categorized as a household that is ‘cost burdened’ by the report regardless of their culture. The 2015 Housing Needs Assessment does not drill down into the data to indicate what amount of those individuals in the ACS survey actually desire to live together, or needed to live in a combined households.
In table 6.2 of the 2015 Housing Needs Assessment, the author provides a range of AMI individuals from 0% to 30%. How is a household at 0% of AMI (no income), or even at 20%, able to rent or own and by definition be a ‘household’? The housing unit at that price point does not even exist in the county, therefore the category likely does not exist. At 10% AMI for 1 person the 30% rent level would be $141.70 per month, I would suggest such a ” household ” does not in fact even exist in Dane County.
Further, the 2015 titled “Housing Needs Assessment” does not adequtely verify or take into consideration the 28,000 households in Dane County that are receiving child support; as none of this income is reported on federal or state tax documents by the recipeint. The ACS survey doesn’t take into consideration the payee’s reduction in income, and there is no reference check to verify that these recipients of child support are accurately providing or even disclosing the child support income on the ACS survey.
These errors all combine to sway the numbers and exaggerate the ‘cost burdened households’ in the county. There is a disconnect between the 2015 Housing Needs Assessment, and the ACS Survey from which the Housing Needs Assessment derives much of its data. Given above examples and the known errors in the data, the 2015 Housing Needs Assessment erroneously inflates the housing needs ‘gap’.
Finally, for research to be granted a degree of validity, and acceptance, it is usually reviewed. The 2015 Housing Needs Assessment report does not appear to have been peer reviewed.
DISTRICT 8 – AVRA REDDY
By making the best use of the resources for housing that we have at our disposal here in Madison, including land, and by investing in the Affordable Housing Fund to ensure that the capital to build housing is present.
DISTRICT 8 – MATTHEW MITNICK
I will work with local developers, local banks, and the City of Madison’s economic development department to explore all options. These include federal and state grants, federal HUD (Housing and Urban Development) / CDBG (Community Development Block Grants) funds. Like I mentioned above, I will explore Tax Increment Financing and the use of density bonuses for zoning. I will look at creating incentives for the for-profit developers to create affordable housing units in projects, such as through affordable housing set-asides. I will fight for section 8 vouchers to be more flexible and accessible to residents.
DISTRICT 12 – DIANE FARSETTA
We need to expand the Affordable Housing Fund, use Tax Increment Financing (TIF) to add affordable housing and increase housing density where supported by neighborhood plans. The city should explore allowing greater density for residential projects with a significant percentage of affordable units.
We should also help people move from renting to home ownership, which would allow them to build equity and would relieve some pressure on the rental market. This could be done by building more affordable condominiums and working with financial institutions on programs to help with down payments.
DISTRICT 13 – TAG EVERS
The city should call upon the private sector to augment the Affordable Housing Fund. Microsoft recently pledged $500 million to help Seattle deal with their affordable housing crisis. It’s not too soon for Epic to start a consortium of highly profitable local hi-tech businesses, the winners in our local economy, to address Madison’s affordable housing crisis. Also, with our new State Treasurer, Sarah Godlewski, it appears we may be able to use the State Investment Fund to leverage the creation of financial instruments such as social impact bonds to build more affordable housing at all levels. These are “pay-for-success” models and could be combined with Investment Opportunity Zones in Madison. The city would need to protect against bad actors, but there is evidence we could find enlightened investors who have a stake in the health and vitality of our city. Another idea would be for MMSD to work with a non-profit developer like Commonwealth to build workforce housing on MMSD property. This is being done in places like Santa Clara County.
DISTRICT 13 – DAVID HOFFERT
1000 units a year for 26 years is a huge number that serves to highlight both how quickly Madison and Dane County are growing and how stark the economic disparities in our community are. The simple truth is that I don’t have a silver bullet that can solve this problem for us, as much as I wish I did. But I am committed to exploring any and all possibilities, because in my opinion the declining affordability of Madison is our city’s biggest crisis. I am intrigued by what Santa Clara County in California did, passing a referendum in 2016 authorizing billions of dollars of investment in affordable housing. I also think that we are going to need to partner with the private sector, especially our large and successful technology and healthcare businesses, to truly raise the kind of money we’ll need to tackle this problem in a meaningful way.
DISTRICT 20 – ERICA JANISCH
We either build a bunch of cheaply made apartments that can’t be maintained in the long run or we focus on home ownership and increasing minimum wage.
QUESTION 3
The Community Development Authority (CDA) is the housing authority for the City of
Madison, but the CDA has not been active lately in creating more affordable housing. How would you use the CDA more effectively to create affordable housing for the City of Madison? Do you support examining CDA staffing levels, administrative policies and plans, and property management practices with a racial equity analysis? Would you pursue reforms to further fair housing goals in admissions criteria, property management policies, and eviction and termination rates?
MAYOR – SATYA RHODES CONWAY
The Community Development Authority is an essential tool for the City of Madison to manage existing affordable housing and to create more affordable housing. In recent years the CDA has worked actively with outside developers to pursue WHEDA tax credits to build new affordable housing projects. This effort has resulted in a number of new affordable housing projects being built in the City of Madison, though those have not been CDA projects. As the Mayor of the City of Madison, I would continue to encourage the CDA to partner with developers to build these types of projects.
In addition, I would work with CDA to explore and identify new opportunities for the CDA to effectively create affordable housing in Madison, including using their bonding authority. As the City of Madison Alder I successfully advocated for the creation of the Housing Strategy Committee. This Committee has laid out a number of areas that the City of Madison can improve its efforts to create more affordable housing. As the Mayor, I would work with CDA to implement a number of the existing recommendations. I also advocated for the creation of a staff position dedicated to housing issues. Since, this and several other positions have gone unfilled. As Mayor, I will look closely at staffing needs and organization so we will have the staff we need to tackle our affordable housing crisis.
Finally, yes, I will certainly work closely with the community and CDA to review policies and practices to ensure that CDA is working as efficiently and effectively as possible to establish new affordable housing. I am aware that CDA has done work toward reviewing its policies and practices from a racial equity and social justice perspective. As the Mayor of the City of Madison, I look forward to digging into the results of that analysis and identifying areas for further improvement. I am particular interested in reviewing policies that contribute the the CDA’s high eviction rate, their screening criteria, and restrictive property management policies.
DISTRICT 2 – PATRICK HECK
I do not feel sufficiently informed on current CDA operations to provide answers to the series of questions being asked. I am more than willing to sit down with people to learn more about CDA operations and consider ideas for improving their delivery of services. I support applying a racial equity analysis to all city agencies and entities substantially funded by the City.
DISTRICT 3 – MIKE CERRO
This is an issue that is not being addressed at all by Dane County, and has been and presently is only being addressed by the City of Madison.
A quick search finds that nearly 90% of all the affordable housing can only to be found located in Madison; yet Madison accounts for only 48% of the population of the county.
Dane County towns and village do in fact need to do more, much much more. There is a need for over 1,000 new affordable housing units each year, and the county should be funding those needs in the towns and villages just to catch up to Madison; unfortunately there are no plans in 2019 to build a single affordable housing unit in any community outside of Madison. This lack of development and the lack of diversity of locations, forces everyone from the surrounding communities by default into Madison; this amounts to a form of forced relocation.
Families and friends are required to move away from family and loved ones, due to this lack of affordable housing in the surrounding county. Thereby, further drying up what available housing there is in Madison, and continuing to drive up the costs of rental due to lack of supply and a very high demand. The situation continues like this year after year as the villages and towns around Madison do nothing to help even their own citizens.
I have contacted Dane County and they have no plans, zero, to build any Section 8 or Section 42 housing in any community outside of Madison.
A review of many of the communities outside of the City of Madison shows that many of them do not have even a single, 1 bedroom/1 bath apartment to rent…not that they are all filled up, no quite the contrary, they don’t even have one of this type in their community.
Further, a review of the outlying communities surrounding Madison shows that they are limiting the types of subsidized housing in their communities to that of ‘families’ or the ‘elderly’. The displaced, or low income, single person is thereby forced into Madison, and away from a good job, a supportive family, and friends.
Dane County continues, by virtue of doing nothing to build affordable housing in surrounding communites, to force the Madison taxpayers to fund and shoulder the sole burden of providing affordable housing. Tree Lane is a prime example of out-of-state entities building housing that is inadequately staffed for the safety or security of its residents and that of the neighbors. Not one of these out-of-state companies on Tree Lane has any employee living in Madison, or even in Dane County. The companies’ executives profit by building on Tree Lane, yet abridge the rights of property tax payers and the property owners living near these developments by not providing adequate security and controls in place.
DISTRICT 8 – AVRA REDDY
I would be very interested in examining the role that CDA plays in our effort to bring every resident of Madison into a home, and how we can support CDA in that mission.
DISTRICT 8 – MATTHEW MITNICK
I will schedule a meeting and outline to the Community Development Authority my commitment to prioritizing people experiencing homelessness for CDA housing. I would like answers as to why the community’s housing placement and retention rates are so low and what steps are needed to increase it. I will either pass this information along to the Community Development Authority, or have a representative present with me at the meeting. By pushing for these conversations, I will ensure that there will not only be answers provided to questions, but feasible solutions to actually fix these issues. I will also take the time to visit the Community Development Authority and speak with current and past residents to hear their perspectives and experiences regarding the organization, and its practices. My term as Alder will be all about active and hands-on engagement.
I support examining CDA staffing levels, administrative policies and plans, and property management practices with a racial equity analysis. I support income transfers and other governmental transfer programs to ensure that individuals have access to basic needs. I particularly support programs to support low income and underserved youth. Finally, I will pursue reforms to further fair housing goals in admissions criteria, property management policies, and eviction and termination rates. Those who qualify for rental assistance should receive help. We need policies that not only offer this, but allow people to build positive rental histories. It is essential to elevate the voices of others and for me to work on behalf of them, making our community stronger together.
DISTRICT 12 – DIANE FARSETTA
The Community Development Authority must create more affordable housing, including by using their bonding authority, and continue working with other developers to secure WHEDA tax credits for affordable housing developments.
My understanding from talking with social workers in the area is that the CDA needs more maintenance and screening staff, to fill public housing vacancies in a more timely fashion, including with people experiencing homelessness. We must ensure that the CDA has the staffing, policies and support needed to serve vulnerable tenants and that management practices align with racial equity and social justice goals. It’s especially important to work with tenants to avoid eviction proceedings, whenever possible.
DISTRICT 13 – TAG EVERS
I don’t entirely know the answer to this question, but if elected D13 Alder, I’ll need to learn fast as it’s likely I’d be appointed to the CDA committee. I would be open to your input and if there are deficiencies in the management and structure of CDA, I would support reform efforts and a racial equity analysis.
DISTRICT 13 – DAVID HOFFERT
The CDA is one tool in our toolbelt that can be used to help with increasing affordable housing. To the extent that it is possible for the CDA to expand capacity, I am all for it. But I don’t think we need to limit ourselves to providing affordable housing through the CDA, and if we can get the job done quicker through partnering with private developers, I’m all for that too. I am absolutely supportive of ensuring that the CDA’s practices are promoting, rather than holding back, racial equity in this city, and would be open to any necessary reforms to further that aim. I also think we should hold private developers and other providers of affordable housing to those same standards as well.
DISTRICT 20 – ERICA JANISCH
I wouldn’t waste my time with the CDA if they aren’t active. Cut all of their funding and use it towards an organization that will help people get into proper apartments or homes. And of course I support examining the CDA. They clearly aren’t ethical if they aren’t active in their approach. I don’t support the reform. It’s time to invest in something different where people care.
QUESTION 4
What does Housing First mean to you and how will you support it?
MAYOR – SATYA RHODES CONWAY –
Housing is a human right, and people should not need to be “housing ready” to be housed. Housing First is a principle that recognizes housing as a foundation for health, safety and welfare of individuals in a community. Housing First has proven to be a successful approach to improve the lives of the chronically homeless.
Homelessness, or housing insecurity exacerbates other problems including job insecurity, substance abuse issues and mental illness. Stable and secure housing lessen the impact of other problems and facilitate a healthier and safer life. Those who have struggled to meet stringent requirements to accessing housing, such as becoming sober, have demonstrated success when housing is provided first. Studies have shown that providing housing first, before other behavioral issues are addressed, often results in reduced substance and alcohol abuse and reduces the symptoms of mental illness. Stabilizing an individual in safe housing allows them to pursue goals toward an improved quality of life.
Housing First has been used in Madison successfully in small projects (see the work of Housing Initiatives) and has been harder to implement in larger projects (see Tree Lane). We need to deepen and expand these programs across the City. Housing First is a proven solution to chronic homelessness. Done properly, Housing First requires significant resources to ensure success. Housing First is a start – but housing is just the first step. Because residents are not required to accept services, it’s critical to keep those services available and in front of residents, and to assist them in setting and meeting goals.
As the Mayor of Madison, I will explore the challenges and successes of our current efforts to implement Housing First and identify areas where we can expand and improve upon these efforts. I’ll work with the Homeless Services Consortium and their efforts on Coordinated Entry to place people in housing as quickly as possible. I’d also like to work to recruit landlords and property managers to work with the Rapid Re-housing program, which can provide scattered site housing first. We need a range of options for homeless individuals so they can have some agency in choosing where to live, and have options if a living situation doesn’t work out for some reason. A key tenant of Housing First is to treat people with respect and dignity.
DISTRICT 2 – PATRICK HECK
I understand and support the principle of Housing First which is the approach of quickly and successfully connecting individuals and families experiencing homelessness to permanent housing without preconditions and barriers to entry, such as sobriety, treatment, or service participation requirements. However, for Housing First to be successful, supportive social services to maintain and improve post-placement stability are essential. As alder I will support increased funding to ensure a robust delivery of wrap-around follow-along services to Housing First placements.
DISTRICT 3 – MIKE CERRO
HUD’s applicability of Housing First models to homeless persons with serious mental Illness have shown that Housing First permanent supportive housing models result in long-term housing stability, improved physical and behavioral health outcomes, and reduced use of crisis services such as emergency departments, hospitals, and reduction of jail time.
I would support this concept through the Dane County Health and Human Needs Commission, Dane County Planning and Developement, and work with them to develop more affordable and housing needs toward the Housing First concept in communties outside of Madison and throughout Dane County.
Madison has does an exceptional unilateral job in working toward meeting the needs of the entire county, however the needs are too large for one municipality, and its taxpayers, to provide the transitional housing needs for the entire county, or for that matter the entire region.
DISTRICT 8 – AVRA REDDY
Put simply, Housing First means that our first priority to tackle homelessness should be to get every homeless person into housing.
DISTRICT 8 – MATTHEW MITNICK
Housing First projects provide individuals the promise of shelter. When we are trying to assist those who are housing insecure (the homeless, “couch surfers,” renters whose payments are unstable, those with landlord troubles, etc.), we need to have programs in place to do so. This is why I am a big supporter of places like the Beacon and Porchlight. By offering individuals shelter, they can then address other needs in their lives. The promise of a home is quite comforting for many. It often builds a sense of community to allow groups of people to regain their lives together.
Many homeless individuals are burdened by addiction and mental health concerns. By having a home “base,” these other issues can be addressed. Knowing that they will be returning to a bed under a roof will not only boost homeless individuals’ confidence levels, but it will also allow them to address other circumstances in their lives. Such support services can even be provided on-site, which is far cheaper than expensive institutional and emergency care.
I will continue to support funding for homeless shelters and promote organizational programs, like the Tenant Resource Center, to offer assistance. We need to decriminalize the homeless and focus on rehabilitation over punishment.
DISTRICT 12 – DIANE FARSETTA
Housing First is an effective way to reduce homelessness, since it provides housing without barriers or preconditions. It’s a proven approach that includes wrap-around services without requiring their use. At its core, Housing First recognizes that housing is a human right, and once people are able to access safe housing, they are much more able to stabilize their lives in other ways. This approach has been shown to improve health and social outcomes and to reduce the need for crisis services. Housing First is part of the broader response to homelessness, along with community outreach, emergency shelters, rapid re-housing with case management in privately-owned housing, and supportive housing with services.
We need to ensure the success of our current Housing First developments and to add more. Hundreds more people experiencing homelessness in Madison are in need of Housing First permanent supportive housing. As Alder, I will work to ensure that wrap-around services are adequately funded and planned for, in conjunction with local service providers. We need to provide for a more gradual and supported transition, when buildings are first opened. The city must also work with the surrounding neighborhoods, to answer questions, address concerns and encourage community-building.
DISTRICT 13 – TAG EVERS
Housing First means homeless individuals and families are housed first with their stories and lived experiences intact, without judgment and preconditions. Everyone is in favor of it, reportedly even Ben Carson. It’s imperative we house our most vulnerable residents while making sure we have the supportive services in place. It’s a moral victory to get people housed, but if we don’t support these individuals and families with the requisite services, these victories may be short-lived. I believe there’s wisdom in considering mixed-income housing as a more stable option for homeless residents. My support for Housing First will come in making sure we put more thought into the design of these projects. When I visited Tree Lane, I felt a little bit like I was in lock-up. Sufficient greenspace for gardens, soft contours, natural light, and other design features that contribute to a sense of home and place should not be considered luxuries but necessities.
DISTRICT 13 – DAVID HOFFERT
Housing First means that housing is a basic human right, and that our work to provide housing to the neediest in our community should not be conditional on anything. This also necessarily means that if we are going to call housing a basic human right, we need to be comfortable with the fact that we may become more acutely aware of the struggles homeless people are working through once we house them. I reject the notion that an increase in police calls to the Heartland Housing developments indicates that Housing First isn’t working in Madison; on the contrary, I see it as a sign that Housing First *is* working, so long as we provide the necessary social supports and services that will eventually help that number of police calls decline again. I am supporting Housing First in Madison by quite literally supporting it, continuing to support the construction of Heartland’s third location in my district even while my opponent has come out against the project. There is no question that we need to learn lessons from the first two Heartland sites and do everything we can to give Heartland’s residents the support they need and keep the neighborhoods around those sites safe. But there is a big difference between learning the lessons and halting new construction of Housing First in Madison. As a city, we have a long history of talking about homelessness without actually doing much. Housing First represents a rare concrete step we are taking to address this issue, and I am willing to stick my neck out in support of it even when public pressure is going against it.
DISTRICT 20 – ERICA JANISCH
Housing first is a fancy name for the ghetto. We convince people who are at high risk for homelessness to live in these apartments and leave them there to fend for themselves knowing they can’t. There is initial success but without adequate long term funding we can’t upkeep the building and we can’t meet the needs of the residents. Therefore, others don’t want to move there, it becomes run down, and get a horrible reputation.
QUESTION 5
Over 50% of Madison residents are renters, yet the Landlord and Tenant Issues
Committee has been unable to meet due to lack of quorum because not enough citizens have been appointed to the committee. How would you solve this problem?
MAYOR – SATYA RHODES CONWAY
This is problem that can be remedied fairly quickly by making appointments. I’m sure there are a number of qualified applicants already, but if not I’d seek them and choose appointments.
One of the reasons that the Landlord and Tenant Issues Committee has had quorum problems is a result of the State’s interference in local controls to protect tenants. As the City has lost the authority to regulate landlords and protect renters, it has become more challenging for the Committee to be effective, and this has hampered the Committee’s effectiveness and engagement. As the Mayor of the City of Madison, I will work with Governor Evers and the WI Legislature to regain local control related to housing and landlord tenant issues wherever possible. This local control is essential for the City to protect affordable housing, as well as public health and safety in housing.
In the longer term, I would like to examine our committee structure and staffing with respect to housing issues and make sure they really serve our community and that we have the capacity we need to work on this critical issue. We are going to need to be creative and find many different ways to protect tenants and create housing options.
DISTRICT 2 – PATRICK HECK
As alder, I would strongly urge the new Mayor (if indeed she needs urging) to immediately appoint qualified residents to fill the citizen vacancies.
DISTRICT 3 – MIKE CERRO
I will work closely with the other 19 Madison Common Council members and work toward a unified and feasible solution.
DISTRICT 8 – AVRA REDDY
It’s my understanding that at least one of the vacancies on the Landlord and Tenant Issues Committee is reserved for a college student. Based on personal experience it seems like there has been some confusion in the past regarding how that student is nominated and confirmed. I would make it a priority on council to strengthen the relationship between the student community at UW and make sure that sort of communication is happening. There should also be greater attempts to do outreach about these sorts of vacancies, especially to the communities most affected by their decisions.
DISTRICT 8 – MATTHEW MITNICK
I feel very passionately about the Landlord and Tenant Issues Committee. I was recommended by ASM in December and was told that I “appointed to the Committee.” However, the City of Madison followed up with me in January and told me that ASM could not appoint students to this Committee. Rather, the appointment can be “student at a Madison area university of college” (Madison General Ordinance 32.03) and “requires mayoral approval and council confirmation.” Considering that the majority of UW Madison students and residents in District 8 are renters, it is very important for there to be a student voice on this committee. It is sad that someone as motivated as I am to solve these issues was overlooked. It especially concerns me when I hear that the Committee has been unable to meet due to lack of quorum because there are not enough citizen appointments.
I will solve this problem by not only working to appoint motivated District 8 residents, but also serve on the Committee as Alder myself. I can spearhead a greater commitment to this Committee and lead a positive revilalitization. Landlord and tenant right are quite important and something I feel very strongly about.
DISTRICT 12 – DIANE FARSETTA
As Alder, I will publicize opportunities like serving on the Landlord and Tenant Issues Committee, as a way that district residents can shape city policies that impact their lives. It will be important to communicate how the committee can be effective, despite changes in state law limiting local tenant protections. The committee must be adequately staffed. The Mayor and Common Council should strategize with the committee on local solutions. The committee can also work to encourage best practices among landlords.
DISTRICT 13 – TAG EVERS
I would find out why residents have not been appointed and ask city staff and the Mayor’s office to proceed with doing so. Input from local agencies working with vulnerable populations may aid in vetting qualified committee members.
DISTRICT 13 – DAVID HOFFERT
If the problem is there aren’t enough members on the committee to meet quorum, then we don’t need to look any further for a solution than appointing new members to the committee. In general we have struggled to appoint enough people and the right people to City committees in recent years. We need to make sure that we are prioritizing filling the slots over choosing only those people we personally agree with, etc.
DISTRICT 20 – ERICA JANISCH
I would become part of the quorum.
QUESTION 6
Cities like New York City, Newark, and San Francisco have enacted the right to counsel for tenants in eviction. In 2022, every income-eligible tenant facing eviction in NYC will have access to a lawyer. Madison has taken a step in that direction by funding some eviction defense for Madison residents. Do you support expanding the funding to ensure all Madison tenants, including those with valuable public housing or section 8 subsidies, have the right to counsel in their eviction cases?
MAYOR – SATYA RHODES CONWAY
Yes, as noted earlier, we need to support tenants and prevent evictions. Housing instability caused by eviction and, increasingly, non-renewal, is pervasive and disproportionately impacts communities of color in Madison. As Mayor, I will work to ensure that people facing eviction have legal representation, especially those with public housing or section 8 subsidies.
DISTRICT 2 – PATRICK HECK
Yes I support the right to counsel for anyone facing adverse legal actions. It is
particularly urgent in situations where imminent homelessness might be the result.
DISTRICT 3 – MIKE CERRO
Renters have the right to counsel, and many attorneys will take their cases on pro-bono. I do not believe that the Madison taxpayer should or is required to subsidize the incomes of private attorneys, or those who are being represented, for any particular section of the IRS code.
By continuing to over-leverage the growing population of fixed income residents, such as retirees over 62 years old, we are creating by excessive expenditures the very income-burdened household that we are trying to provide government support to. Madison cannot continue to have 2.5% to 4% property tax increases every year, year after year, as it will push our fixed income residents, and our retirees, out of their homes.
DISTRICT 8 – AVRA REDDY
Access to legal counsel is a fundamental right. I would support plans to give those without the ability to pay that right when they face such an important legal situation as an eviction.
DISTRICT 8 – MATTHEW MITNICK
I fully support expanding funding to ensure all Madison tenants have the right to counsel in their eviction cases. There can be many cases where landlords and unreasonable and uncompromising. It is essential for victims to have proper representation, as landlords are not always correct with their reasoning. This is also why i support Neighborhood Associations, as they provide residents with not only a voice in decision making, but a level of transparency and accountability that is ingrained into the practices of their landlords.
DISTRICT 12 – DIANE FARSETTA
Yes, housing instability is devastating and disproportionately impacts people of color. Evictions or non-renewal can lead to homelessness and other poor health and social outcomes. Ensuring that people facing eviction have legal representation is both humane and a wise use of public resources.
DISTRICT 13 – TAG EVERS
Yes.
DISTRICT 13 – DAVID HOFFERT
Yes, I support the right to counsel for eviction proceedings.
DISTRICT 20 – ERICA JANISCH
Everyone has the right to counsel regardless of the legal action taking place.
SCHOOL BOARD QUESTION 1
How do you see the school board working with the city on the issues of affordable housing?
SEAT 3 – KALEEM CAIRE – The school board should support meaningful affordable housing programs that do not create the fiasco that we’ve seen at Tree Lane on Madison’s West Side. We should not be in the business of creating old-school housing projects in Madison. Instead, I would like to see the city work with organizations like Madison Development Corporation, and similar groups, to create high quality affordable housing near community and public services that families need: grocery stores, public transportation, schools, etc.
Creating affordable housing near schools for low to moderate-income families, and working with the affordable housing community to create housing options for teachers and other school professionals so they can afford to live in our city and work in schools should be ideas that we explore.
The school board should also know what affordable housing initiatives are being planned, and should ensure the school district’s administration has a seat at the table to we can ensure children are well served. We should also plan the building of new schools together, a take advantage of opportunities to co-locate housing near where new schools might be constructed.
SEAT 3 – CRIS CARUSI – Affordable housing is one of the most critical issues faced by our city. High rental costs, property values and property taxes are making it increasingly difficult for Madison residents to afford housing. Because MMSD has a representative on the tax incremental finance board, there is potential for the district to work with the city to leverage TIF financing for affordable housing. Beyond that, the city and MMSD can work together to identify families at risk of eviction and connect them with support, including legal representation, to stabilize their housing.
SEAT 5 – TJ MERTZ – On a few occasions outgoing board member Dean Loumos has broached ideas about the district using some combination of land we own and/or our borrowing authority to help develop affordable housing. It would be a completely new direction for the district. I have supported the concept each time, but there has been no follow up from our staff. Since this was an area where Dean has much more experience and expertise than I do, I deferred to him. I had hoped he would push more, and work to explore specifics of a proposal to see what might be viable. This has not happened. I would support this work (exploring viability), but given the apparent disinterest of the administration, it would take a sustained and coordinated effort, with the active support of at least four board members, as well as the community, to move forward.
The district can also use our role in Tax Incremental Financing approvals to encourage affordable housing, living wage job opportunities, family and neighborhood stabilization. As the district’s Rep on the TIF Joint Review Board, I have done this, but under current arrangements this has mostly been in a reactive manner. Changing city practices to give the Joint Review Board a more proactive role in TIF processes would allow the district to have a greater say.
SCHOOL BOARD QUESTION 2
What partnerships with the City of Madison could we explore to improve the lives of children in the Madison School District?
SEAT 3 – KALEEM CAIRE – The City should have members of MMSD’s administration team and Affordable Housing Action Alliance, along with other groups as well, on all of its committees related to health, housing and human services. This would enable all critical parties to work more closely together, and discover and think through partnership opportunities on a comprehensive and timely basis.
SEAT 3 – CRIS CARUSI – The City Education Committee is a partnership between the City of Madison, Dane County and MMSD. This committee should explore ways to improve the lives of children and better serve our most vulnerable students. This committee was nearly disbanded. I support continuing this committee and strengthening it by including members of the communities we aim to serve. Here are some specific ideas for collaborative partnerships with the city:
Food access: The city is exploring a food terminal and cross dock to expand access to healthy, local food. MMSD could partner with the city on this work, overcoming logistical barriers to serving more fresh, healthy food in school lunchrooms.
Safe Routes to School: The city and MMSD could partner to install bike/pedestrian paths connecting neighborhoods with their schools, ensuring all students have safe routes to bike or walk to school.
Before and after school enrichment: The City Education Committee has worked on the Madison Out of School Time initiative. They could build on this work by providing more affordable, high-quality before and after school enrichment activities in neighborhoods across the city: recreational sports, arts programming, urban agriculture and food entrepreneurship, and more.
Transportation for homeless students: While homeless students have the legal right to stay at one school no matter where they may be sheltered, the district depends on both buses and taxi cabs to transport homeless children to their home schools. The taxis are unreliable and, as a result, homeless students often arrive at school late.The city and MMSD should work together to identify and fund a more reliable transportation solution for homeless students.
At-risk learners: The City Education Committee should coordinate wraparound services for students at risk of not graduating from high school. The Behavioral Health in Schools partnership with Dane County is an example of a wraparound service that can provide at-risk learners with mental health care.
SEAT 5 – TJ MERTZ – Within the context of affordable housing, I don’t see any district/city partnerships, other than the possibilities listed above, as being relevant. I am also not clear who the “we” is in the question.
In general, whether it is the City or other partners, creating stability for families and youth is most basic– housing stability, food security, employment in living wage jobs, full access to health services (including mental health services) – are all essential. The district has little direct role in much of this, but we can help identify needs, and coordinate. Beyond the basics, enrichment programs – like some of those in the Madison Out of School Time Project, internships. Mentoring work – are things that could be enhanced and expanded via partnerships to improve the lives of our students.
