The Affordable Housing Action Alliance asked the City Council candidates their views on several housing questions. Here are their answers for District 18.
CHARLES MYADZE
Didn’t answer.
REBECCA KEMBLE
Describe what you see are the main housing problems in Madison.
The biggest housing problems are: 1) not enough truly affordable housing stock, and; 2) laws that heavily favor landlords, leading to housing instability for the most vulnerable people – single mothers earning low-incomes.
Give your opinion of the site for the new men’s shelter, which is proposed for the East Towne Mall area.
I’m all for it, especially if services are co-located there.
Due to COVID, some residents without housing set up camp at McPike Park in Madison and had been staying there since last summer. The City of Madison is no longer allowing camping in that park and made the people staying there leave. Do you support this decision by the City of Madison? Please explain your position
I didn’t support it. There is no legal place in Madison to sleep overnight safely for people who don’t have housing or access to shelters and that is wrong. People shouldn’t be criminalized for not having a home.
Please provide your opinion of AHAA’s housing agenda outlined in the attached flier. Below, write next to the corresponding number for each proposal whether you support it and give your reasons. (see below for flyer)
- Tenant right to counsel for evictions – I’m in full support. I authored the first budget amendment several years ago for the City to invest in these services.
- Support permanent affordability – I’m in full support and have been working on a land banking policy that would restrict the use of land banking for affordable housing to projects that create long-term, permanent affordability through either maintaining the land in public ownership or transferring it only to a land trust, cooperative or non-profit that would guarantee affordability.
- Incentivize good landlord behavior – Yes! This idea came up several years ago through the Equal Opportunities Commission’s investigations into the pattern of retaliatory evictions and non-renewals in the Allied and Northside neighborhoods. If we can’t ensure tenants rights through ordinance, we can do so through our contracting process. Establishing a building improvement fund that landlords can access would not only improve the quality of housing, but by landlords entering into a contract with the City for these funds could ensure tenants’ rights in a more robust way.
- Support non-profit capacity building – Absolutely! I’m in conversations with Community Development staff about this kind of capacity building and will work to make sure funds are allocated in the 2022 budget for this purpose.
- New homeless services position – There are so many gaps in homeless services and this is a big one for which I am completely supportive.
- Start a social housing pilot – This is a massive topic! I’ve been exploring various aspects of this, including beefing up capacity in our Community Development Authority, exploring next steps for the City of Madison to create a public bank, and various impact fees. We need a more comprehensive, City-led approach to developing social housing and I am committed to working in collaboration with others to bring this about.
- Opportunity zone code of conduct – This is a great idea! Opportunity Zones are essentially opportunities for investors to dodge taxes. Without accountability to the neighborhoods and local priorities, there’s little pro-social value that can be created.
