The Affordable Housing Action Alliance asked the City Council candidates their views on several housing questions. Here are their answers for District 12
TESSA ECHEVERRIA
Describe what you see are the main housing problems in Madison.
Housing affordability and land ownership are hugely connected problems in the city of Madison. As we move forward with different affordable housing plans we need to also buy land as a city and put it into land trusts and cooperative ownership, that way the affordable housing that is built can stay affordable for generations. We need many different ways to ensure housing for all, homeless shelters, tiny homes, programs to help low income people buy homes, cooperative housing, and affordable apartments and housing rates. When I look at affordable housing units they need to be 30% of residents income and when calculating affordable units we need to look very locally and have units at prices that are affordable to people already living in that area at all different income levels. Hand in hand with addressing the housing problems is working towards economic justice, I will fight for a local 15 dollar minimum wage.
Give your opinion of the site for the new men’s shelter, which is proposed for the East Towne Mall area.
I’m in favor of the site location and will help however I can on city council to get the new shelter the resources and support from the city that it needs, especially thinking about improved transportation between the shelter location and downtown and/or job locations.
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 do not think the City of Madison should be forcing people out of their living situation, even if that person is living in a park. We need to not only make housing a human right and get everyone a roof over their head, but we also need to listen to those affected by homeless about what they want and how they want to live. I don’t know much about the details of this situation so it is hard to make a call, but I would listen to the people living there, the people who had been working to make the camp happen and try to find an outcome that works for everyone.
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.
- Tenant right to counsel for evictions – Yes – 100%! I agree, legal help is needed all the time but especially with the coming flood of evictions.
2 Support permanent affordability – Yes – I fully support maintaining public lands, land trusts, and cooperative ownership of land to keep it affordable.
3 Incentivize good landlord behavior – Yes – I support this, and I would also support allowing for tenant unions in Madison.
4 Support non-profit capacity building – Yes – I support this, increasing community engagement and control over land will help with the long term goals of keeping Madison affordable for now and future generations.
5 New homeless services position – Yes – I support this, we need to build the connection between homeless shelters work and building affordable communities, that is the only way we will actually have a society where everyone has a home.
6 Start a social housing pilot – Yes – I would definitely work on a social housing pilot, I think this is a strong path forward towards maintaining affordable land in Madison, making sure that public money goes to ensure long term public land ownership.
7 Opportunity zone code of conduct – I would have to learn more about how this works in regard to investments in private land developers vs buying public lands. But it sounds like a good program.
SYED ABBAS
Thank you very much for reaching out to me. I am a big advocate of affordable housing. On the affordable housing front, I have worked hard to bring a variety of housing types to our district and to push for long-term affordable housing options. I have shown progressive leadership in housing for District 12, by sponsoring bills to support housing affordability and pushing developers to bring affordable housing and a higher volume of housing to our district, and it has paid off with a huge number of units coming to District 12 in just 2 years.
I supported the development of The Madisonian Apartments, a $15 million project at 1825 and 1837 Aberg Ave. with 70 units, including 49 for those with low incomes. This project has already received $10 million in federal tax credits and has been approved by the Common Council.
I was also in favor of the proposed development of the Oscar Apartments, a $25 million project at 1212 Huxley St. with 111 units, including 93 for those with low incomes. This project has already received $15.5 million in federal tax credits.
For those facing extreme housing insecurity, I co-sponsored the bill to fund the move of the men’s shelter in District 12 to increase capacity, and the emergency bill to develop the Tiny Home Village on Aberg Avenue to house people facing extreme conditions this winter.
In addition to these affordable housing developments, I was in favor of three new market rate developments coming to District 12. Having a balanced approach in our district is important in order to add housing for a variety of income levels. Density is good for our small businesses as it will bring more clients to support our local economy, and the housing shortage in Madison means that we need density across the board to make sure our community can continue to afford to live here. At the same time, I collaborated with the developer of the workforce housing development at the Ella’s Deli site to make the units more affordable.
I also sponsored a bill to add $2.6 Million to the Capital budget for land banking to support uses in line with the Capital Improvement Plan including affordable housing.
Thanks again for reaching out and I look forward to working with the community, advancing housing justice in Madison.
Best regards
Syed
