The Affordable Housing Action Alliance asked the City Council candidates their views on several housing questions. Here are their answers for District 3
CHARLY ROWE
Describe what you see are the main housing problems in Madison.
The falsely inflated values placed arbitrarily on our housing; this system of pricing people out of affording adequate and equitable shelter has to come to an end. There is no way for struggling folks to prosper when they are burdened each month with rising costs of just maintaining a home for themselves and their families.
I obtained my nominations to run for office by starting to knock in doors where an old city fence stands remnant of racial segregation and redlining practices. We must work for more efficient, dense, and truly affordable housing to meet the rapidly growing need here.
Give your opinion of the site for the new men’s shelter, which is proposed for the East Towne Mall area.
While there are ample benefits to this site; and the need is great for a men’s shelter, there is much discussion my district about this specific site. Many citizens recognize the need to house and provide for our transitioning neighbors. That is met with the fact that many of the city services the residents will need are located downtown- with limited transit and amenities for them.
Without a doubt we can do more for the residents facing shelter insecurities, and for the transient who need our compassion.
We have residents sleeping in city parks, due to COVID-19. 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
It is nuanced, and the voice of the residents of district matter. The SASY neighborhood seemed mixed. They saw both the need for housing these individuals, but they also saw the slow destruction of a public park that is cherished and utilized by many communities.
The need for adequate shelter was provided for, sometimes folks do not want to be away from where they call home. It allowed others of us to treat them like a part of our humanity: visiting with them; sharing our supplies with them; having conversations with them. Most found other dwellings during the coldest months.
The decision by City Council to remove the citizens during a pandemic, and while their sense of any stability may have been wavering is unfortunate.
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.
1 Tenant right to counsel for evictions – Yes, legal justice must be equitable.
- Support permanent affordability – Yes, I would look forward to continuing the work members currently on Council are doing to create new working land banking policies. Equity in this area is a social justice issue. We may work collaboratively to target permanent affordability for low-income residents.
- Incentivize good landlord behavior – Yes, Progressive Dane has discussed this. Caucus. We could accomplish this through local institutions such as: Madison College or UW Extension.
- Support non-profit capacity building – Yes, these programs are overdue. As in active community builder, I want to learn more about how I can become more active and usable in this area. There are many nonprofits and organizations already doing the work. We need to meet them and meet their needs.
- New homeless services position – I do believe the citizens of Madison deserve and need more intermediary positions. City staff that serves them in helping them understand what their rights are where, and where the resources are. This is especially true for those struggling with mental health needs, or other difficulties that may make it hard for them. We need somebody in a position such as being proposed here to really do the work.
- Start a social housing pilot – Yes, tough there is no public banking in Dane County at this time. Removing former policy obstacles would help us move toward 21st Century Social Housing Strategy though.
- Opportunity zone code of conduct – Once learning more about what we are able to do at the city level with this idea; this is definitely a proposal that District 3 would need to have an awareness of. We would need to have community round table discussions to see if it would be beneficial for our citizens and the equitable progress of our communities.
LINDSAY LEMMER
Describe what you see are the main housing problems in Madison.
We have a housing crisis. Vacancy rates are still well below a healthy rate of 5% or higher. Half of renters are spending more than 30 percent of their income on rent. Madison has extremely serious racial disparities in housing access and in who in this city experiences homelessness. The pandemic is exacerbating these problems and disproportionately impacting Madison’s most vulnerable populations.
Give your opinion of the site for the new men’s shelter, which is proposed for the East Towne Mall area.
The proposal as presented by the Community Development Division emphasizes that the shelter size will allow robust services and support to be provided to the men staying at this shelter. I think that’s a critical priority and will do what I can in my capacity to ensure we have those services. It is quite challenging to find a location for a men’s shelter given the importance of it having excellent transit access and other amenities nearby, and at the same time there are requirements that it not be near other types of services. While I don’t think this location is perfect, we need this shelter and I support the City’s efforts to acquire this location.
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 sponsored the resolution affirming the emergency order allowing temporary encampments in parks, something supported by guidance from the Center for Disease Control. Encampment sites have allowed people experiencing homelessness to maintain social distance and many feel safer at these sites than they feel indoors. McPike Park was not one of the parks designated as an encampment site, and there have been problems with safety and fires at the site. That said, it is not acceptable to remove someone from here without making sure they have safe shelter secured. Some of the folks who were here likely went to designated encampment sites that are substantially further from downtown Madison, and thus further from services they need and this is a problem. We should work to make sure encampment sites are close to these important services and no one is being moved from a location where their needs are being met to one where it is more challenging to get their needs met.
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.
1 – Tenant right to counsel for evictions – I completely support this. Keeping people from losing their housing as a result of the pandemic must be a top priority.
2 – Support permanent affordability – I completely support this. We should do this while also ensuring developers are invested in keeping these properties in top quality condition, which is one of the reasons I believe for the 30 year affordability limit.
3 – Incentivize good landlord behavior – This is something I firmly believe we need to make a priority. We are so deeply limited by state statute in preventing various types of renter discrimination, that incentivizing good landlord behavior is one of the best tools we have available in this area.
4 – Support non-profit capacity building – I support this. It will allow us to support many different types of housing and fight our housing crisis from many different angles.
5 – New homeless services position – I absolutely support this. Housing access is one of the most serious problems facing this city and it requires a position like this to address it.
6 – Start a social housing pilot – Yes, we should do this while prioritizing locations that have access to the full range of amenities, including transit, jobs, education, childcare and groceries. I voted in support of increasing our Affordable Housing Fund, increasing our land banking investment, and in support of COVID relief funds which are primarily for emergency rental assistance.
7 – Opportunity zone code of conduct – Yes, this is absolutely worthwhile in addressing lack of access to affordable housing throughout the city.
