While all the candidates say that affordable housing is a priority, read here to find out what they say they will do about it!
District 10 has a primary on Tuesday, February 21, 2022. Here’s a map of district 10, here’s where you find out where to vote. And here’s the candidates on affordable housing! All candidate answers can be found here.
- The City of Madison continues to put money into affordable housing, but we can’t develop affordable housing fast enough or in a large enough quantity for people with incomes that are at or below 30% of the Area Median Income (AMI). What new ideas would you bring to the table to assist us in getting more affordable housing for people at or below 30% AMI?
Sheri Carter 
Did not answer the questions
Diego Colorado
Did not answer the questions
Yannette Figueroa Cole 
I am committed to working on reviewing or creating policies that are inclusive of all housing needs. During the last budget season, we further increased the Affordable Housing Fund to open more opportunities for additional affordability stock. We are currently working on combining housing committees with a stronger coalition between policy, renters, unsheltered, Housing Forward strategies, and the county board.
- Much of the affordable housing that is currently being built in our area is Section 42 tax credit housing in which the Area Median Income (AMI) is used to determine rent amounts. And because the AMI is so high in Dane County the rent for many of the units ends up being close to market rate. What can we do to make sure that the affordable housing we build ends up being affordable enough to reach lower incomes? Should Section 42 developments that receive city funding be required to have more units affordable for those at or below 30% of AMI than they do now?
Sheri Carter
Did not answer the questions
Diego Colorado
Did not answer the questions
Yannette Figueroa Cole
How much control the city has over this particular program’s restrictions is unclear to me. However, it is crucial to have better engagement with non-profit organizations to support housed individuals and keep them housed and to have more collaborative efforts among planning and other city agencies to ensure people have access to the services they need.
- We need more nonprofit developers who are willing to build affordable housing and keep it affordable for longer periods of time. What can we do to get more nonprofit developers in our community and support their growth and success?
Sheri Carter
Did not answer the questions
Diego Colorado
Did not answer the questions
Yannette Figueroa Cole
I started my first term implementing a land banking policy, which has not been fully leveraged. We need to continue to expand our affordable housing portfolio by supporting housing cooperatives, tiny house villages, and the increase of land banking as well as its implementation.
- Most affordable housing is only affordable for a period of 40 years or less, meaning our investment in affordable units is lost after a set time. Please discuss any ideas that you have for keeping affordable housing in Madison affordable long-term?
Sheri Carter
Did not answer the questions
Diego Colorado
Did not answer the questions
Yannette Figueroa Cole
We have plenty of tools to deploy; as we continue to leave the pandemic crisis behind, we can focus on maximizing resources to focus on the above-mentioned items: housing cooperatives, tiny house villages, and land banking.
- Tenants in the city and county have had access over the last couple of years to eviction prevention and security deposit funds thanks to the federal government’s COVID relief funding. These funds – the CORE program – likely will end in 2023. Do you think the city should prioritize providing more funds once the COVID money ends and if so, please give some ideas of sources of funding?
Sheri Carter
Did not answer the questions
Diego Colorado
Did not answer the questions
Yannette Figueroa Cole
We must pull resources from areas like Public Health’s Violence Prevention, the County, and the State to keep individuals housed.
- Are there any changes that the city could make – zoning requirements, paperwork, etc. – that could make affordable housing development and operation easier and more attractive to nonprofits and businesses, and also less burdensome for tenants who have to complete a lot of paperwork and meet reporting requirements?
Sheri Carter
Did not answer the questions
Diego Colorado
Did not answer the questions
Yannette Figueroa Cole
I support bringing down systems like zoning that are not designed to be equitable and inclusive. I also support policies that prioritize development near bus routes and services. We need to continue to look at our procedures to streamline processes in areas where the city controls documentation requirements.
