Davis in 250 Words (Part 5)

Each Friday we have a chance to see, in 250 words, how all nine candidates line up. Here's my week five answer.

Everyone says they want affordable housing.  But with the loss of Redevelopment funding, actually building it is difficult. If elected, how would you change the affordable housing ordinance and what policies would you pass to ensure that affordable housing can get financed and built at the level you advocate?

Things like affordable rent by the bed allows property owners to charge higher prices for a unit by increasing the occupancy of a two bedroom to four people for instance. This is unacceptable. The current affordable housing ordinance offers too much flexibility and opportunities for developers to get around providing units at affordable prices. Building market rate housing in Davis will make money. Period. Rents and housing appreciation are so high, and vacancy rates so low that we can and should ask more of developers and current development.
I would recommend a simplified affordable housing ordinance for rentals that includes the following or something similar.

1. 25% of rented units going to households making less than 120% of Yolo median income with price capped at 75% of market rate and
2. 10% of rented units going to households making less than 80% of Yolo median income with price capped at 50% of market rate.

This should be for new development as well as existing rentals. Anyone who owns 4 or more units is subject to (1) and anyone who owns 10 or more units is subject to (2). If a property does not comply in each month, fees would apply. For example, a fee of $1000 per occupied out of compliance unit.

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