Earlier this week VAHC Coordinator Erhard Mahnke participated in the Winooski Housing Panel alongside several other regional housing experts. This far-ranging and open-ended discussion could provide effective strategies and solutions for other municipalities looking to address their affordable housing needs.
Michael Monte, CFO of Champlain Housing Trust; Brian Pine, Burlington City Councilor and former Housing Director for the City; current Housing Director Todd Rawlings; and Erik Hoekstra, Managing Partner at Redstone Properties, all discussed the benefits and challenges associated with housing demolition and replacement and inclusionary zoning ordinances, while fielding questions from citizens, members of the Winooski Housing Commission, and Winooski Mayor Seth Leonard, a housing guru in his own right.
During the panel’s two hour discussion, it became clear that the city of Winooski’s vision of creating and maintaining affordable housing is one that it must realize using creative approaches catered to its specific housing market.
This idea was best exemplified by the panel’s discussion about whether a single ordinance can tackle both replacement and inclusivity challenges. In looking at replacement ordinances, Winooski will have to decide whether it wants an ordinance that dictates a 1 for 1 replacement or if the ordinance will only apply to properties that are converted from residential to commercial, among other decisions.
Similarly, the question of inclusivity must consider how many and what kind of units it wants to be affordable and at what levels, how it will go about creating them, and where. While an ordinance that attempts to combine both of these issues would be well-intentioned, it probably wouldn’t adequately address the total needs of the community. Other strategies, like creating a Housing Trust Fund and encouraging Accessory Dwelling Units are being considered as well.
Like many other issues surrounding economic justice and community inclusivity, the specifics often seem boring and abstract in comparison to the everyday lives of the people these policy discussions affect. However, the level of engagement the city of Winooski showed on Tuesday demonstrated its commitment to creating a city where everyone can live and thrive.
If you’d like to see a video of the full panel, please click here.
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