04/13/1981 Meeting (2) - Laserfiche WebLink

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e e e shopping in the downtown area. There is an assumption that residential housing will add life to the area when the businesses are not open and might encourage businesses to keep longer hours. It is difficult to separate the factors. Housing in the downtown is a reasonable response to the City's goals of compact growth and is a way to take the pressure off the central neighborhoods for increased density. Mr. Lindberg had recently received indications of the Reagan Administration budget cuts on housing subsidies. On a national level, 75,000 to 100,000 people will be displaced as a direct reaction to the lack of money available for low- to intermediate-income housing. The preservation strategy, rehabilitation, exclusionary zoning, becomes all the more critical. Ms. Wooten asked Ms. Decker to bring back figures on demolitions and conversions of housing stock in the downtown area for low- and moderate-income people during the last four years. The public hearing was opened. Speaking in favor of the resolution: Rick Goldstein, 1610 Jefferson Street, Neighborhood Housing Resource Center, said there are two aspects to the downtown housing issue: 1) downtown housing can be part of the revitalization of downtown. In the past, efforts of ERA to revitalize downtown have not been successful. Before proceeding further it is important to review the marketing study being done, to make sure downtown housing will sell. 2) Downtown housing is a facet of the City's housing policy. A considerable amount of City staff time will be spent to develop housing in the downtown area. It is important that it serve the needs of the neediest people. The five central area neighborhoods are 80% below median income and have been designated to receive block grant funds. In 1976 these people spent over 25% of their income on housing. They are "housing poor.'1 It is important that a percentage of any downtown housing be affordable to these residents, by possible exclusionary zoning, or mandating a number of affordable units. He strongly supported mechanisms such as an urban bank, non-profit housing development corporation, and use of the City's bonding authority. He objected to splitting off the downtown neighborhood from the core in planning efforts. He advocated the preservation of existing housing stock, with the possible use of cost-sharing between the public and private sectors. He sug- gested City efforts be directed into leveraging to receive more rehabilitation funds. Dustin Posner, 983 West 10th Avenue, encouraged the adoption of the resolution. To provide on-site parking, he suggested calculating parking areas required for housing and exempting that area from the building area limits. The developer on the downtown site with a four-to-one ratio could still fill the site with housing and commercial and still provide the parking for the housing, possibly underneath the structure, allowing the developer to still get on-site parking. MINUTES--Eugene City Council April 13, 1981 Page 4