Item A: Envision Eugene: Single-Family Housing

Home Browse Search

Sustainability Commission Sustainability Office th 99 W. 10 Avenue, Suite 116 Memorandum Eugene, Oregon 97401 (541) 682-5017 (541) 682-5221 FAX www.eugene-or.gov/sustainability June 22, 2011 TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council FROM: Sustainability Commission RE: Envision Eugene: Housing Mix In light of our role in advising Council on policy matters, the Sustainability Commission recently discussed the housing mix options under consideration by the Envision Eugene Technical Resource Group. We applaud the work of the Technical Resource Group to systematically assess the many ways in which housing affordability and livability may be affected by housing mix goals. The following represents our consensus feedback at this time, though we expect to weigh in further in September as well. Our comments are intended to provide a suggested direction by drawing attention to the consistency of one mix or another with the seven pillars that Council has advanced for public discussion, as well as with the previously adopted Climate and Energy Action Plan. The Sustainability Commission does not recommend a particular numerical ratio for the future housing mix in Eugene. We do, however, recommend a set of questions for staff, advisory committees and advocates of specific housing mix ratios. If the future of Eugene is to align with our vision and resolve the inherent tradeoffs among the seven pillars, the optimal housing mix ratio should be driven by a long view of impacts. There are indications that many drivers of the housing market are changing -- including generational differences in housing preferences, availability of mortgages, cost of transportation energy and building energy, and community commitments to tackling climate change and local energy security. We recommend that you ask advocates of specific housing mix values to look into the future as they make their arguments, and to be creative about how to reconcile such goals as density, affordability, and livability. As we understand the pillars, they tell us that our community must shift toward compact mixed-use development focused on transit corridors. Retaining the status quo 60:40 mix of single family and multi-family housing will block our ability to achieve our shared vision as represented by the pillars. Even the 40:60 (single family: multi-family) housing mix option makes this shift only slowly and modestly over the timeframe under consideration. We see a mix closer to the 40:60 alternative as much more consistent with the seven pillars. We look forward to a follow up work session with Council to discuss broader implications of Envision Eugene and to respond to questions raised at our work session with you in April.