HomeMy WebLinkAbout211013 WSMINUTES
Eugene City Council
Virtual Work Session
Eugene, Oregon 97401
October 13, 2021
12:00 p.m.
Councilors Present: Emily Semple, Matt Keating, Jennifer Yeh, Mike Clark, Greg Evans, Claire Syrett,
Randy Groves
Councilors Absent: Alan Zelenka
Mayor Vinis opened the October 13, 2021, work session of the Eugene City Council in virtual format.
1. WORK SESSION - Housing Implementation Pipeline (HIP) Update
Planning and Development Executive Director Denny Braud, Co -Community Development Director
Amanda Nobel Flannery, Co -Community Development Director Will Dowdy, Planning Director Alissa
Hansen, and City Manager's Office Director Brooke Freed presented information about the Housing
Implementation Pipeline work to -date.
Council Discussion:
• Councilor Clark - commented that this work represents one of the Council's highest priorities
and is an ambitious plan; asked about the status of the housing needs numbers, noting that the
area is already exceeding the projected population growth which significantly impacts the
demand for housing; asked about the nexus of the HIP work with growth monitoring efforts and
whether the agreed -upon 65/45 split is still accounted for; asked where the land to build
needed housing will be located.
• Councilor Syrett - appreciated the clear format used to lay out the plan and thanked staff for the
policy and timeline graphics which helps put the work into perspective; appreciated the
analysis done, noting it is ambitious but necessary; said the housing crisis is a nationwide
problem that is particularly bad on the west coast; requested more information on the City's
anti -displacement plan.
■ Councilor Groves - expressed concern about the effects on lower -income residents and renters
with the emphasis on incentives for home ownership; noted the impacts of land and
construction materials shortages on this work; asked where unhoused youth fall on the
continuum and supported addressing that demographic specifically.
■ Councilor Yeh - appreciated the presentation and materials and asked for clarification of
Opportunity #1; supported investment in downtown; asked what percentage of the planned
housing is owner -occupied; supported an anti -displacement plan and asked for more
information
■ Councilor Evans - shared displacement situations occurring in Ward 6, noting that it is a
growing trend; asked what analysis was being done on the demographics of people coming in to
the community, where they will live, and the effects of ghettoization; supported housing
distribution policies that ensure equitable access and specific strategies to accommodate
anticipated growth; noted many people can't afford to live in Eugene and cautioned against
policies that would result in migrations to other communities related to racial and socio-
economic factors.
■ Councilor Keating - supported requests for more information on anti -displacement policies and
plans; expressed alarm about the data and trends presented; asked for staffs view as to why the
MINUTES - Eugene City Council October 13, 2021 Page 1
Work Session
housing need number is growing so quickly; stated the goal of the work is to provide more
permanent, stable housing, including for the unhoused population, and asked how the City can
set and achieve realistic goals.
• Mayor Vinis - asked for information about the forecasted City -supported housing and shelter
pipeline related to the goal for 6,000 planned units; appreciated the data and analysis presented.
• Councilor Clark - asked whether the majority of the planned 6,000 units are market -driven or
subsidized housing; asked whether Council should focus on policies that affect the housing
market or subsidization opportunities; asked about the plans for single-family and multi -family
development and whether plans to densify are weighted toward housing developments or one-
off single-family units; asked what role developers and builders play in the HIP plans.
• Councilor Evans - noted that the area's two percent vacancy rate represents a static housing
market, said in the past, there was a range of housing options from starter homes, to
transitional homes, to dream homes and the transitional housing stock is no longer available,
which disrupts the availability of all housing types; supported concentrating efforts on this
middle housing component.
• Councilor Syrett - reminded Council that the current environment of labor shortages and
supply chain issues is also playing a role in housing development, and expressed hope that
these conditions will improve soon; noted the low vacancy rate means there is a housing
shortage in all sectors of housing types; encouraged Council to find ways to support home-
ownership and renter protections; noted that multi -family developments can also include
ownership opportunities.
■ Councilor Groves - supported all efforts to increase housing stock and said larger -scale
developments are needed to meet goals; suggested looking at the urban growth boundary again
to identify potential housing and business sites.
■ Councilor Yeh - requested information about the housing continuum from starter homes to
dream homes.
■ Councilor Clark - said that impacts of the 2007-2008 market crash were felt more strongly in
Eugene -and the-_C tyspolicies have only exacerbated rroblems; noted that the City has not met
its housing goals since the decision to limit UGB expansion and asked if an analysis of the
sufficiency of the UGB will be part of the HIP process and if the results of that analysis will be
available before policy decisions are made; noted that the expansion of the UGB for industrial
uses addressed the parcel type and suggested adding that factor to the HIP data; supported
incentives for developing housing along natural transportation corridors.
■ Councilor Evans - encourage Council consideration of the growing demographic of people who
want to downsize from larger homes and who those who choose to live smaller and more
sustainably.
■ Councilor Vinis - noted that cities have traditionally enabled growth in housing opportunities
and said it is unknown how much one-off housing will be added as a result of HB2001;
expressed appreciation for the conversation and anticipation for subsequent discussion.
Mayor Vinis adjourned the meeting at 1:30 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Brooke Freed
City Recorder (AIC)
Link to the webcast of this City Council meeting here.
MINUTES - Eugene City Council October 13, 2021 Page 2
Work Session