Providing secure and affordable housing to all citizens is a social good worthy of the city’s committed investment. It is essential to the city’s economic vitality and to the preservation of our environment that the people who work here, have raised families here, and require this city’s services can afford a place to live.

The affordability of housing must be judged not only on the rent or purchase price, but also on proximity to public transit. Our neighborhood plans and public incentive programs must address the intersection of housing and transit costs when determining what housing is affordable over the long term.

Public subsidies alone cannot meet the demand for affordable housing in this city. The marketplace must be encouraged to build both below-market and market-rate housing to increase the overall supply of housing units.

My strategy seeks to reduce the lack of affordable housing through three principal programs:

1. Increasing Flexibility within the Zoning and Regulatory Environment

The city must be more flexible in allowing multifamily housing and new housing types in our neighborhoods, particularly along transit routes.

We will support and improve incentive zoning programs throughout the city.

The urgent need for multifamily development responsive to emerging transit options demands better coordination among the city offices of Housing, Neighborhoods, and Planning and Development. All three must be instilled with a mission to design, create, and expedite affordable housing throughout the city.

We will work for inclusion of residential units at public facilities such as libraries and community centers where appropriate.

2. Reducing Building Costs

The years it takes to complete building permits leads to excessive costs. The city Department of Planning and Development will work to establish zoning standards that lead to well-designed housing so that permits for multifamily developments can be completed more quickly. We will also work to eliminate requirements that add costs without leading to better development.

The city will advocate partial or complete exemption from state sales tax for multifamily developments constructed by nonprofit builders.

The city Office of Housing will establish a more proactive role to simplify the distribution of public and private funds for affordable multifamily development. It will facilitate a common application form applicable to all public agencies that provide financing, and explore opportunities to coordinate the financing from multiple stakeholders to reduce inefficiency, redundancy, and cost in the development of affordable housing.

The city will forcefully advocate the acquisition and use of surplus public property for affordable housing.

3. Expanding Funding and Finance Mechanisms

The city will advocate an increase in appropriations to the State Housing Trust Fund.

We will advocate and develop a means to dedicate tax revenues from locales with rising property values for affordable housing development. We will look at Growth Funds once used by the city for this purpose, and negotiate with the state legislature for establishment of Tax Increment Financing Districts that meet state constitutional requirements.

I vigorously encourage voter approval of the 2009 Affordable Housing Levy. My administration will ensure that the city provides full support for affordable housing programs and development provided through this fund.