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HomeMy WebLinkAbout03. March 2022 minutes 1 New Hanover County-City of Wilmington Workforce Housing Advisory Committee March 2, 2022 Regular Meeting Committee Members Present: Sharm Brantley, Ashley Daniels, Tom Gale, Kristen Keser, Eric Knight, Katrina Knight, Katrina Redmon, Frank Smith, Paul Stavovy, Staff Present: Tufanna Bradley (NHC), Margaret Peth (NHC), Suzanne Rogers (CoW), Rebekah Roth (NHC), Ron Satterfield (CoW) Call to Order The meeting was called to order at 3:05 p.m. Chairperson Brantley and quorum was established. Agenda Approval and Minutes Mr. Paul Stavovy made a motion to approve the January and February minutes seconded by Mr. Gale and adopted by vote. Ms. Katrina Redmon made a motion to approve the March agenda, seconded by Chairperson Brantley and adopted by vote. Public Comments None New Business Ms. Knight gave an update about the Legislative Breakfast event hosted by the Cape Fear Housing Coalition. The breakfast had a record attendance of 180 people and featured speakers including Samuel Gunther and Dr. Chris Prentice. A housing panel featured Huntley Garriott, Dr. Phillip Brown, and Rhonda Bellamy. The event was attended by a diverse group of stakeholders including community members and developers. Ms. Knight noted that they are preparing a follow-up email with links to content from the event. Ms. Knight noted that they had hoped that the event would inspire greater investment of resources and action from the community but that the effort wasn’t as successful as hoped. Mr. Gale noted that the increased attendance could indicate greater community awareness but asked if there was any reason that legislative presence was not as high as previous events. Ms. Knight noted that there could be a variety of reasons including scheduling conflicts or general discomfort. Ms. Rogers noted that Wilmington City Council did hear a briefing from Dr. Prentice following the event. Committee members discussed the educational opportunities and the importance of the messenger in delivering information about the issue of affordable housing. Committee members discussed getting more information out about the economic impact of workforce housing development on small business. Ms. Brantley asked what Ms. Knight thought the biggest impact was from the legislative breakfast. Ms. Knight responded that she felt that the biggest impact was that it ramped up pressure on elected officials to show some effort to address the issue of affordable housing, especially given the involvement of different stakeholders. Committee members discussed the importance of community education to bolster community support and create accountability for elected officials. Mr. Gale asked how the WHAC can increase rapport with elected officials. Ms. Roth responded that the committee may need to hold smaller, more consistent 2 conversations with elected officials to build trust. Ms. Roth also noted that there is not a clear delineation about the responsibilities of the WHAC beyond hosting the housing study and creating a housing plan. Ms. Roth noted that the planning department has gotten confirmation from the commissioners to hire program staff, which will facilitate more work on the issue of affordable housing. Ms. Roth noted that an education campaign may be the best way to establish a strong advisory dynamic with elected officials and noted concerns that many of the committee members do have organizations that would benefit from potential funding. Ms. Rogers noted that it might be best to address earlier wishes to change the by-laws including changing the AMI range included and the Community Relations Advisory Committee choosing a representative instead of specifying the chair. Committee members discussed that they thought the AMI ranges had already been adjusted but then noted that it would officially need to be accepted by the County Commissioners and City Council. Ms. Roth asked what the next step should be, and if the best next step would be working on a housing plan. Ms. Brantley noted that they should figure out what the committee’s exact expectations are moving forward from the bond with the new funding promised from the county. Mr. Stavovy noted that it may be very helpful to speak directly with elected officials to avoid miscommunication and provide the opportunity for committee members to ask questions, and that it may be helpful to include something to this effect in the bylaws. Ms. Rogers asked if they could speak with the managers of the city/county. Ms. Bradley responded that it might be helpful but ultimately the decision is up to the commissioners, so it might be best if they come to a regular meeting. Committee members noted they would like to confirm the bylaws reflect committee’s needs before inviting elected officials. Ms. Daniels noted that elected officials should acknowledge that they chose this board, and that the board has been very flexible, and that elected officials have somewhat disregarded the previous recommendations of the board. Committee members discussed that the next step should be clarifying expectations, then collaborating with other stakeholders that are engaged in the issue like businesses. Ms. Roth noted that the programs that the county will introduce include an RFP based process (either annually or bi-annually), pre-qualified access to funding for approved organizations, and a rehabilitation loan program for home repairs based on the existing partnership program with CFPUA. There have also been conversations about partnering with the city to expand their existing programs. Ms. Roth stated that the funding does include the cost of staff that the county plans to hire for the housing program. Ms. Knight noted that officials at the joint city/county meeting stated that salaries would not come out of the proposed $3 million funding. Ms. Roth stated she would confirm. Mr. Gale and Ms. Rogers noted that there might be some issues with the bi-annual RFP due to the time- sensitive nature of real estate development. Committee members discussed hosting elected officials so that they can establish a better relationship with elected officials to establish a relationship as a working body. Ms. Roth suggested discussing by-laws at the April meeting and at the following meeting arranging meetings with elected officials. Ms. Rogers stated she would send out the official, approved copy of the bylaws. Old Business None 3 Announcements Ms. Rogers made an announcement regarding American Rescue Plan funds. Wording in the bill makes it very difficult to use this source of funding for affordable housing projects due to their time sensitivity. The North Carolina Housing Coalition is asking people to contact their federal elected officials to pass legislation to amend this language. Mr. Knight noted that the Truist Social Bond recently announced that it will fund 20,000 affordable housing units. Adjournment Chairperson Brantley made a move to adjourn seconded by Mr. Stavovy. The meeting was adjourned at 4:37.