Affordable Housing

As a member of the Housing Committee, I have worked to incentivize new affordable housing and remove barriers to housing development; I also worked to protect existing rental housing stock in District One.  Some initiatives I have worked on include:

Inclusionary Zoning: One of the first ordinances I was able to pass on the City Council created incentives for residential developers to include permanently affordable units.  Incentives included reduced parking requirements and bonuses for height and density.

Land Use Code Reform: I have worked steadfastly reduce  residential developmentby costs by reducing prohibitive parking requirements and allowing increased density in appropriate areas like arterial roadways that are supported by bus service and businesses within walking distance.

Condo Conversions:  I recognize the real social cost associated with condo conversions. Developers pay mere hundreds in permits, while the city spends hundreds of thousands just to replace rentals lost to conversions.  I have worked to correct for this imbalance.

Affordable Homeownership: I have initiated an inventory of tax-acquired residential properties with a view to forming a housing land trust of  permanently affordable homeownership opportunities for working families.

Energy Audit Program: I worked to introduce an energy auditing service to complement our low-interest home rehabilitation loans for lower income homeowners.

Green Building Standards:  I worked to support adoption of energy performance standards for residential development supported through the city allocation of Federal HOME funds for new affordable housing.

For more information visit the links below:
www.portlandmaine.gov/planning/housingplan.asp
www.portlandmaine.gov/planning/inclusionaryzoning.pdf