Title: Response to the National Call to Action for Affordable Housing Through Regulatory Reform Otis S. Johnson, PhD, Mayor Mary Osborne, Alderwoman City of Savannah, Georgia
1Responseto theNational Call to
ActionforAffordable Housing Through Regulatory
ReformOtis S. Johnson, PhD, MayorMary Osborne,
AlderwomanCity of Savannah, Georgia
2Task Force Structure
- Chairperson -- Rochelle D. Small-Toney, Assistant
City Manager - Task Force Member Backgrounds
- Home Builders / Contractors / Developers
- Landlords
- Municipal Planners / Building Officials
- Construction / Permanent Financing Lenders
- City Housing Department / Housing Authority /
Non-Profit Housing Officials - Neighborhood Leaders
3Task Force Structure
- 9 Focus Groups Provided Task Force with Valuable
Input - Renters
- Home Buyers
- Homeowners
- Special Need Populations
- Workforce Populations
- Housing Community Development Organizations
- Home Builders / Developers / Design Professionals
- Neighborhood Commercial Mixed Use
- Financing Funding
- The University of Georgia, Carl Vinson Institute
of Government Provided Support
4Summary of Accomplishments
- Defined Affordable Housing
- Identified Regulatory and Non-Regulatory Barriers
to Affordable Housing including - Local
- State
- Federal
- Recommended Solutions Implementation Schedule
- 17 Short Term
- 24 Long Term
5Two Barrier Examples
- Money
- Incomes too low to afford quality housing
- Not enough Federal funds available to meet local
needs - Zoning Ordinance
- Does not encourage smart growth or affordable
housing
6Recommendations
- Support Affordable Housing with Local Funds
- Support Zoning Ordinance Changes with Smart
Growth Principals Incentives
7Example of Support for Affordable Housing with
Local Funds
- 8.53 Million Sales Tax Fund 2008-2013 In Support
of Affordable Housing Infrastructure and Green
Space - 1,000 New Affordable Dwellings to Benefit
- 2.25 Million Revolving Property Acquisition Fund
- 100 Affordable Housing Lots to be Purchased
- 250,000 Employer Assisted Home Purchase Employee
Benefit Program - 50 City Employees Will Use to Purchase Homes
- Local Housing Trust Fund
- Under Consideration
- Every 1 of Local Funding could Leverage at Least
10 of Private Investment
8Examples of Support for Zoning Ordinance Changes
with Smart Growth Principals Incentives
- Incorporate Features of Successful Traditional
Neighborhoods - Increased Density
- Smaller Lot Areas Widths
- Smaller Right-of-Ways Street Widths
- Smaller Parallel Curb-Side Parking Lanes
- Reduced Parking Requirements for Multi Family
Affordable Rental Housing - Utility Placement Under Street Pavement
- Pervious Pavement On-Site Storm Water
Management - Mixed Housing Types / Accessory Structures
- Neighborhood Retail / Mixed-Use / Live-Work
- Affordable Housing Incentives/Bonuses
- EarthCraft / LEED Incentives/Bonuses
- Urban Infill Incentives/Bonuses
9Single Family HousePotential Development Cost
Savings
- Changes described above combined with
appropriately sized housing and amenities could
reduce single family house development costs by
23,000 to 30,000 - Reusing lots in existing neighborhoods could save
another 10,000 to 15,000 per house
10Putting It All TogetherSavannah Gardens Urban
Infill
- The Savannah Gardens urban infill development
will be the first major opportunity to test Task
Force recommendations - The 44 Acre site contains 370 dilapidated rental
apartments built during WWII for shipyard workers
3 miles from downtown Savannah - The proposed redevelopment will include Smart
Growth and Traditional Neighborhood design
elements
11Community Design CharretteAn Essential First Step
12Results of Savannah GardensCommunity Design
Charrette
13Savannah Gardens
- Create550 to 600 New Mixed Income Housing Units
- 400 to 500 Family Senior Rental
- 100 to 200 Single Family Ownership
- Create Neighborhood Friendly Retail Mixed Use
- On-Site in Town Center
- Off-Site on old Gwinnett Street Grocery Store
site - Create Major and Minor Public Private Green
Space - Create a Community that Recognizes its History
- Retain Crescent Drive as Major Site Feature
- Retain Tree Canopy as Major Site Feature
- Retain One Representative Duplex
- Historic Marker(s) that tell Neighborhoods
History - Create a Traffic Calming, Pedestrian and Bicycle
Friendly Community - Create Meaningful Connectivity with Adjoining
Neighborhoods - Create an Environmentally Sensitive Community
through the EarthCraft Communities Coastal
Program
14Existing Layout
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