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• <br />A greater risk than losing the preference for senior housing is the Toss of the <br />state's income, rent and disability covenants. <br />Willow Pond's MHFA restrictive land use covenant does not automatically extend the restrictions <br />beyond the first 15 year period. Consistent with MHFA policy and the attached MHFA Housing Tax <br />Credit Program, Qualified Contract Process Guide, Attachment G, Willow Ponds can opt -out of its <br />restrictions and convert to market rate rents, higher income tenants, and provide no requirement to <br />rent to disabled tenants. In fact, the project could be sold as condominiums. The City's covenant does <br />not restrict occupancy to leasing, I believe. If the project characteristics are not addressed currently, the <br />likelihood of eliminating the existing income and disability restrictions would be enhanced. <br />Per the recent property appraisal, market rate vs. restricted rents increases the property value by <br />$700,000. The question to ask is: why would an owner not seek higher economic values as presented in <br />the market place vs. keeping restrictive rents and tenant qualifications of incomes and disabilities? <br />My proposal is to keep the project not only for seniors but for continued affordable rents and disability <br />characteristics. I believe the City's generous TIF assistance was not for the sole purpose of limiting the <br />project to seniors but was predicated on thirty years of affordability and disabled tenant preference. <br />The original TIF plan and state law in 1995 would not permit local public assistance for market rate <br />seniors. The cornerstone of the TIF assistance is to create and preserve affordability and not to <br />singularly restrict occupancy to seniors. <br />In summary, the option to convert to market rate conditions may be the greatest threat of not <br />approving the proposal as presented here. <br />11 <br />