11-03-2010 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

Local Housing Issues Aging Housing Stock and Infrastructure A characteristic of a developed city is an aging housing stock and an aging public infrastructure system. As the housing stock ages, the importance of reinvestment and rehabilitation increases. The majority of the homes in the city are at an age where the owners need to make significant reinvestment in the property to maintain the structures. If the owners defer housing maintenance, reinvestment can be a problem due to the costs involved. Furthermore, deferred housing maintenance can negatively affect a neighborhood and deter other property owners from investing in their properties. The City’s code enforcement program helps to address maintenance and other issues associated with an aging housing stock. Life Cycle Housing and Affordable Housing Changing demographics, such as an aging population, create the need for alternative housing choices to the detached single-family home. Opportunities to develop life-cycle housing in Mounds View are limited due to the lack of vacant land. The City will need to encourage developers and builders to include this type of housing in redevelopment proposals. According to the 2000 Census, 37% of the rental housing units in Mounds View are considered affordable at 30% of median income levels (under $599/month rent). 91% of rental housing had rent amounts of under $799/month. According to the 2002 Ramsey County Assessors’ data, 91% of owner-occupied units were valued under $200,000. The Metropolitan Council also has studied housing costs. They define affordable housing based on monthly rental and ownership purchase price amounts that they consider affordable to low and moderate-income families. Housing is not affordable if an individual or family is spending more than 30% of their income on housing costs. The Metropolitan Council has determined the affordability limit for homeownership with an income level of 80% of area median income in 2007 was $206,800 and for those that have an income that is 60% of the median income is $152,000. Ramsey County’s median estimated market value of single-family homes in Mounds View for 2007 was $208,350 and that value dropped 4% in 2008 to $199,200. To ensure the region has an adequate supply of affordable housing as the metropolitan area continues to grow, the Metropolitan Council expects every city in the 7-county metro area to plan for additional affordable housing. To this end, the Metropolitan Council has determined each city’s share of the regional need for additional affordable housing. They determined this allocation by studying a variety of factors including the anticipated household growth for the region, housing vacancy rates, low-wage proximity, transit service and other factors. For Mounds View, there is a need for 81 additional affordable housing units by the year 2020, according to the Metropolitan Council. Accommodating the 81 additional units of affordable housing by the year 2020 will be a challenge for a City such as Mounds View since the City is nearly completely developed. However, the City has designated all redevelopment areas with a land use designation of Mixed- Use Planned Unit Development. This land use designation provides a possibility for new 5