2019.01.23 CC Packet - Goal Setting Session

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Housing & Economic Development In 2014, the Metropolitan Council released a housing policy plan, the first of its kind in nearly 30 years. A housing policy plan should include defined local, regional and state roles for the provision of housing in all sectors, identify the availability of and need for tools and resources for affordable and lifecycle housing, be explicit in supporting partnerships for the advocacy for state and federal resources for housing, and encompass policies, best practices and technical guidance for all types of housing. A plan should also recognize the diversity in local needs, characteristics and resources. Metro Cities supports strategies such as regional and sub -regional cooperation and the sharing of best practices among local governments and other entities and partners to address the region's affordable housing needs. A policy plan should allow for ongoing research and analysis by the Metropolitan Council to provide communities with timely and updated information on regional and local housing needs and market trends as regional and local needs change and evolve. Metro Cities supports the solicitation and use of local data, inputs and analyses and local governments' review of such data. Metro Cities supports continued city representation in any updated or new regional housing policy plan. 3-E Allocation of Affordable Housing Need The allocation of affordable housing need methodology determines how many affordable housing units will be needed in the region and distributes the need by assigning each city its fair share through an affordable housing need number. M.S. 473.859 requires cities to guide sufficient land to accommodate local shares of the region's affordable housing need. Metro Cities supports additional Metropolitan Council resources to assist cities in meeting cities' share of the region's affordable housing needs. Metro Cities supports the creation of a variety of housing opportunities. However, the provision of affordable and lifecycle housing is a shared responsibility between the private sector and government at all levels, including the federal government, state government and Metropolitan Council. Land economics, construction costs and infrastructure needs create barriers to the creation of affordable housing that cities cannot overcome without assistance. Therefore, Metro Cities supports a Metropolitan Council affordable housing policy and allocation of need methodology that recognizes the following tenets: • Regional housing policies characterize individual city and sub -regional housing numbers as a range of needs in the community; • Cities need significant financial assistance from the federal and state government, as well as the Metropolitan Council, to make progress toward creating additional affordable housing and preserving existing affordable housing; 2019 Legislative Policies 22