2016.02.08 CC Packet Goal Setting

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Housing and Economic Development 3-11) Metropolitan Council Role in Housing The Metropolitan Council is statutorily required to assist cities with meeting the provisions of the Land Use Planning Act, which requires cities to adopt sufficient standards, plans and programs to meet their local share of the region's overall projected need for low and moderate income housing. The Council's responsibilities include the preparation and adoption of guidelines and procedures to assist local government units with accomplishing the requirements of the Land Use Planning Act. The Metropolitan Council also offers a variety of programs and initiatives to create affordable housing opportunities, including the Livable Communities Program, and operation of a metropolitan housing and redevelopment authority. Unlike parks, transit and wastewater, housing is not a statutory regional system, thus the Met Council's role, responsibilities and authority are more limited in scope, centered on providing assistance to local governments by identifying the regional need for affordable housing, projecting growth for the region and identifying available and effective tools, resources, technical assistance and methods that cities can use to create and promote affordable housing opportunities in their communities. The Metropolitan Council should work in partnership with local governments to ensure that the range of housing needs for people at various life -cycle and incomes can be met. • Metro Cities opposes the elevation of housing to "Regional System" status. • Metro Cities supports removing the Metropolitan Council's review and comment authority connected to housing revenue bonds under M.S. 462C.04. In 2014, the Metropolitan Council released a housing policy plan, the first of its kind in nearly 30 years. The housing policy plan should include clearly defined local, regional and state roles around 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 around the advocacy for state and federal resources for housing, and encompass policies, best practices and technical guidance for all types of housing. The plan should also recognize the diversity in local needs, characteristics, and resources. Metro Cities supports strategies such as sub -regional cooperation and the sharing of best practices among local governments and other entities and partners to address housing issues. The policy plan should allow for the provision of 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 Council solicitation and use of local data, inputs and analyses in this work and local government review of data and analyses. 2016 Legislative Policies 21