Permanent Affordable Housing Commission Proposed

Board of Alders leadership has formally proposed the creation of a permanent Affordable Housing Commission charged with studying and issuing policy recommendations around affordable housing in the city.

The new 15-person body would include four members with lived experience as tenants of affordable housing, and seven members who are subject experts, community organizers, and/or developers.

Board of Alders President Tyisha Walker-Myers and the five other members of the local legislative leadership team submitted the proposed ordinance to the full board as a communication for Monday night’s meeting. The proposal would then go to a board committee for consideration.

The proposal follows up on the aldermanic Finance Committee’s recommended approval on May 16 of next fiscal year’s budget, which the alders amended to include over $92,000 to fund the commission’s first year of work.

The proposed permanent commission, which emerged from the Affordable Housing Task Force’s final list of recommendations after a months-long investigation into the city’s affordable housing crisis, would consist of 15 members: eight to be appointed by the alders, seven to be appointed by the mayor.

Those members would include one alder, a representative from the mayor’s office, the director of the city’s Economic Development Administration, the president of the city’s housing authority, four members of the public with ​“specific and relevant lived experience as tenants or occupants of affordable housing and who reflect the diversity of the City” and seven members who are ​“subject experts, members of community engagement organizations, members of fair housing organizations, members of the development community, or interested stakeholders.”

The commission would be staffed by the executive director of the city’s anti-blight Livable City Initiative (LCI).

The commission would be required to submit a yearly report, including policy recommendations, to the mayor and to the Board of Alders about the state of affordable housing in the city. Its first report would have to be submitted within six months of the commission’s establishment.

Click here to download the proposed ordinance.

According to the city’s website, the city already has 46 different boards and commissions.

Proposed Ordinance

Below is the proposed Affordable Housing Commission ordinance in full.

ORDINANCE AMENDMENT TO THE CODE OF ORDINANCES ESTABLISHING THE NEW HAVEN AFFORDABLE HOUSING COMMISSION.

WHEREAS, all citizens of the City of New Haven should have access to safe, quality, affordable housing; and

WHEREAS, the City of New Haven recognizes the need for a coordinated, collaborative approach to address the complex issue of affordable housing; and

WHEREAS, the City should be a regional, statewide, and national model advocate for developing innovative strategies and approaches to addressing affordable housing needs; and WHEREAS, the City would benefit from informed, engaged community members and policy experts reviewing and commenting on the impact of City, State, and Federal policy on the ongoing maintenance and creation of safe and affordable housing in the City of New Haven,

NOW, THEREFORE BE IT ORDAINED, BY THE BOARD OF ALDERS that the New Haven Affordable Housing Commission be established and composed of fifteen (15) members, eight (8) appointed by the President of the Board of Alders, and seven (7) appointed by the Mayor. All appointees must be approved by the Board of Alders.

All members shall serve for a two-year term that can be renewed by re-appointment by the Mayor or Board of Alders, respectively, and must be approved by the Board of Alders.

Membership of the Commission must include one (1) member of the Board of Alders; one (1) representative from the Mayor’s office; (1) the Director of the Department of Economic Development, or their designee; (1) the President of Elm City Communities/Housing Authority
of the City of New Haven, or their designee; four (4) members of the public with specific and relevant lived experience as tenants or occupants of affordable housing and who reflect the diversity of the City.

The additional seven (7) appointees should be subject experts, members of community engagement organizations, members of fair housing organizations, members of the development community, or interested stakeholders. The Commission shall be staffed by the Executive
Director of LCI, or their designee.

BE IT FURTHER ORDAINED, that the New Haven Affordable Housing Commission shall be responsible for submitting a yearly report to the Mayor and Board of Alders about the state of affordable housing New Haven, including policy recommendations. Its initial report shall be submitted within six (6) months following the first meeting of the Commission.