Longmont City Council candidates were asked to answer a survey on affordable housing by the East County Housing Opportunity Coalition, or ECHO, — a nonprofit organization that educates, informs and trains East Boulder County residents about local affordable housing needs, according to the website.
On the site for the survey, ECHO announced that any candidates not represented did not return the questionnaire.
The following are the answers provided by each candidate along with the questions asked. To keep each entry short the responses are broken up by candidate through a series that will be published throughout the week.
Aren Rodriguez
1. What is your 10 year vision for affordable housing in Longmont?
The city of Longmont must continue to support the Longmont Housing Authority. The Longmont Housing Authority has provided more affordable housing units than any other entity when it comes to the city of Longmont. Outside of merely supporting the LHA, the city should encourage the expansion of the mission to include more units for families, single adults, and those in need of permanent supportive housing. The city should also research and set a baseline for the number of workforce/attainable units lacking in the city. There needs to be a holistic approach to housing that ensures that anyone in need of housing will be able to attain it.
2. Longmont has a goal of achieving 12% affordable housing by 2035. Is this the right goal? What concrete proposals would you add to city policies to meet or exceed that goal?
The goal of 12% was set in conjunction with the county and other municipalities within the county. As housing struggles are a regional issue, if not national, the minimum percentage should be consistent with that of the county. There is nothing stopping the city from exceeding 12% from a policy perspective. The challenge is the cost of construction and availability of land with which to construct these types of affordable developments. As such, it is imperative that the city become more flexible in allowing different products to come on-line. This will take a revamping of building/design standards and likely some adaptive reuse of existing and underutilized properties.
3. What changes would you make to the inclusionary housing ordinance in Longmont, if any?
At this point the IZO is new enough that we need to continue to monitor the performance. It seems to be functioning as intended. I look forward to examining the ongoing results at the next required update.
4. Will you proactively promote more affordable housing at transit stops designed to get people out of their cars, including greater density at those locations?
These are the most appropriate areas for density, but I think that increased density should also be explored in many parts of the city. There is limited available space for new development, and so that space must be utilized to its fullest extent. I have been speaking in favor of increased height limits and density for over four years as inevitable.
5. What does smart growth mean to you, and how would you ensure that all new developments are “smart”?
“Smart” growth means responsible growth. The appropriate siting of density near transit is one example. Another example would be for this growth to incorporate sustainable practices such as efficiency items(taps, toilets, etc.) and easily adaptable infrastructure to accommodate new technologies(solar, natural gas free mechanicals, etc.). Also, it means not approving new developments for the sake of growth, but ensuring that new developments are meeting the needs of the city and community.
6. What do you understand about the history of racism that has led to People of Color owning less property, and thus having less wealth than white people? What policies would you actively support to make up for years of racism in housing policy?
The practice of redlining was ended many years ago but had immense effects on people of color and the ability to build wealth. Investment into one’s home has been a catalyst for building wealth and a healthy middle class(which has all but vanished in many areas). I do not see these issues to be as readily apparent these days. The bigger challenge is preventing gentrification of certain neighborhoods. This may come in the way of added zoning protections and not allowing certain redevelopments to occur.
7. Do you think neighborhood opposition should be able to derail development projects that are consistent with the pre-approved goals and values of the City? Please explain.
There will always be a NIMBY contingent for any growth. This has been readily apparent in my time as a Planning and Zoning Commissioner and as a City Council Member. At the end of the day, we have to understand that change is inevitable. Those same people that say that growth should be curtailed are likely also the same folks that say that hated phrase of “Don’t Boulder my Longmont.” A zero growth policy will in fact exacerbate the “Boulderization” of Longmont.
8. Do you see a role for the City in limiting vacation rentals and investor-owned property as a way of keeping housing costs down? Please explain.
Short term vacation rentals are already limited in the city, and I supported that policy. As for long-term rentals, which are still investor-owned property, they are still a vital portion of our housing portfolio. Not everyone can afford to buy a home, and there is no shame in renting one.
9. Would you support lifting the state statute banning rent control. __X_yes ____no. Explain.
I believe that local decisions should be the purview of the local municipal entity. I am no fan of state pre-emption. It may not be appropriate in all cases, as Aspen is different than Brush.
10. Is there a role for local government in enforcing Colorado’s warranty of habitability laws? __X__yes ____no. Explain.
It seems that it would be much easier for a local inspector to determine the habitability than for a state inspector to travel and make the same determination. Also, the city of Longmont has very talented mediators to help with the process of addressing the issues with both landlord and tenant.
