Apropos, were you up here visiting whit?
Meanwhile...
http://www.theithacajournal.com/apps...609040319/1002
Study shows need for affordable housing
By Andrew Tutino
Journal Staff
ITHACA — Government officials said they are finally able to put numbers with prior educated guesses about the lack of affordable housing in Tompkins County after the release last month of a new housing study.
A study conducted by the Vermont-based Economics & Policy Resources Inc. (EPR) shows that Tompkins County will need to build more than 2,500 affordable housing units between now and 2014 to meet the increasing demand spurred by a relatively stable economy that continues to draw people to the area.
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Affordable housing units are defined by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development as an owner-occupied house that pays no more than 30 percent of the household's gross income on mortgage payments, utilities, taxes and insurance. For renters, the number is no more than 30 percent of gross household income being spent on rent and utilities.
According to the study, a household would need to earn $55,880 on average to afford a median-priced, single-family home in 2004 (about $140,000). For those living near the city and town of Ithaca, the numbers are higher.
“No study is perfect,” said Martha Robertson, a member of the Tompkins County Legislature who has been active in housing issues. “But it puts a lot of meat on the bones for how much of a need Tompkins County has for lower-cost and affordable homes.”
Jeffrey B. Carr, EPR president, said the situation in Tompkins rivals those in commuter blocks north of the New York City metropolitan area. Carr said another demand identified through the survey was housing that may interest those who commute from outside the county's borders.
“If I was a developer, that represented a potential source for demand I could potentially meet,” he said. “They think housing prices are high in Tompkins County and see a greater value for their housing dollar outside of the county right now.”
The question facing government and private-sector developers is what to do about the problem. Housing units are being added in the county but not at the affordable level rate needed to meet demand.
“I think people are recognizing this is a key community issue,” said Edward Marx, the commissioner of the Tompkins County Planning Department, which worked closely with the consultant for the study. “We have a real target to shoot for, and I believe many community leaders are mobilizing around this issue.”
The Planning Department has begun researching ordinances that could make it friendly for developers to propose housing developments that include units with prices in the affordable range.
Also, Marx said, a renter study is already under way as well as talk of creating some type of community land trust that could serve as locations for housing developments. Interested developers in the past have had a hard time finding land to build affordable housing developments.
All of those ideas are recommendations forwarded to the county by EPR in the study, including one about exploring the possibility of offering developers tax abatements on housing developments that include affordable units, though the legality of those abatements and the issue of fairness for other developers and existing landlords who would not get abatements is an issue.
“There have been success stories,” Marx said. “I think no single model will be exactly what we have to do here because our community is unique. I think the one thing that is very important is to not get too far behind on this issue.”
Hmm...comments, anybody?
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