It’s great to have input for our legislators on this important initiative.  Our ACEDC board set this idea in motion, and we can expect a lot of discussion leading inevitably to some kind of compromise.  Our first objective is to make sure legislators know that workforce housing is an serious issue, so anyone who can speak out should be encouraged to do so.

I have attached a one-pager that reflects my personal perspective and not necessarily ACEDC’s consensus opinion.  What I took away from meeting with developers is that:

* Communities need to identify suitable sites for various housing development options that meet local zoning regs.

* The land must be made available for development with NO additional permitting costs.

* The ‘community infrastructure’ (roads, sidewalks, water, sewer, stormwater, etc.) must be paid for by ‘the community’, not the developer.

My personal thesis can be summed up this way:   Workforce housing is made affordable not by income subsidies or cost shifts, but by reducing the cost of development.