See text below. This was posted by Mark Dunlea on behalf of Alice Green's campaign. I post it because she makes reference to 12 Barclay Street. Some of the ideas are worth considering. This post in no way indicates that I support or oppose Dr. Green's candidacy for mayor.
Alice Green: City Housing Trust Fund; Supports Code Enforcement, Anti-Speculation Initiative
Posted on DIA by
dunleamark, Section
Diaries Posted on Wed Oct 5th, 2005 at 09:48:13 AM EST
Alice Green calls for City Housing Trust FundSupports Anti-Speculation Initiative, Stricter Code Enforcement
Providing affordable housing for low, moderate and middle income homeowners is an important cornerstone of my campaign for mayor. We need to build new homes, rehabilitate others, and provide affordable good-quality rental units while encouraging and promoting owner-occupied homes which build good neighborhoods. Adequate housing is essential to family strength and development. Of special concern, is preserving and stabilizing our older neighborhoods throughout Albany. Here is why. In the words of Tom McPheeters, in "Capital Neighbors:"
"The Boom in the real estate market that has finally reached Albany's downtown neighborhood is a mixed blessing. One of the unintended consequences of higherprices is a tightening market in affordable housing, both rental and owner-occupied."
An example of such negative pressure is here at 12 Barclay Street. In 2004, this two-family home was sold by a long-term local woman for $53,000 to a limited liability corporation with only a post office box address. A year later, it was listed again for $150,000 without any real improvements having been made. It is being marketed to out-of-town investors and presented as one of "25 investment properties," often bought sight unseen. The result is that our neighborhoods are increasingly being owned by absentee landlords who often neglect repairs and increase blight. Their neighbors cannot complain to a post office box address. Overpriced houses lead to unaffordable rents. This situation keeps neighborhood renters from having homeownership opportunities. Tenants used to pay 30% of their income for housing. Now they pay more than 50%, which strains their budgets and crushes their dream of homeownership.
Council member, Dominick Calsolaro has made a fine proposal to stop this speculation by encouraging more owner-occupied opportunities. Under his proposal, owners would get a property tax break to restore illegal and chopped-up apartments back to owner-occupied one and two-family homes.
As houses are rehabilitated and modified, attention must also be given to making them more energy efficient. Better use could be made of solar energy, insulation, etc. Later, we will release more on this issue in a separate proposal on how to "green" the city.
We must also do more to combat the epidemic of vacant housing in neighborhoods such as Arbor Hill, South End and West Hill, which has vacancy rates 10 times higher than surrounding communities.. The City has more than 800 vacant homes according to a 2003 survey by the Historic Albany Foundation. In addition to being eyesores that scare away potential renters or buyers, depressing prices for other homeowners in the area, vacant structures also poses public safety risks because they are targets for arson, drug dealing and vandalism.
As Mayor of Albany, I will:
Establish an Anti-Speculation Ordinance which targets absentee landlords who buy and then quickly resell small rental and family owner-occupied houses to reap exorbitant (speculative or unreasonable) profits and drive rents up.
Establish a Housing Trust Fund for the City and County of Albany as has been done in a number of our major cities across the country: Philadelphia, Washington, New York City, etc. Funds would be generated from several possible sources including mortgage transfer taxes and development fees. In the latter, any new developments such as Nanotech or housing projects would be required to contribute a set percentage of their project's cost to the established housing trust fund. The percentage could be negotiated between the city and county. The County should be involved, because affordable housing is a regional problem. Many of our towns are experiencing high housing costs. Workforce housing could provide affordable homes for middle-income workers.
A joint committee would need to be formed to include the Mayor, Common Council, County Executive, County Legislature and other interested parties (such as non-profit housing groups) to research and establish my proposed Affordable Housing Trust Fund to finance the construction and rehabilitation of affordable owner-occupied homes and rental units throughout Albany and its suburbs.
Strengthen Code Enforcement over absentee-owned residential properties, making sure they adhere to health and habitability standards of their neighbors - owner-occupants and/or responsible landlords.
Work more closely with non-profit housing corporations with a proven track record like the Albany Community Land Trust, The Affordable Housing Partnership and United Tenants of Albany and collaborate on activities that could include grant applications; include these organizations on city-controlled committees; develop joint redevelopment projects and work more cooperatively on a wide range of programs.
Develop more mixed-income housing initiatives where existing home developers would be encouraged to look at Albany for mixed-income housing. Sometimes called work-force or inclusionary housing, its aim is to encourage city workers and others to live in the City where they work, rather than commuting and causing more parking problems in our neighborhoods.
Better integrate economic development, housing and service programs to support a locally-based comprehensive strategy for neighborhood development.
Initiate an Urban Homesteading Program. Too many houses stand vacant in our city, especially in lower income neighborhoods, contributing to the deterioration of these communities. In some blocks as many as half of the homes may be vacant. The city should work with the County to aggressively foreclose on these properties (e.g., for back taxes; also VA and FHA properties). The homes should be given to city residents who will commit to live in and improve them, with subsided loans through the Housing Trust Fund to repair them. If the family lives in and maintains the homes for at least a year, they would be given title.
The Mayor's office needs to pay more attention to what is happening to housing conditions and costs in our neighborhoods. As Mayor, I will do just that.
A copy of the Historic Albany Vacancy Survey is at
http://www.albany.edu/gp/facilities/plnstd/albany/Albany%20Vacant%20Buildings%20Report.pdf
