The city does not build or operate housing, but it can provide developers with financing or incentives for housing projects, and the city also can create new programs and pass new regulations.
New housing policies would provide the Dayton City Commission with decision-making guidance about where to invest, needed partnerships and advocacy priorities, Kinskey said.
The city wants to make the best use of its limited tools to influence housing preservation and development, he said.
The city hopes that policy recommendations will result in increased homeownership opportunities, more rental options, stronger rental housing protections and new supports to help people remain in their homes.
Policy recommendations are expected to focus on housing development, affordable housing preservation and housing support programs and education.
For instance, Dayton and its partners own nearly 6,000 acres of land across the city, and new policies could call for retaining control of property in key areas to address housing needs.
Housing policies could include recommendations based on best practices in other cities that are trying to solve housing issues through strategies like code enforcement, said Karen DeMasi, senior vice president of community development with CityWide.
Housing policies may be tied to city employees’ work plans and may be incorporated into the city’s spending plans for the funding it gets from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).
Dayton has a shortage of pretty much every type of housing, such as middle-income housing options and units that appeal to aging residents, Kinskey said.
Kinskey said proposed recommendations are based on input collected from community members last fall and a Dayton Housing Roundtable.
The roundtable consisted of 50 representatives of a wide variety of organizations, who worked to come up with housing strategies. The city said it formed a steering committee to help draft a policy document.
A steering committee will make a recommendation to the city manager about housing policies, and the request will be passed onto the city commission for consideration.
The city hosted the first of four public meetings about proposed housing policies on Wednesday, and three other meetings will be held on June 20, June 26 and June 27.
Dayton City Commissioner Shenise Turner-Sloss strongly encourages Dayton residents to attend one of meetings and provide feedback.
“This is very, very important,” she said.
At Thursday’s meeting, visitors were asked to review and identify housing policy proposals they liked the most.
Norma R., who lives in the Princeton Heights neighborhood, said she would like to see the city engage the local banking community to develop loan programs for homeowner rehab programs.
“Minorities have a very hard time getting loans,” she said. “I used to work for a financial institution so I know that.”
Larry Welborn, 69, said he would like to see the city invest in a local trust fund or a Community Development Financial Institution Fund dedicated to housing.
Welborn has a home in Dayton’s College Hill neighborhood but he also works as a professor of theology at Fordham University in New York City.
New York has a housing trust fund that helps construct, develop, revitalize and preserve low-income housing.
The fund provides subsidies to developers to build or substantially rehabilitate multi-family apartments. Projects qualify if a certain share of their units are affordable to people with lower incomes.
“I think the idea of a trust is a good one,” Welborn said.
Dayton housing policy meetings
5:30 p.m. Tuesday, June 20 at the Dayton Metro Library West Branch Library, 300 Abbey Ave.
5:30 p.m. Monday, June 26, Burkhardt Branch Library, 4704 Burkhardt Ave.
5:30 p.m. Tuesday, June 27, Southeast Branch Library, 21 Watervliet Ave.
Examples of potential Dayton housing policies and actions:
* Consider a vacant property ordinance to hold owners accountable through registration and fees
*Explore an eviction expungement pilot program
*Ensure that new plans with housing goals have metrics
*Engage local banking community in conversation to develop loan programs for homeowner rehab programs
*Prioritize a percentage of discretionary federal grant funds to housing pilot programs, like conversion of vacant buildings for housing, tiny homes, cooperative housing, etc.
*Provide down payment assistance with no income restrictions across city, especially for people of color
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