City takes affordable housing steps

Georgetown City Council’s approval of the first readings of two requests during its meeting June 28 will allow two multifamily affordable housing developments seeking tax credits from the state to move forward.

The proposed Live Oaks Apartments is located on Williams Drive on property zoned for local commercial, which means the development required a special-use permit. Merritt Heritage Senior Village, also located on Williams Drive, also required a zoning change to be able to move forward.

Georgetown Housing Coordinator Jennifer Bills said the two properties as well as Kaia Pointe apartments on Williams Drive are in the process of applying for tax credits from the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs, which is expected to announce which developments receive tax credits in late July.

In May the council directed the city’s Housing Advisory Board to pursue two initiatives, including revising the city’s tax credit housing approval process and updating the housing element of the city’s comprehensive plan.

Bills said the council wanted to establish rules to outline what developers need to do when seeking consent from the council while applying for housing tax credits from the state.

The changes could include requirements for public input for proposals, and setting application criteria, Bills said.

City Manager David Morgan told the council the changes could allow for more public input at the beginning of the process.

City Council could consider adopting the rules in September, Bills said.

Bills said the city will also reallocate $24,000 from the fiscal year 2015-16 budget to update the housing element of the city’s 2030 Comprehensive Plan.

Along with updating housing demographics, the housing element update would also include new information about housing type deficits and where affordable housing developments are desired in the city, she said.

The update could be completed by summer 2017, she said.

A third item studying the feasibility of using a variety of tools to address workforce and affordable housing needs is a part of the city’s fiscal year 2016-17 budget, which could be approved by council in September, Bills said.

The $35,000-$45,000 study would analyze strategies used by other cities to spur affordable housing developments. Strategies include housing trust funds, issuing bonds, and workforce housing requirements with developments such as municipal utility districts and planned unit developments.

City Council Member Steve Fought had previously suggested the city pursue similar strategies during affordable housing discussions.

“We said we needed to look at this ourselves, and that was why we were against some [previously proposed studies],” he said. “This is us looking at it ourselves.”