I would like Clarkston to adopt a Comprehensive Housing Solution that looks at mixed-income neighborhood development and affordable housing. The plan needs to look at ways for helping apartment dwellers transition to a home in Clarkston; providing grants and tax relief for our seniors and low-income residents; and including middle-income homes to balance taxes in our community.
I recommended our Planning Director to provide an annual zoning classification review. The city should consider creating an inventory list of our houses and businesses in our Clarkston for future construction and development.
In addition to some of my ideas for housing, I had the opportunity to talk to Affordable Housing Experts who shared ideas that could potentially work for Clarkston:
- Developing a baseline inventory of Clarkston’s affordable housing stock, with periodic updates
- Affordable Housing Impact – Statements – An AHIS policy would require that every time the City of Clarkston make a policy decision–whether land use/zoning, acceptance of public or private dollars for housing, demolition, or larger policies like Inclusionary Zoning–the City would prepare an Affordable Housing Impact Statement specifying how many units would be added, subtracted, or preserved as a result.
- Surplus Property Ordinance – Require that any City surplus property is used for affordable housing.
- Promoting the production and preservation of units at 0 to 30 percent AMI of the Area Median Income (AMI) across all City of Clarkston policies.
- Inclusionary Zoning. Requiring that new multi-family buildings include a certain percentage of affordable units while giving incentives to the developer in the form of upzoning.