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HomeMy WebLinkAboutEstablishment of Ithaca Rental Housing Commission ,` .=t ' RECEIVED AUG 5 1988 ItraV- ,lycIja i , ogp� _.D`000i CITY OF ITHACA 1OB EAST GREEN STREET ITHACA. NEW YORK 14650 BUILDING DEPARTMENT TELEPHONE: 272-1713 CODE 607 MEMORANDUM TO: The Honorable Susan Jean Cummings Chair, Planning and Development Committee 4 L,o .. FROM: Building Commissioner Thomas D. Ho- rd DATE: August 3, 1988 RE: Establishment of the Ithaca Rental Housing Commission I apologize for the eleventh-hour timing of this memorandum, but the press of Building Department business this month has been so phenonenal that I hadn't had a chance to read the Common Council Agenda until this morning. My concern is the Resolution establishing the Ithaca Rental Housing Commission, which, as proposed, designates the Building Commissioner as staff support. When this suggestion first arose, I spoke to the author about the impractibility of assigning an enforcement official to a planning function, including the fact that I would have to abstain from any discussions that would cloud the distinctions between enforcement functions and planning functions (for example, anything that would lead anyone to the impression that the Building Department was enforcing rental housing costs, or that the Building Department was on one hand encouraging the development of additional housing while it was simultaneously enforcing zoning restrictions which restrict additional housing) . He was apparently not persuaded, as I see the resolution still tags me for the job. 'An Equal Opportunity Employer with an Affirmative Action Program" Memo to The Honorable Susan J. Cummings Page 2 August 3, 1988 I am not a planner, nor is anyone on my staff a planner. Therefore I have included a Planner III position in my 1989 Budget Request to fulfill this requirement. If the intent is to make this commission operational during the 1988 Budget Year, then I will be requesting your Committee's support in a request to the Budget and Administration Committee to fund the position immediately. Until I have such a person on board, I will be unable to provide staffing for the commission. Attachment CC: Mayor John C. Gutenberger Z- Members of Common Council CITY OF ITHACA NEW POSITION REQUEST FORM Department: Building Department Division/Unit: NA Position Title: Planner III Salary: $20,738 No Reimbursements Date: August 1, 1988 Justification of Need: The Common Council is currently considering the establishment of the "Ithaca Rental Housing Commission", "to provide a regular forum for the discussion of rental housing issues, to investigate current local conditions and trends with regard to the cost, availability, and condition of rental housing, etc. , etc. This proposal includes the resolution that this commission be furnished staff support by the Building Commissioner. Several months ago I told the resolution's author that I had several problems with his proposal: 1. We have no planners on our staff. The investigation, review, and recommendation functions called for in this resolution are best performed by individuals with training in these areas, and not enforcement officials. 2. Our workload, generated by outside activity, cannot be adjusted to allow for studies, meetings, etc. , that have no relevance to the tasks which have deadlines. Functions mandated by State and local laws cannot be set aside to carry out the functions of the proposed commission. 3. The scope of this commission obviously has to extend far beyond our geographic and legal jurisdictions. Staff time would be spent on issues of limited value :to us. The credibility of any studies and reports would be suspect as well, in that critical comments made about housing conditions outside the City and favorable comments about housing conditions in the City would be viewed as self-serving. 4. I believe that the rental cost issue is not appropriate for discussion by code enforcement officials. If the City plans to move in the direction of rent control, then it should set up a separate agency to study the matter independently, collect whatever data is needed, and, enforce whatever law is enacted. There are too many conflicts between rent control and code enforcement to list here, but they exist, and the same office should not be trying to juggle these issues. If the Common Council insists on staffing the Rental Housing Commission with Building Department staff, the minimum cost will be the cost of one entry-level planner for the first year. If the Commission decides on elaborate studies and data collection, additional professional and clerical staff will be required, in ' Building Department New Position Request August 1, 1988 Planner III Page 2 effect duplicating staff already in place in the Department of Planning and Development. The 1989 Salary Range for a Planner III is about $20,738 to $26,240 (adjusted to a 40-hour week; the Building Department is on a 40-hour week, the Planning Department is on a 35-hour week) . I am requesting authorization to fill the position at the minimum of $20,738, but only if the Building Department is indeed going into the planning business. The Building Department will not provide any staffing to the Rental Housing Commission until the new person is on board. Budget and Administration Committee Approval : Chairman File: BUD89/PLNRIII.TXT Names submitted by John Johnson - Oct. 6, 1988 ITHACA RENTAL HOUSING TASK FORCE Sarah Adams 108 North Geneva Street Ithaca, New York Northside Civic Association Martha Frommelt 308 Elmwood Avenue Ithaca, New York 14850 and David Felshu 308 Elmwood Avenue Ithaca, New York 14850 Homeowners - Civic Association - Married Beatrice MacLeod 957 East State Street Ithaca, New York 14850 (A member of BZA) / RECEIVED OCT 11 1988 >'. Resolution Re : Establishment f Rental Task Force 2 RESOLVED that the Task • e shall report regularly to the Planning and Development Committee of Common Council on its activities , - progress , and needs , and be it further . RESOLVED that the Task Force shall have nine voting members of whom at least four shall be renters , and to the extent feasible shall include : tenants or representatives of tenants ' organizations 4, tenants or advocates of subsidized housing (IHA , EOC , INHS , DSS , Mental Health , Red Cross , Homeless) - a student tenant a member or advocate of the senior citizens ' community a rental housing property owner or property manager 6) a realtor or mortgage officer from the banking • community 11/Fr a member of organized labor t a member of the Planning and Development Board 00 a member of the Planning and Development Committee of Common Council . 7 .moi I• /t !.. / t"` ..� ' �-�`CJ .r(-• (_ Y. !' .;c:- q— "1-1:-c> ;c: I \ftftk 01/41-4 Lou- \ • Fen (42,... 0—P&DComm—rentask . res - A 4 4; 4i 5% ice erIA "14- 4:10 a Q 410 sx.txpe,., s.^ ITHACA RENTAL HOUSING TASK FORCE 'QppeF$77 AM-11 Kathy Margoles Better Housing Tompkins County, Inc. JW 6 % 201 West Clinton St - 273-2187 Lsoo ItOftAl ".. 419 No. Cayuga St. - 272-2309 (Home) -04%4A-tte Lori VonSeydewitz on V 0 tw.A.," 7.12,1.04) Auble Homes/Butterfield Assoc. (/� 301 East State St. - 273-4221 t It Pat Leary 316 Highland 255-9404 Paula Weiss t L 523 East State St. - 273-3057 Graduate Student - Family Renters • Lily McLaughlin Human Rights Commission Member , , Assistant Director - Office of Equal Opportunity - 255-3976 92 Abbot Lane, West Village Renter/Organizer Albany United Tenants Ed Wright Principal, Central School Newly re-located professional from Geneva Tenant Joseph Sweet lot 10-7 V o 1 , 41 Hasbrook Apt. - 257-6525 President of Cornell Married Graduate Students Organization *co S►.L4 v 'e Former Resident of Fall Creek Valarie MacDougall 315 South Albany St. - 277-2715 t ) 1 Tenant n Jean Rector Af_-319 East Upland - 257-0312 1 Senior Citizen Community Professionally assiciated with Sr. Citizens HOST Program ITHACA RENTAL HOUSING TASK FORCE David Gooding 105 Eddy Street - 277-3598 Property Owners and Landlords (Student quarters incorporated into residence) William Chase S. Albany Street Labor Relations Representative Tenant - UAW member Cook at Cornell Mark Finkelstein .4t) State Street Associates v''] V 'v ' L 304 E. State St. Low Cost Housing Developer SJ2 "€ Chuck Jankey ( Assoc Director/Facilities t \ j 2117 North Balch Hall - 255-5511 3 Beechnut Terrace - 277-2203 (Home) John Majeroni Real Estate Manager 102 Longmuir Lab - 255-5341 539 Warren Road - 257-5341 (Home) David Schwartz Real Estate & Property Gifts _73(\--( Development Office Sage House, E. Seneca St. - 255-3918 1190 E. Shore Drive - 272-4484 S7c` e o-cc-so .J 6 v . ( • "(-11::) tam,. tpie \-4":" L Li ( 4a.) 1Of A vt� eco i(‘ PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE — Agenda Item 15 . 3 .1.2we•`:.,4 Common Council Meeting September 7 , 1988 Resolution Re : Establishment of the Ithaca Rental Housing Task Force WHEREAS , two—thirds of Ithaca ' s housing is rental housing , and WHEREAS , issues relating to the condition, affordability , and availability of rental housing has been a major concern in the City of Ithaca , and WHEREAS , currently there is no public agency with specific authority over rental housing issues , policies , and procedures , now , therefore , be it RESOLVED that a Task Force on Rental Housing be established which shall be charged with performing the following tasks : 1) to provide a forum for the discussion of rental housLng issues by all parties with an interest in those issues , 2) to investigate current local conditions and trends with regard to the cost , availability and condition of rental housing , 3) to investigate issues relating to landlord/tenant relations , fair housing practices and rental housing occupancy requirements , 4) to investigate possible actions that might be undertaken by either private organizations and/ or public agencies , to improve rental housing conditions in the City of Ithaca , 5) to make recommendations to the Common Council concerning the implementation of actions that are designed to address rental housing concerns , including • specifically the formation , constitution , stipulated authority , and staff support of a Rental Housing Board , 6) to review and make recommendations about any other rental housing concerns that the Task Force determines is important , and be it further RESOLVED that said Task Force shall report its recommendations to Common Council by no later than six months after its first meeting , and be it further RESOLVED. that the members including the Chair and Vice—chair of • the Rental Housing Task Force shall be appointed by the Mayor with the approval of Common Council , and be it further Resolution Re : Establishment of Rental Task Force 2 RESOLVED that the Task Force shall report regularly to the Planning and Development Committee of Common Council on its activities ,- progress , and needs , and be it further RESOLVED that the Task Force shall have nine voting members of • whom at least four shall be renters , and to the extent feasible shall include : 1) tenants or representatives of tenants ' organizations 2) tenants or advocates of subsidized housing (IHA , EOC , INHS , DSS , Mental Health , Red Cross , Homeless) 3) a student tenant 4) a member or advocate of the senior citizens ' community 5) a rental housing property owner or property manager 6) a realtor or mortgage officer from the banking community 7 ) a member of organized labor 8) a member of the Planning and Development Board 9) a member of the Planning and Development Committee of • Common Council . Gtu,�cw 0—P&DComm—rentask . res i I Rental Housing Task Force December 19, 1988 DRAFT MINUTES (by SJ) Present: Jackson (Chair) , Killeen (Vice-Chair) , Chase, Howard, Lewis, • Lytel, MacDougall, McLaughlin, Rector, Shanter, Weiss; members of the public and press. Meeting called to order at 6:35pm. Jackson welcomes all present and asks members of the task force to identify themselves briefly. Jackson then mentions contents of packets distributed at start of meeting to all members. Contents are: copy of list of task force members; resolution of Common Council authorizing creation of task force; 1987 study by City Planning staff on "Supply, Demand, and Affordability of Housing;" "Strategic Housing and Neighborhoods Plan" adopted by Planning and Development Board in December 1987; "Rental Regulation: An Examination of the Rental Housing Market in Ithaca, NY amd Rental Regulation Techniques: Recommended Areas of Interest for the City of Ithaca" by David Bertenthal, July 1988. I. Discussion of Mandate from Common Council Jackson began with the following remarks: More than two-thirds of Ithaca's households live in rented rooms or apartments. Yet, for many years, even as we were witnesOma dramatic changes in the housing situation in the City, lle has been done to address the needs and concerns of this majority of the City's population. Whether the number, size, and condition of Ithaca's rental housing is appropriate for our current and future needs has barely been examined. At the same time, escalating rents combined with reductions in Federal assistance for affordable housing have priced a substantial portion of the population in the area which would like to live in the City out of the market. While the wages of the working class have been going down, and benefits to the impoverished held down, rents in Ithaca have been rising. Last year, the City's Planning Board supervised the creation of a Strategic Housing Plan. The process of generating that plan led the Board to assemble a substantial amount of information about the housing situation in the City. However, when it came to recommending specific actions to assist Ithaca's renters, in particular, little consensus emerged and little accomplished. When Common Council acted this fall to create this Task Force, it gave us the opportunity --indeed, the obligation-- to begin the critically important process of addressing the needs --sometimes urgent-- of Ithaca's present and future residents. While I am sure that we will find our six month term very short in terms of trying to come up with workable recommendations for Common Council, I believe that we owe it to all those who have waited in vain for many years for some action, who struggle to make their monthyl payments, who struggle to find any place at all which they might afford, to move as quickly as we can. Jackson concluded with three observations about the mandate as presented in the Council resolution: 1) that the Task Force was obligated to conclude its work and present its recommendations to Common Council by June 19, 1989; 2) that the range of topics assigned to the Task Force was exceptionally broad and, as a result, requires the Task Force to narrow its focus rather quickly if we are to make any progress; and 3) that among the mandates from Council, the one by which we must be strictly bound is that of advising Couuncil on the creation of a permanent Rental Housing Board. Killeen observed that the selection of a new Building Commissioner will be of great importance to renters in the City; that different candidates for the position have very different orientations; that the Task Force may wish to consider the relevance of this position to the topics of our deliberation. II. Issues of Particular Interest to Task Force Members Weiss: moving here finds rents outrageously high, and what you get for the money not very satisfactory. particularly interested in exploring options for increasing cooperative ownership, mutual housing, and other alternative forms of housing ownership. • Rector: working for Cooperative Extension, often hears from tenants with problems. particularly interested in seeking ways to make sure that both tenants and landlords are aware of their rights and responsibilities; ways to enforce these rules better; ways to insure fair treatment on both sides. MacDougall: believes it very important that action follow from the work of the Task Force, that it not just result in yet another study; that the City and County needs to make a serious commitment to housing, including a commitment of resources. Problems of affordability require shift of attention from private homeowners to the working poor; she (not untypically) pays 68% of her take home pay in rent, compared to the Planning Department's rule of thumb that noone should pay more than 30%; definitions of income eligibility for governmental assistance exclude many people who really need such assistance; security deposits increasingly required make it even more difficult: for example, $1000 required up front as a security deposit for a $250 per month studio apartment. Problems of quality include faulty locks, windows, limited closets, soundproofing, maintenance, and off-street parking; that these conditions reflect a failure of landlords to reinvest in their properties. Problems of enforcement observed for example in the practice which allows landlords to rent their units even while they are in violation of building codes. Lewis: concerned with enforcement, affordability, and availability; especially for families, the working poor; sees difficulties, for example, in situation of family on public assistance living in building which is in violation of codes but who are afraid to call the Building Department lest they find themselves without any place to live. Notes wL that problems of affordability of homes for families extends into the category of home ownership. Lytel: as only renter on Common Council, has strong personal, as well as policy, interest in rental housing; important to take note of conflicts which exist between different segments of Ithaca's resident population; important, if Task Force is to be effective with Common Council, that there be as much unity as possible within the Task Force; most important task is the creation of the permanent Rental Housing Board; also important to serve as a group which articulates the needs of the rental housing community. Howard: as manager of more than 600 rental units, here to present the minority perspective (on the Task Force) of landlords. Feels it perfectly understandable that rents have been escalating at a time when banks use floating interest rates, when taxes and utilities are increasing rapidly. Thinks it important that landlords receive fair treatment too. Notes that Cornell, which houses only 39% of its students, charges those students $290 per month; meanwhile, Ithaca College, housing 65% of its students, charges only $240 per month. McLaughlin: having come from Albany, appalled by rents here. Particularly concerned about the disappearance of affordable housing for working families. Partly related to decline of Section 8 federal funds. Also, as those units in West Village which were subsidized with Federal funds 15 years ago fulfill their obligations they are being rented at full market rent, pricing most families out of the market. This leaves families in West Village with no place to go. Shanter: wishes to help by making her expertise in finance available to the task force. Chase: rents have escalated rapidly in recent years; appreciates Howard's participation on Task Force, but does not envy him; rising rents have led to declining standards of living for many; believes we may have to look at some ceiling on the costs passed on to renters. Killeen: we should look at ways of helping starting renters; perhaps a revolving loan fund. Jackson: have to explore options for financing affordable housing from State and Federal sources; have to find ways to permanently involve tenants in City policy-making; have to explore mutual housing and other ways of allowing renters to become owners; have to explore feasibility of rent control. III. Comments from the Public Danny Williams: had to borrow $800 in order to pay deposit for his apartment; feels that if City needs more resources to finance affordable housing untapped resources could be found if enforcement were increased. For example, many buildings are rented without certificates of occupancy. If that violation were fined at $250 per day, then one year of violations would bring in more than $75,000. F Rev. Gregory David: pastor at Calvary Baptist Church; came as a community leader to be involved in an issue which affects the community; compared to Philadelphia where he lived most recently, wages in Ithaca are lower, while rents are higher; concerned about a family of 5 in his parish, with both parents working, struggling to be able to afford $800 per month in rent; important to give attention to Ithaca's permanent residents. Theron Johnson: while rents appear high, rents have not increased any faster than any other prices; must be aware that rent control would lead to a decrease in the number of rental units. Larry Beck: Important to take account of the reality of costs faced by landlords. For example, considering buying a house in Ithaca, fair market rents would support a $50,000 mortgage from the bank, but the 1 selling price was $99,000. Ben Nichols: glad to see Task Force in existence; assures us that many members of Council will be very receptive to recommendations; however, when those recommendations involve spending money, it will be much more difficult to act; while City moving on setting up Housing Trust Fund, still unclear to to find revenue for fund; important to consider a Rental Registry as one possible measure. Important to remember role of Cornell and IC in driving up costs of housing for families. Stephen Hertzberg: high rents follow from shortage of housing owing to Cornell's failure to house reasonable number of students; question is how to get Cornell to house 557 of its students, instead of 39%. Important to recall that income from apartments is important to some working families who own income apartments; as a result, rent control would limit their incomes; the crucial task is to unite working families; whether they rent or own. IV. Organization of the Work of the Task Force After discussion, the Task Force agreed by consensus to give attention to six topics: impact of Cornell on rental housing situation; sources of funding for affordable housing from Federal, State, and private sources; tenant/landlord relations; enforcement of building codes; mutual housing and other forms of alternative ownership; and, rent control, rent regulation, and/or rent registry. The Task Force decided to devote its next meeting to Cornell, the meeting following that to funding sources. The next meeting of the Task Force will be on January 23, 1989. From that point forward, the Task Force will meet on the second and fourth Mondays of each month. All meetings will be at 7:00pm in City Hall. Meeting adjourned at 8:05pm.