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AFFORDABLE HOUSING

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Vote for housing bank set for February

posted 10/12/05
Voters will decide next February whether to impose a one half of 1 percent Real Estate Excise Tax on property sales in the county to be used for affordable housing. The current Housing Commission will be "reconstituted" as the Housing Bank. An executive director would be hired. The organization would work to help private and public agencies develop affordable housing.

The Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) worked on some of the details with Health Dept. Director John Manning at their Oct. 11, 2005 meeting. They decided to have the sellers of property pay 1 percent of the REET. The remaining 99 percent would be paid by the buyer.

Another question was whether the county would own any affordable housing. Commissioner Myhr said, "It is my personal belief the county shouldn’t be in housing business." Commissioner Ranker and Lichter agreed.

Another point which needed to be clarified was whether housing under this program would be permanently or perpetually affordable. The commissioners opted for perpetual. Permanent means for 50 years by affordable housing standards.

Manning will continue to work on the draft resolution and present it to the commissioners again. The BOCC must decide how to spend the funds before the measure can be placed on the ballot.

Housing bank resolution drafted by citizens

posted 08/24/05
San Juan County Deputy Civil Prosecutor Karen Vedder reminded county Commissioners Kevin Ranker and Alan Lichter they had opted for a commissioner-driven approach to establishing an affordable housing real estate excise tax (REET). The other option had been through a petition by citizens to place the tax measure on the ballot.

The commissioners missed a deadline Friday, August 19, 2005. Vedder presented a resolution August 23, 2005 which specified the statutory requirements. It also included a process get the project back on track. Deciding on an election date was the first step.

The commissioners opted instead to pursue a resolution drafted by citizens. They directed Community Health and Human Services Director John Manning to work with Paul Losleben to work on the citizen-drafted resolution. They are to present it to the commissioners in the next week or two.

Deadline missed for housing bank ballot measure

posted 08/19/05
Efforts to start an affordable housing bank in San Juan County hit a snag this week. In order to be on the general election ballot in November, two steps had to be completed by Friday, August 19, 2005. According to county Prosecutor Randy Gaylord, the Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) had to pass a resolution and approve a plan on how to spend the funds generated by the tax measure. Neither of those steps have taken place.

A citizens group has been working to have the county develop an affordable housing bank. If county voters approve, the state allows an additional one half of one percent real estate excise tax (REET) to be imposed to fund affordable housing. The group has a Web site which has information on how they suggested the funds should be used.

Gaylord said the necessary work did not get completed because no one had been assigned to work with the citizens to make sure deadlines were known and met. He noted the county commissioners have been distracted for the past month with the task of appointing a replacement for former commissioner Rhea Miller.

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