1. Do you believe there is an affordable housing crisis in our community? If not, what is your position regarding the need for affordable housing in Madison ?
Yes, but it's sympomatic of a larger economic problem in the whole country.
2. How much, and what type of affordable housing is in your district? Do you think there should be more or less than the available supply in your district?
I'd need to do some research to fully answer. How much and what type wouldn't be hard to quantify. In general terms, though, we have the recently constructed Riverview Apartments
(a Common Wealth Project), Tellurian SRO's, City public housing developments, and various transitional housing facilities provided by St. Vincent's. We have more of a concentration than most districts but since the need is demonstrable, I would never say there should be less. Diversity enriches are experience of living here.
3. List any housing issues you have worked actively on in the last year, either as an elected official or as a member of the community.
None in a documentable, funded, or organized way. But I've been involved on a person-to-person level with shelterless and hungry individuals that I believe have benefited. It's who I am.
4. What is your definition of affordable housing? Where do you see the highest need, or what would be your priorities in targeting various income levels?
Too thought provoking for a quickie answer. The greatest need is in our face: shelter for homeless. Some people on the streets end up there because of mental health problems. Social service remedies that might exist are lost on people who don't have the capacity to access them. People pan-handling, regardless of how they ended up that way, need a place to get a cot out of the cold and daytime facilities. A somewhat forgotten group are middle income people who financed a home in the 90’s with an ARM Which has recently gone up to a level where they can’t make their mortgage payments. Just below the radar are a lot of people being threatened with foreclosure.
5. Aside from the Affordable Housing Trust Fund and Inclusionary Zoning, what are your additional new ideas for addressing the affordable housing crisis?
We've also got limited equity co-ops and the land trust (Troy Drive area projects).
6. What initiatives in other policy areas could support more affordable housing (for example, transportation, economic development, childcare...)?
Under the heading, possibly, of economic development, a very simple thing the city could do is retain jobs at city pay scales in the Parks Department instead of outsourcing. We could restore the number of jobs that have been cut from Streets. We could guarantee that trash collection will not be privatized and contracted to non-union companies. These are the sorts of measures that prevent adding to the numbers of people who can’t afford homes.
7. What is the position of your campaign on contributions from landlords, realtors and developers? Have you pledged not to accept some or all of these contributions?
As an independent candidate, I don’t have the built-in support of a Progressive Dane candidate.
I need money for printing and mailing. If offered, I would make sure the contributor knew where I stood on social, development, transportation, and employment issues before accepting. If the contributor still offered, I would accept. Besides $250. is the ceiling in Madison.
Affordable Housing Trust Fund
8. How much money should be put in the trust fund each year and where should these funds come from?
MGO 4.22(3)(b)&(c) specify where the funds are to be derived from. One provision under (c) is .
“3. Tax Incremental Financing Equity Participation Payments”. I’d like to study that possibility.
9. What percentage of the fund should be used to create affordable housing each year? Why?
Disbursements should be based on RFP’s, not a fixed annual allocation, at least until the fund grows. That way it won’t be guaranteed to be depleted but, but we won’t miss potentially successful distributions.
Inclusionary Zoning
10. What is your perception of the Inclusionary Zoning ordinance? What changes, if any, would you make to the ordinance?
There seems to be a common misconception among people I’ve talked to that IZ’s purpose is to make condo purchases affordable to low income people and are disappointed to learn that IZ is designed for people just under 80% of area median income and what those figures are. I don’t know that I’d change the ordinance but I’d be interested in staff analyses about why the units are sluggish on the market instead of being snapped up.
Fair Housing and Tenants’ Rights
11. What resources are you willing to dedicate to increasing and improving enforcement of Chapter 32 (the landlord-tenant ordinance)?
Existing levels.
12. Are there any housing ordinances currently in existence that you would amend or change? Which ones – how and why?
Not at this time, but I’m open.
13. How can the City improve enforcement of accessibility requirements under the Federal Fair Housing Act in new housing?
I’ve been talking to Angela Bennet, Disability Rights Specialist in the City Department of Civil Rights, about this. There’s a Accessibility Summit coming up. I have no specific recommendations yet.
Homelessness
14. What is the role of the City in the homeless shelter system?
The city can continue to support laudable non-profit groups that work in this area: Porchlight, the Interfaith Hospitality Network, the YWCa.
15. What is the responsibility of the City to provide support services such as case management?
Years ago, the city terminated services that duplicated the county’s in this area. I don’t want to reopen that.
16. What can the City do to prevent homelessness?
One time emergency eviction prevention grants.
17. What do you think are primary obstacles to getting out of shelter for those people who do have an income, and how can we eliminate those obstacles?
All of the above.
Allied Drive
18. During “revitalization” efforts, what can the city do to prevent displacement of good tenants who currently live in the Allied Drive neighborhood?
It’s our attitude. Planners, policy makers and Council members need to follow directives of church and neighborhood leaders from the area. Madison still reverberates from clearing the Bush 40 years ago, destroying and displacing an entire downtown community and its heritage.
I don’t want to do that.
19. Do you believe that the way to “fix” the Allied Drive neighborhood is to have 50% homeownership? (If yes, please explain. If no, what should it be?)
I support the a healthy percentage of owner occupancy. What that percentage is, is something I can’t say at this point.
Carl DuRocher
Candidate, Madison Common Council, 6th District
251-8637 (feel free to phone)
