Still many questions about Workforce Housing bill

On Jan. 9, the Annapolis City Council held another hearing on the Workforce Housing bill (O-40-22). Sponsors claim the Annapolis housing market is broken and must be fixed immediately. Their proposal? To blow up existing protective zoning to allow construction of up to five-story apartment buildings in single family areas and elsewhere in most of Annapolis. Existing Adequate Public Facility zoning requirements, such as seats in classrooms, number of police, traffic controls would be waived.

The fact is our national housing market is “broken,” except for the most wealthy. For decades, federal and state programs have been inadequate to meet the human needs of homeless and low wealth individuals. Wages of moderate income workers have not kept up with the huge increase in wealth by the top percentage of Americans. And housing costs have been exacerbated as a result of rising costs for materials, COVID, supply chain gaps, the banks and greed.

Our town has been affected perhaps more than any other areas. In recent decades there has been an influx of people, including our mayor, who have been drawn to natural and cultural treasures. Under this influx of newcomers with money we have lost moderately priced rental housing and real estate. The city did not act to ensure housing equity and diversity under these demands. New developments have sprung up everywhere but were any requirements made to include workforce housing units? Just look at the crisis in public housing: Harbour House conditions are sickening and immoral justifying legal action.

What can one city do? The council should delay action on the 0-2-44 bill. And it now needs to shift its focus to a measured, transparent process engaging citizens throughout the city to determine specific needs, potential sources of funding, successful models from other comparably sized cities, current tools and cost analysis.

The appropriate framework for this investigation is the Comprehensive Plan public review process, which is now three-plus years overdue.

What funding options were not available when the draft plan was compiled? What about the new federal Inflation Reduction Act or Maryland Climate Solutions Act? The Moore administration’s housing goals? What has the county done and what are its plans?

What models are there? In D.C., a nonprofit housing group has just purchased a 214-unit building which will be converted to workplace housing. Did the city approach the owners of that long-vacant property on West Street to explore conversion to workplace housing, instead of the “luxury townhomes” now on the market?

So many options to be explored and questions to be answered!