Affordable Housing Task Force — Columbia, SC
Date: 2021-02-09
Time: 11:00

COLUMBIA AFFORDABLE HOUSING TASK FORCE MEETING AGENDA
 TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2021


The Columbia Affordable Housing Task Force will conduct a meeting on Tuesday, February 9,
2021 at 11:00 a.m. using Video Conferencing Technology. The meeting will be streamed online
at www.columbiasc.gov.

CALL TO ORDER
APPROVAL OF MINUTES

1. Approval of January 12, 2021 Meeting Minutes

COMMITTEE DISCUSSION

2. Definition of Affordable Housing

3. Affordable Housing Unit Goal

ANNOUNCEMENTS
NEXT MEETING DATE
March 9, 2021 at 11:00 a.m.

ADJOURNMENT




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COLUMBIA AFFORDABLE HOUSING TASK FORCE MEETING AGENDA
 TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2021


The Columbia Affordable Housing Task Force will conduct a meeting on Tuesday, February 9,
2021 at 11:00 a.m. using Video Conferencing Technology. The meeting will be streamed online
at www.columbiasc.gov.

CALL TO ORDER
APPROVAL OF MINUTES

1. Approval of January 12, 2021 Meeting Minutes

COMMITTEE DISCUSSION

2. Definition of Affordable Housing

3. Affordable Housing Unit Goal

ANNOUNCEMENTS
NEXT MEETING DATE
March 9, 2021 at 11:00 a.m.

ADJOURNMENT




 Page 1 of 1
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MEETING DATE: February 9, 2021

DEPARTMENT: City Clerk

FROM: Erika Hammond, City Clerk

SUBJECT: Approval of January 12, 2021 Meeting Minutes
FUNDING SOURCE &
ORIGINAL BUDGET:


ATTACHMENTS:
  AHTF_MN_011221 (PDF)




Updated: 2/4/2021 2:29 PM Page 1
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 COLUMBIA AFFORDABLE HOUSING TASK FORCE MEETING MINUTES
 TUESDAY, JANUARY 12, 2021




 Attachment: AHTF_MN_011221 (6482 : Approval of January 12, 2021 Meeting Minutes)
CALL TO ORDER
The meeting was called to order at 11:03 a.m. by Chair Tameika Isaac Devine.
 Attendee Name Present Absent Late Arrived
 Tameika Isaac Devine   
 John Andoh    11:36 AM
 Jeff Armstrong   
 Julie Ann Avin   
 Reggie Barner   
 Sue Berkowitz   
 Brenna Bernadin   
 Bryan Grady   
 Dylan Gunnels   
 Tonya Isaac   
 Jeff Larimore    11:59 AM
 Ivory Matthews   
 Jennifer Moore   
 Mary Louise Resch   
 Shayla Riley    11:10 AM
 Lila Anna Sauls   
 Gregory Sprouse   
 Allison Terracio   
 Regina Williams    11:31 AM
 Lester Young   
 Jim Zieche   
 Chris Zimmer   
APPROVAL OF MINUTES

1. Approval of December 8, 2020 Meeting Minutes

Upon a motion made by Lila Anna Sauls and seconded by Jim Zieche, the task force members
voted unanimously to approve the December 8, 2020 Meeting Minutes.




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 COLUMBIA AFFORDABLE HOUSING TASK FORCE MEETING MINUTES
 TUESDAY, JANUARY 12, 2021
COMMITTEE DISCUSSION




 Attachment: AHTF_MN_011221 (6482 : Approval of January 12, 2021 Meeting Minutes)
2. Discussion of 2021 Goals

 A. Definition of Affordable Housing

Councilwoman Devine, Chair said in order for us to provide robust recommendations to City
Council, we must know where we are and where we want to go. I want us to focus on what
affordable housing means to us in the Midlands. Based on that definition, we will set a goal for
the number of affordable housing units we will recommend to City and County Councils over a
specific period of time. We have a huge affordable housing deficit. HUD’s definition of
affordable housing looks at 30% of your income. That doesn't capture the reality on the ground.
What is affordability for housing here?

Krista Hampton, City of Columbia Planning and Development Services Director said it comes
down to having available housing at each level. We have a variety of sectors in our community
that we need to address.

Gloria Saeed, City of Columbia Community Development Director said the messaging doesn't
need to focus on an income amount, but the people and what affordable housing is.

Leigh DeForth, AICP, City of Columbia Comprehensive Planner said it is important to talk about
the concept of cost burden and the concept of complete neighborhoods that have access to goods
and services that make affordable housing a part of an affordable lifestyle.

Ivory Matthews, Columbia Housing Authority added that it may be important to back into a
definition by looking at the cost of what it means to rent and purchase a home that is affordable.

Bryan Grady, PhD, SC State Housing Finance & Development Authority said affordable housing
is what a household can afford. Step one is stabilizing those who are truly low income. There is a
distinction between not being able to afford where you want to live and not being able to afford
any housing, anywhere.

Lila Anna Sauls, Homeless No More said we have to be cautious as we develop affordable
housing so that it fits into existing neighborhoods. The messaging is mixed-use. We are not
going to create pockets of poverty.

Gloria Saeed, Community Development Director said the messaging should include evidence of
where a diversity of quality housing has improved neighborhoods.


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 COLUMBIA AFFORDABLE HOUSING TASK FORCE MEETING MINUTES
 TUESDAY, JANUARY 12, 2021




 Attachment: AHTF_MN_011221 (6482 : Approval of January 12, 2021 Meeting Minutes)
Jennifer Moore, United Way of the Midlands said the Partnership and Public Education
committees talked about not using some of the HUD language. I wrote down quality rental and
homeownership opportunities for people at various income levels that build complete and
thriving communities. It’s not just about housing, but also about economic opportunities.

Brenna Bernadin, Fast Forward said we also discussed that affordable housing should be based
on what a person or family can pay for while still having money left over for basic necessities
like food, transportation, and health care. What we consider affordable depends on households
not a set number and how we can translate that into a thriving community.

Councilwoman Devine, Chair agreed to wordsmith and share Jennifer’s and Brenna’s
information with the group in hopes of having a definition by the next meeting.

Councilman Davis said it is about the total individual and the things they need to be a part of a
community and to be perceived as being productive. It is important to know what the challenges
are and then be willing to advocate for the people and the concept.

Mary Louise Resch, Habitat for Humanity said in addition to infill builds within neighborhoods,
we will work with homeowners who may not be able to afford to fix their homes.

Julie Ann Avin, MIRCI said there are income concerns and accessibility issues for people with
disabilities and the elderly. We need to be mindful of those needs in the construction and
development phase.

Councilwoman Devine, Chair agreed that the definition should include age, income, and ability.

Lester Young, Just Leadership said affordable wages are hindering people from living in an
affordable way. We have to consider the wage gap that is causing people to fall behind and how
COVID has impacted this even more.

Councilwoman Devine, Chair said as we advocate for our residents, it is important for us to
understand and include what the living wage should be.

Gregory Sprouse, Central Midlands Council of Governments said there is a lot of good data that
quantifies transportation costs. Transportation costs can have a significant impact on what
affordability means.




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 COLUMBIA AFFORDABLE HOUSING TASK FORCE MEETING MINUTES
 TUESDAY, JANUARY 12, 2021
Regina Williams, Booker T. Washington Heights Neighborhood said I would like us to consider




 Attachment: AHTF_MN_011221 (6482 : Approval of January 12, 2021 Meeting Minutes)
aging in place housing and mobility freedom housing to keep people in the community. I shared
information about a program in Atlanta that deals with code enforcement.

Jeff Larimore, Midlands Housing Trust Fund said we are serving families in the service industry.
We have to find effective messengers to go against the stigma of affordable housing.

John Andoh, The COMET said we want to be mindful of how transportation costs can affect
persons with low income as we continue to price the transit system and pursue grants to
subsidize transit.

Brenna Bernadin, Fast Forward added that it is hard to find a second apartment once you are
evicted. We need to make sure we have affordable housing for people who have evictions.

Councilwoman Devine, Chair asked the Legal and Zoning Committee to look at the laws around
evictions.

Councilman Davis said the NAACP is putting together a navigator program for people who are
facing eviction. This will be an opportunity for this group to help in that venture.

 B. Affordable Housing Unit Goal

Bryan Grady, PhD, SC State Housing Finance & Development Authority said Councilwoman
Devine asked me to put together a potential estimate of the scale of affordable housing that
would need to be produced to make a substantial amount of progress in terms of addressing the
City’s and County’s affordable housing needs. The Comprehensive Housing Affordability
Strategy dataset sorts people’s housing conditions by Area Median Income. Many sources of
state and federal financing are attached to these AMI levels. There’s a real need to focus on the
extremely low income population. For a single adult earning 30% of the AMI to get to the 30%
threshold, that person has to be only paying $383 a month in rent and utilities. The tier one rental
housing need includes those who are living in substandard housing and those whose economic
situation is untenable. The tier two need includes people who are severely cost burdened with
very low income and moderately cost burdened with extremely low income. The total housing
need across the two tiers is 16,000 rental units in Richland County with 7,500 of those being in
the City of Columbia. There needs to be a series of rent and income restrictions that ensure that
this housing directly serves the identified populations.




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 COLUMBIA AFFORDABLE HOUSING TASK FORCE MEETING MINUTES
 TUESDAY, JANUARY 12, 2021
Discussion of the committee included affordable housing bonds, inclusionary housing statutes,




 Attachment: AHTF_MN_011221 (6482 : Approval of January 12, 2021 Meeting Minutes)
cost of construction, short-term and long-term goals, actual units built annually, for-profit
developers, a local trust fund, low wealth households, and development of dilapidated infill lots.

The recommended goal is 10,000 units over 10 years.

In preparation for the next meeting:

  Krista Hampton was asked to pull 2018, 2019, and 2020 building permits.


  Councilwoman Devine will pull the American Community Survey.


  Assistant City Manager Gentry was asked to identify the number of vacant lots in the
 City of Columbia.

  The task force members will continue to discuss the definition of affordable housing and
 the affordable housing unit goals at the next meeting.

ANNOUNCEMENTS
Councilwoman Devine, Chair announced that Session 3 of the Color of Law discussion is next
Thursday, January 21, 2021 with the author Richard Rothstein.

NEXT MEETING DATE
February 9, 2021 at 11:00 a.m.

ADJOURNMENT
The meeting was adjourned at 12:32 p.m.
Respectfully submitted by:



Erika D. Moore Hammond, CMC
City Clerk




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MEETING DATE: February 9, 2021

DEPARTMENT: City Clerk

FROM: Erika Hammond, City Clerk

SUBJECT: Definition of Affordable Housing
FUNDING SOURCE &
ORIGINAL BUDGET:




Updated: 2/4/2021 2:31 PM Page 1
 Packet Pg. 8
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MEETING DATE: February 9, 2021

DEPARTMENT: City Clerk

FROM: Erika Hammond, City Clerk

SUBJECT: Affordable Housing Unit Goal
FUNDING SOURCE &
ORIGINAL BUDGET:




Updated: 2/4/2021 2:33 PM Page 1
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COLUMBIA AFFORDABLE HOUSING TASK FORCE MEETING MINUTES
 TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2021


CALL TO ORDER
 Attendee Name Present Absent Late Arrived
 Tameika Isaac Devine   
 John Andoh    11:31 AM
 Jeff Armstrong   
 Julie Ann Avin   
 Reggie Barner   
 Sue Berkowitz   
 Brenna Bernadin   
 Bryan Grady   
 Dylan Gunnels   
 Tonya Isaac   
 Jeff Larimore   
 Ivory Matthews   
 Jennifer Moore   
 Mary Louise Resch   
 Shayla Riley   
 Lila Anna Sauls   
 Gregory Sprouse   
 Allison Terracio   
 Regina Williams   
 Lester Young   
 Jim Zieche   
 Chris Zimmer   
APPROVAL OF MINUTES

1. Approval of January 12, 2021 Meeting Minutes

Upon a motion made by Ivory Mathews and seconded by Jennifer Moore, task force members
voted unanimously to approve the January 12, 2021 Meeting Minutes as amended to mark Christ
Zimmer as present during the January 12, 2021 meeting.




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 COLUMBIA AFFORDABLE HOUSING TASK FORCE MEETING MINUTES
 TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2021

COMMITTEE DISCUSSION

2. Definition of Affordable Housing

Upon a motion made by Sue Berkowitz and seconded by Ivory Mathews, task force members
voted unanimously to approve the following definition: Affordable housing is a continuum of
equitable, inclusive, and quality rental and homeownership opportunities for people at every
income level, which is critical to creating safe, complete, and thriving communities.

3. Affordable Housing Unit Goal

Krista Hampton, Planning and Development Services Director reported that multi-family
housing projects are coming along. Lorick Place has been constructed in two phases with 12
units per building. The Pointe at Elmwood is under construction as a 58-unit senior housing
project. Both are low income tax credit projects. There has been an increase in single-family
construction over the past several years. A good amount of that is affordable at 80% to 100%.
We are still lacking below that point. There are up to 160 multi-family units under construction.

Gloria Saeed, Community Development Director said both projects also received community
development block grant disaster recovery funding as an incentive.

Councilwoman Devine noted that the Waites Road project is also coming online and Kevin
Connelly and Bob Hughes are looking to develop affordable housing projects. We settled around
a goal of 10,000 units over 10 years. We need a goal for 2021.

Ivory Matthews, Columbia Housing Authority said a number of private developers have
contacted us to issue multi-family tax incentive bonds. This will allow us to help preserve a lot of
housing units. Preservation will have a great economic impact. She described how the Columbia
Housing Authority is addressing maintenance challenges and redevelopment strategies.

There was an in-depth discussion about the lack of low-to-moderate income housing inventory,
benchmarks, and the need to track rental and homeownership units, levels of income
(affordability), permits, and certificates of occupancy.

There was a consensus of the task force members to track both the permits and the certificates of
occupancy for 2021. During the fourth quarter of 2021, the task force will set goals for 2022,
2023, and 2024 based on the actual certificates of occupancy that have been issued. Krista
Hampton was asked to provide the 2019 and 2020 numbers, as well.


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 COLUMBIA AFFORDABLE HOUSING TASK FORCE MEETING MINUTES
 TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2021

ANNOUNCEMENTS
Councilwoman Devine asked the committees to meet before the next task force meeting. Let's
start talking about plans for community conversations and the education component.

Sue Berkowitz, SC Appleseed announced that they are working with the NACCP on the Housing
Navigator Pilot Project. There is an eviction diversion program and we hope to help people
access the resources they need. Columbia is 8th in evictions and we hope this program will help
to create stability.

Bryan Grady, PhD, SC Housing Finance and Development Authority announced that the SC
Stay Mortgage and Rental Assistance Program is available to assist households who are unable
to pay mortgage or rent due to COVID-19. For more information, visit
https://www.schousing.com/Home/SC-Stay.

NEXT MEETING DATE
Tuesday, March 9, 2021 at 9:00 a.m.

ADJOURNMENT
The meeting was closed at 12:09 p.m.
Respectfully submitted:



Erika D. Moore Hammond, CMC
City Clerk




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