Affordable Housing Task Force — Columbia, SC
Date: 2021-09-14
Time: 11:00

COLUMBIA AFFORDABLE HOUSING TASK FORCE MEETING AGENDA
 TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2021


The Columbia Affordable Housing Task Force will conduct a meeting on Tuesday, September
14, 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 May 11, 2021 Affordable Housing Task Force Meeting Minutes

2. Approval of August 10, 2021 Affordable Housing Task Force Meeting Minutes

COMMITTEE DISCUSSION

3. Committee Reports

  Public Education & Awareness Committee - Ms. Brenna Bernadin, Chair
  Partnerships - Ms. Jennifer Moore, Chair
  Accessibility - Ms. Julie Ann Avin, Chair
  Financing - Mr. Reggie Barner, Chair
  Legal & Zoning - Ms. Sue Berkowitz and Ms. Lila Anna Sauls, Co-Chairs

ANNOUNCEMENTS
NEXT MEETING DATE
Tuesday, October 12, 2021 at 11:00 a.m.
ADJOURNMENT




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COLUMBIA AFFORDABLE HOUSING TASK FORCE MEETING AGENDA
 TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2021


The Columbia Affordable Housing Task Force will conduct a meeting on Tuesday, September
14, 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 May 11, 2021 Affordable Housing Task Force Meeting Minutes

2. Approval of August 10, 2021 Affordable Housing Task Force Meeting Minutes

COMMITTEE DISCUSSION

3. Committee Reports

  Public Education & Awareness Committee - Ms. Brenna Bernadin, Chair
  Partnerships - Ms. Jennifer Moore, Chair
  Accessibility - Ms. Julie Ann Avin, Chair
  Financing - Mr. Reggie Barner, Chair
  Legal & Zoning - Ms. Sue Berkowitz and Ms. Lila Anna Sauls, Co-Chairs

ANNOUNCEMENTS
NEXT MEETING DATE
Tuesday, October 12, 2021 at 11:00 a.m.
ADJOURNMENT




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MEETING DATE: September 14, 2021

DEPARTMENT: City Clerk

FROM: Erika Hammond, City Clerk

SUBJECT: Approval of May 11, 2021 Affordable Housing Task Force
 Meeting Minutes
FUNDING SOURCE &
ORIGINAL BUDGET:


ATTACHMENTS:
  AHTF_MN_05112021 (PDF)


HISTORY:
08/10/21 Affordable Housing Task Force DEFERRED




Updated: 8/6/2021 4:54 PM Page 1
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 Attachment: AHTF_MN_05112021 (6890 : Approval of May 11, 2021 Affordable Housing Task Force Meeting Minutes)
 COLUMBIA AFFORDABLE HOUSING TASK FORCE MEETING MINUTES
 TUESDAY, MAY 11, 2021

CALL TO ORDER
The meeting was called to order at 11:03 a.m. by Chair Tameika Isaac Devine.

 Attendee Name Title Status
 Tameika Isaac Devine Chair, Columbia City Council Present
 Jeff Armstrong Family Promise Present
 Julie Ann Avin MIRCI Present
 Reggie Barner The Barner Group Absent
 Sue Berkowitz SC Appleseed Legal Justice Center Present
 Brenna Bernadin Fast Forward Present
 Bryan Grady State Housing Finance & Development Present
 Authority
 Dylan Gunnels Mutual Aid of the Midlands Present
 Tonya Isaac Resident Absent
 Jeff Larimore Midlands Housing Trust Fund Absent
 Ivory Matthews Columbia Housing Authority Present
 Jennifer Moore United Way Absent
 Mary Louise Resch Habitat for Humanity Present
 Shayla Riley Coldwell Banker Present
 Lila Anna Sauls Homeless No More Present
 Gregory Sprouse Central Midlands Council of Governments Present
 Allison Terracio Richland County Council Present
 Regina Williams Board Member Absent
 Lester Young Just Leadership Absent
 Jim Zieche More Justice Present
 Chris Zimmer Truist Bank Present
 Pamela Bynoe-Reed Central Midlands Regional Transit Authority Present

COMMITTEE DISCUSSION

1. Revision to the Definition of Affordable Housing - The Honorable Tameika Isaac-Devine

Councilwoman Tameika Isaac Devine said I made a presentation to City Council regarding the
work of the Affordable Housing Task Force. The Mayor is concerned that our definition includes
"homeownership opportunities for people at every income level". He understood our rationale but
thought that we should include an income level range that we are targeting.

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 Attachment: AHTF_MN_05112021 (6890 : Approval of May 11, 2021 Affordable Housing Task Force Meeting Minutes)
 COLUMBIA AFFORDABLE HOUSING TASK FORCE MEETING MINUTES
 TUESDAY, MAY 11, 2021
Lila Anna Sauls, EdD, HDFP, President and CEO of Homeless No More said 50% of AMI in
Richland County is about $25,000 for one person and $29,000 for a two-person household and
80% of AMI is $40,000 for one person and $46,000 for a two-person household. Federal funding
takes your income into account when deciding rent. At 50%, zero to four bedrooms are capped at
$636 to $1,000. At 80%, zero to four bedrooms are capped at $1,000 to $1,600. AMI impacts the
rent. Most people like mixed-use developments. Let's look for a maximum percentage.

Sue Berkowitz, Director of the SC Appleseed Legal Justice Center said more than a majority of
folks are living paycheck to paycheck. It would be helpful to have that data. She asked for more
time to consider this.

Councilwoman Allison Terracio, Richland County Council said most people may not know what
terms like 80% of AMI mean.

Teresa Wilson, City Manager said it almost sounds like you are talking about attainable housing
but we are still referring to it as affordable housing which brings on these connotations that people
have associated with affordable housing for years. I didn’t know if that is worth putting back on
the table if we are going to continue to discuss the definition. It seems like some cities are moving
more towards attainable housing.

Brenna Bernadin, MPH, Program Director at Fast Forward suggested focusing on the rent level
instead of the income level. For example, people spending over 30% of their gross income. Let’s
look at it as a rent or housing payment problem.

Councilwoman Tameika Isaac Devine asked Brenna, Lila Anna, Sue, and Bryan to pull the bullet
points out prior to the next meeting.

2. City of Charleston Housing Court Program - Mr. Jeff Yungman, Director of One80 Place
 Legal Services

Jeff Yungman, Legal Services Director at One80 Place in Charleston, SC provided an overview of
Charleston’s Housing Court, which came about as a result of the 2017 Eviction Lab Report
(https://evictionlab.org) by Princeton University. North Charleston was ranked number one in the
country for the highest rate of evictions and Columbia came in eighth. A lot happens to a person
when they are evicted. A study estimated that 70% of households facing eviction receive no legal
representation. Tenants with an attorney were less likely to be evicted. I reviewed a dozen housing
court programs and the program in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania fit what I hoped to do in
Charleston. We started out with a pro-bono attorney, legal services attorney, and two law students

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 Attachment: AHTF_MN_05112021 (6890 : Approval of May 11, 2021 Affordable Housing Task Force Meeting Minutes)
 COLUMBIA AFFORDABLE HOUSING TASK FORCE MEETING MINUTES
 TUESDAY, MAY 11, 2021
at the court. We thought this should be a holistic approach. We cannot deal with legal issues
without dealing with other issues. The Trident Urban League received a grant from the S. C. Bar
Foundation to provide funding for tenants and they provide financial counseling. We also used 2-
1-1 to provide other financial and housing referrals. The first housing court was held on October
2, 2019. We now have four magistrate court locations that hold one housing court docket one day
per week. We don't do a lot of litigation; we negotiate to keep that person housed. Sometimes that
includes a payment plan or an agreement to have the tenant move without having an eviction on
their record. We educate tenants and landlords on their rights. In 2020, we held 282 eviction
hearings in the four housing courts. Of those cases, 208 were dismissed or settled resulting in 74%
of tenants who appeared in housing court not being evicted. Our major problem is getting pro-
bono attorneys to assist us. If you can get buy-in from the magistrate court judges, the rest should
be smooth sailing.

A housing court manual and other resources can be found online at
https://www.scbar.org/lawyers/bar-programs/pro-bono-program/volunteer-resources/housing-
court-pilot-resources/.

Sue Berkowitz, SC Appleseed Legal Justice asked if the grant Charleston Pro-Bono Legal Services
received is sustainable.

Jeff Yungman, Legal Services Director at One80 Place in Charleston, SC said yes, it is sustainable
over time. We are looking to start additional housing courts.

Sue Berkowitz, SC Appleseed Legal Justice asked how did the landlords responded.

Jeff Yungman, Legal Services Director at One80 Place in Charleston, SC said in general, the
landlords like having someone to negotiate and open up communication between them and the
tenant.

Councilwoman Tameika Isaac Devine asked if a few judges conduct homeless court or is it all
magistrates. Is there any benefit to having a couple of dedicated judges to help?

Jeff Yungman, Legal Services Director at One80 Place in Charleston, SC said we have four judges
and I am sure that Judge Mikell and Judge Steinberg will speak with your judges.

Councilwoman Tameika Isaac Devine asked if tenants have access to a fund and financial
counseling to help tenants understand budgeting.


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 Attachment: AHTF_MN_05112021 (6890 : Approval of May 11, 2021 Affordable Housing Task Force Meeting Minutes)
 COLUMBIA AFFORDABLE HOUSING TASK FORCE MEETING MINUTES
 TUESDAY, MAY 11, 2021
Jeff Yungman, Legal Services Director at One80 Place in Charleston, SC said if they receive
funding through the Trident Urban League, they have to meet with a financial counselor at least
once to discuss their budget. We will do anything we can to get people what they need to remain
housed.

Sue Berkowitz, Director of the SC Appleseed Legal Justice Center said it looks like the housing
legal pilot program money may be released soon. This might be the right time for the City of
Columbia to start thinking about this.

Jeff Yungman, Legal Services Director at One80 Place in Charleston, SC said the Supreme Court
is now deciding to allow six hours of continuing legal education (CLE) credit for attorneys that
provide pro-bono work for housing court.

Councilwoman Tameika Isaac Devine said we look forward to watching Charleston’s progress.
The Legal & Zoning Committee can discuss whether or not this is something we would like to
pursue here. You should also speak with Judge Coble because he was instrumental in setting up
our homeless court.

3. Public Education & Awareness Committee Report - Ms. Brenna Bernadin, Committee
 Chair

Brenna Bernadin, MPH, Program Director at Fast Forward / Public Education & Awareness
Committee Chair said the finalized draft of the talking points were shared at the last meeting. We
will use this when we start talking with community groups, neighborhood associations, and
churches. We are determining who we need to target. The Partnerships Committee is looking at
the business side of the community. I want to make sure we are talking about the different
definitions of housing insecurity. I welcome ideas for additional talking points. I have been asking
people questions to get them thinking about affordable housing and how things are changing for
them. As soon as we come up with the definition, we have a list of places where we can begin
outreach and we will work with the city's Public Relations Department to share additional
information.

APPROVAL OF MINUTES

4. Approval of April 13, 2021 Affordable Housing Task Force Meeting Minutes

Upon a motion made by Jim Zieche and seconded by Ivory Mathews, task force members voted
unanimously to approve the April 13, 2021 Affordable Housing Task Force Meeting Minutes.

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 Attachment: AHTF_MN_05112021 (6890 : Approval of May 11, 2021 Affordable Housing Task Force Meeting Minutes)
 COLUMBIA AFFORDABLE HOUSING TASK FORCE MEETING MINUTES
 TUESDAY, MAY 11, 2021
ANNOUNCEMENTS

Ivory Matthews, Chief Executive Officer/Executive Director for Columbia Housing reported that
the Housing Authority is at the cusp of completing its redevelopment plan to address its affordable
housing portfolio. We will also make a presentation to City Council on June 1st at 2:00 p.m.

Jim Zieche, MORE Justice reported that the Nehemiah Action Assembly was held on April 26,
2021. I want to thank Councilwoman Terracio for supporting our push for an affordable housing
trust fund for Richland County.

Councilwoman Devine asked the subcommittee to review the definition of Affordable Housing
prior to the next meeting. I am working on a couple of things regarding federal resources and I
hope we can have that conversation next month. June is National Homeownership Month and
homeownership is an option for affordable housing.

For rental assistance as a result of the Coronavirus pandemic, please contact The Cooperative
Ministry at cacoopmin.org or (803)799-3853.

NEXT MEETING DATE

Tuesday, June 8, 2021 at 11:00 a.m.

ADJOURNMENT

The meeting was closed at 12:05 p.m.

Respectfully submitted:



Erika D. Moore Hammond, CMC
City Clerk




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MEETING DATE: September 14, 2021

DEPARTMENT: City Clerk

FROM: Erika Hammond, City Clerk

SUBJECT: Approval of August 10, 2021 Affordable Housing Task Force
 Meeting Minutes
FUNDING SOURCE &
ORIGINAL BUDGET:


ATTACHMENTS:
  AHTF_MN_08102021 (PDF)




Updated: 9/10/2021 3:42 PM Page 1
 Packet Pg. 8
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 Attachment: AHTF_MN_08102021 (6982 : Approval of August 10, 2021 Affordable Housing Task Force Meeting Minutes)
 COLUMBIA AFFORDABLE HOUSING TASK FORCE MEETING MINUTES
 TUESDAY, AUGUST 10, 2021

CALL TO ORDER

 Attendee Name Present Absent Late Arrived
 Tameika Isaac Devine   
 Jeff Armstrong   
 Julie Ann Avin   
 Reggie Barner   
 Sue Berkowitz   
 Brenna Bernadin   
 Pamela Bynoe-Reed   
 Bryan Grady   
 Dylan Gunnels   
 Tonya Isaac   
 Jeff Larimore   
 Ivory Mathews   
 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 May 11, 2021 Affordable Housing Task Force Meeting Minutes –
 Consideration of this item was deferred.

COMMITTEE DISCUSSION
Councilwoman Tameika Isaac Devine introduced Pamela Bynoe-Reed of the Comet as a new
appointee on the task force. She is a Columbia native who has worked in the community in various
capacities and with various organizations.


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 Attachment: AHTF_MN_08102021 (6982 : Approval of August 10, 2021 Affordable Housing Task Force Meeting Minutes)
 COLUMBIA AFFORDABLE HOUSING TASK FORCE MEETING MINUTES
 TUESDAY, AUGUST 10, 2021
2. Revision to the Definition of Affordable Housing - The Honorable Tameika Isaac-Devine

Councilwoman Tameika Isaac Devine recalled that when the task force presentation was made to
City Council, there were questions about the definition of affordable housing. There was
discussion about using affordable housing versus attainable housing and about the language. We
asked a subcommittee of the task force (Lila Anna Sauls, Sue Berkowitz, Brenna Bernardin, and
Bryan Grady) to wordsmith the definition.

Lila Anna Sauls, EdD, HDFP, Homeless No More presented a revised definition: Affordable
housing consists of inclusive, equitable, and safe places to live, for owners and renters, priced
such that all Columbians can afford necessities of living and fully participate in our community.
We were intentional about leaving out a number. We wanted this to be a definition that included
our most at-risk and the working class. We wanted a true community definition.

Councilwoman Tameika Isaac Devine said we can reach our intended population by the goals that
we set. This definition keeps people from stereotyping who affordable housing is for.

Lila Anna Sauls, EdD, HDFP, Homeless No More noted that she received a recommendation to
change participate to engage.

Councilwoman Tameika Isaac Devine said after we wordsmith the definition, we can get it back
to City Council for consideration.

Councilwoman Allison Terracio expressed concerns with continuing to use affordable versus
attainable or another word. In order to get things done, the first thing you have to do is brand it in
such a way to create more space for people to imagine something different.

Ivory Mathews, Columbia Housing said in my industry and trade association groups, we still use
the term affordable because people easily understand it regardless of the housing options being
provided. Affordable covers a broad spectrum of opportunities.

Bryan Grady, PhD, SC State Housing said the word affordable has been stigmatized so a group
came up with attainable as a buzzword that says the same thing. The term used more broadly is
affordable.




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 Attachment: AHTF_MN_08102021 (6982 : Approval of August 10, 2021 Affordable Housing Task Force Meeting Minutes)
 COLUMBIA AFFORDABLE HOUSING TASK FORCE MEETING MINUTES
 TUESDAY, AUGUST 10, 2021
Councilwoman Tameika Isaac Devine said we will talk about the educational plan and branding
next month. Affordable is more widely used by practitioners. Are we stepping into our mission if
we change the wording to make it more acceptable instead of doing the work to educate them as
to why affordable housing is good? Let’s think about that as we discuss the education roll out, our
role, the schedule, and whether or not we want to change that terminology.

Pamela Bynoe-Reed, The Comet said from a marketing standpoint, I lean more towards attainable
because it is more empowering. Affordable infers that the person is lacking while attainable infers
that this is something I can reach for and actually get.

3. Columbia Housing Update: Vision 2030 - Ms. Ivory Matthews, Chief Executive Officer
 and Executive Director and Ms. Cindi Herrera, Senior Vice President of Development /
 Columbia Housing

Ivory Mathews, Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director for Columbia Housing reported
that Columbia Housing has received final approvals to demolish Allen Benedict Court. Our Vision
2030 plan is a strategic framework by which Columbia Housing will use guiding principles to
reposition our entire public housing portfolio and to create new, quality, affordable housing
through public/private partnerships using private capital. Plans include the investment of over $500
million for preservation, redevelopment, and new construction of affordable housing. We provide
affordable housing to 6,500 families throughout the City of Columbia and Richland County
through our housing choice voucher, public housing, and non-subsidized affordable housing
programs. Conversion tools provided by HUD will result in the elimination of all public housing
in the City of Columbia and transition to another affordable housing platform. HUD conversion
tools provide protection for residents. Rents will be based on 30% of monthly adjusted income.
There will be no negative impact on the families. Vision 2030 is the culmination of nearly two
years of planning in which every public housing property we own has been thoroughly assessed
by third party professionals. Columbia’s public housing has capital needs of over $250 million. To
meet these needs, we will transition our entire public housing portfolio to HUD’s Rental Assistance
Demonstration (RAD) program and other programs that will enable access to market debt and
equity.

Cindi Herrera, Senior Vice President of Development for Columbia Housing said RAD provides
rental assistance for the converted property under a property based voucher platform with a long-
term contract renewed in perpetuity. RAD requires ownership or control by a public or non-profit
entity. A use agreement has to be recorded on the property to ensure that the units remain
permanently affordable to low-income households. In South Carolina, over 1,800 units have been
converted, raising $53.3 million in private capital to improve the condition of those units. Last

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 Attachment: AHTF_MN_08102021 (6982 : Approval of August 10, 2021 Affordable Housing Task Force Meeting Minutes)
 COLUMBIA AFFORDABLE HOUSING TASK FORCE MEETING MINUTES
 TUESDAY, AUGUST 10, 2021
year, we issued a national solicitation to bring in private partners. We have some of the best
national affordable housing developers that have partnered with local organizations to build more
capacity. The Oaks at St. Anna’s Park, which is the former Gonzales Gardens will consist of 95
senior units and 190 family units. The total development cost is over $58 million and it is all private
capital. We anticipate closing in November 2021 with occupancy in April 2023. The Haven at
Palmer Pointe at Carter Street and Two Notch Road will replace the Marion Street High Rise. This
is a three-story building with 150 senior units. The total development cost is over $31 million. We
plan to close in November 2021 with occupancy around April 2023. It will also include a small
commercial component for medical offices and other complimentary services. We will be moving
forward with the demolition of Allen Benedict Court within the next 30-days. We have begun our
preliminary redevelopment plans for this site. The conceptual plan includes 168 senior units, 96
family units, and 99 workforce housing units. The total development cost is $88 million. We
anticipate that the first phase will close in June 2022 with occupancy in June 2024. We are still
working on preliminary design concepts for Latimer Manor. This will be a new construction
project under RAD. We anticipate that there will be over 220 rental units and 50 homeownership
units. We anticipate closing on the first phase in the second quarter of 2022 with the entire project
being completed by 2026. Arrington Manor is a small senior building. It will be a RAD demolition.
We anticipate building a new senior facility with approximately 80 units. The Reserves at Faraway
and Dorrah Randall are RAD projects that will be redeveloped by demolishing the existing housing
and replacing it with new construction. These projects will probably move forward in 2024, 2025,
and 2026.

We will be utilizing South Carolina Affordable Housing Initiatives, Inc., a non-profit to redevelop
Hammond Village (78 units) and Lewis Scott Court (67 units) ourselves as a RAD conversion. We
will be doing substantial rehab using the FHA financing under their 223f mortgage program.
Columbia Housing’s scattered site portfolio consists of 18 smaller properties that total 476 units.
We have identified 70 units that need to be demolished and the remaining units will be rehabbed.
We can also do these through our non-profit. We have almost 300 single family homes. About 155
of them will be substantially rehabbed and put under a lease purchase program for residents. The
remaining homes will be demolished or sold to other non-profits. Our goal is to expand the number
of affordable housing units. New developments include the Willows at Wateree (104 senior units
and 160 family units), Hunt Club (160 units), and Huntington Court (228 family units). In 1998,
the Housing Authority had 2,911 traditional public housing units. Today, we have 1,684 public
housing units. Through Vision 2030, we are going to lose 323 units and the remaining 1,361 units
will be converted. By the end of 2030, all of our public housing will be eliminated and replaced
with affordable housing. We are creating 1,550 units in new development for a total of 2,911
affordable housing units in 2030. Columbia Housing also facilitates affordable housing
development by serving as the conduit issuer of multifamily housing revenue bonds on behalf of

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 Attachment: AHTF_MN_08102021 (6982 : Approval of August 10, 2021 Affordable Housing Task Force Meeting Minutes)
 COLUMBIA AFFORDABLE HOUSING TASK FORCE MEETING MINUTES
 TUESDAY, AUGUST 10, 2021
developers. The tax exempt bonds result in substantial savings on interest costs on long-term debt
which enables these units to become affordable. We have multiple pending bond projects. There
are three projects with a total of 348 units that will be preserved. We have 1,1128 units that are
scheduled for new construction. All of these projects are scheduled to close in 2022. We are happy
to expand affordable housing through tax exempt bonds, too.

Pamela Bynoe-Reed, The Comet said it would be great to ensure that public transportation is
available where Columbia Housing is expanding properties.

Regina Williams, Booker Washington Heights Community asked if Columbia Housing is working
with the Department of Mental Health to provide housing for our mentally challenged population.

Cindi Herrera, Senior Vice President of Development for Columbia Housing said a total of forty
units have been set aside in two of our developments for mental health clients based on a grant we
received.

Julie Ann Avin, MIRCI said we are working with the Department of Mental Health on the
development of another youth home for females ages 17 to 24. We have properties specifically for
individuals with mental illness. We have a voucher program through the continuum of care for
homeless individuals who are experiencing mental illness. We have to increase those vouchers as
well. Regna is welcome to join the accessibility committee.

Councilwoman Tameika Isaac Devine said we need to make sure we are looking at the number of
those units that are available. Seeing this presentation and understanding the transformation of
inventory will help to eliminate the stigma of affordable housing. We have to aggressively set
goals and the expertise on the task force will help us to ensure that there is more inventory to
supplement what Columbia Housing is transitioning from.

Shayla Riley, Coldwell Banker asked if there is a way to involve the real estate community as a
resource to assist people with transitioning out of temporary or rental housing.

Jeffrey Armstrong, Family Promise suggested that elements of the presentation be extracted and
used to create a FAQ or talking points for public education and awareness.

Tonya Isaac, North Pointe Estates asked if information on homeownership will be made available
to the residents of North Pointe Estates.




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 Attachment: AHTF_MN_08102021 (6982 : Approval of August 10, 2021 Affordable Housing Task Force Meeting Minutes)
 COLUMBIA AFFORDABLE HOUSING TASK FORCE MEETING MINUTES
 TUESDAY, AUGUST 10, 2021
Cindi Herrera, Senior Vice President of Development for Columbia Housing said yes. We will be
working with everyone when we launch the lease purchase program. The goal is to prepare the
tenants while they are in the units.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Councilwoman Tameika Isaac Devine asked the committees to meet and be prepared to make
presentations next month. We will also lead with our education committee and next steps for
engaging the community.

ADJOURNMENT

The meeting was closed at 12:08 p.m.

Respectfully submitted:



Erika D. Moore Hammond, CMC
City Clerk




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MEETING DATE: September 14, 2021

DEPARTMENT: City Clerk

FROM: Erika Hammond, City Clerk

SUBJECT: Committee Reports
FUNDING SOURCE &
ORIGINAL BUDGET:

PURPOSE:
Public Education & Awareness Committee - Ms. Brenna Bernadin, Chair
Partnerships - Ms. Jennifer Moore, Chair
Accessibility - Ms. Julie Ann Avin, Chair
Financing - Mr. Reggie Barner, Chair
Legal & Zoning - Ms. Sue Berkowitz and Ms. Lila Anna Sauls, Co-Chairs




Updated: 9/10/2021 3:39 PM Page 1
 Packet Pg. 15

COLUMBIA AFFORDABLE HOUSING TASK FORCE MEETING MINUTES
 TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2021


CALL TO ORDER
  Attendee Name Present Absent Late Arrived
  Jeff Armstrong   
  Julie Ann Avin   
  Reggie Barner   
  Sue Berkowitz   
  Brenna Bernadin   
  Pamela Bynoe-Reed   
  Tameika Isaac Devine   
  Bryan Grady   
  Dylan Gunnels   
  Tonya Isaac   
  Jeff Larimore   
  Ivory Mathews   
  Jennifer Moore   
  Mary Louise Resch   
  Shayla Riley   
  Lila Anna Sauls   
  Gregory Sprouse   
  Allison Terracio   
  Regina Williams   
  Lester Young   
  Jim Zieche   
  Chris Zimmer   

Julie Ann Avin, MIRCI introduced Anita Floyd as a new member. Anita is one of the most
respected advocates and planners of affordable housing in the Midlands. She has joined MIRCI
as the chief operating officer and will be responsible for our housing projects.

Councilwoman Tameika Isaac Devine introduced Brittani Richards as a new member serving as
the replacement for Mary Louise Resch. She is the grants manager for Habitat for Humanity.




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 COLUMBIA AFFORDABLE HOUSING TASK FORCE MEETING MINUTES
 TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2021

APPROVAL OF MINUTES

1. Approval of May 11, 2021 Affordable Housing Task Force Meeting Minutes - Approved

2. Approval of August 10, 2021 Affordable Housing Task Force Meeting Minutes -
 Approved

Upon a single motion made by Jim Zieche and seconded by Ivory Mathews, taskforce members
voted unanimously to approve the May 11, 2021 and August 10, 2021 Affordable Housing Task
Force Meeting Minutes.

COMMITTEE DISCUSSION

3. Committee Reports

  Public Education & Awareness Committee - Ms. Brenna Bernadin, Chair
  Partnerships - Ms. Jennifer Moore, Chair
  Accessibility - Ms. Julie Ann Avin, Chair
  Financing - Mr. Reggie Barner, Chair
  Legal & Zoning - Ms. Sue Berkowitz and Ms. Lila Anna Sauls, Co-Chairs


Councilwoman Tameika Isaac Devine said the bulk of today’s discussion will be committee
reports and next steps. By December, we need to be recommending the amount of units we
would like to see introduced into the market as a benchmark. Then we can make a presentation to
city and county councils for next year. We also need a multi-year plan.

Erika Hammond, City Clerk read an email update from Brenna Bernardin, Public Education and
Awareness Committee Chair: The Public Education and Awareness Committee is ready to move
forward once the new definition is adopted. Once the description is ready, we will meet again to
review the 2-page Task Force fact sheet. For September, we are working with the Partnership
Committee on a GoogleDoc with group suggestions for outreach, contact information, and who
should make the first contact. We hope to have everything ready for October. If anyone has any
ideas for outreach or how we should present the material, feel free to email me, and we will add
it to our meeting.




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Bryan Grady, Ph.D., SC Housing said during the last meeting, there was a question of affordable
versus attainable. I came up with three options: go with what we previously had subject to
changing participate to engage; have the same definition subject to changing affordable to
attainable; or decouple the words affordable and attainable and develop multiple definitions for
other existing terms such as workforce housing and priority housing.

Upon a motion made by Julie Ann Avin and seconded by Pamela Bynoe-Reed, the task force
members voted unanimously to approve the following definition of Affordable Housing:

Affordable housing consists of inclusive, equitable, and safe places to live, for owners and
renters, priced such that all Columbians can afford necessities of living and fully engage in our
community.

Councilwoman Tameika Isaac Devine asked Dr. Grady if the recommendation is to have the
main definition for affordable housing and have the four additional definitions as sub context. I
think we should have workforce housing and priority housing spelled out in our documents.

Cindy Herrera, Columbia Housing suggested that a percentage be used for all definitions.

Bryan Grady, Ph.D., SC Housing said the definition we just approved was holistic and I didn’t
want to deviate dramatically from that.

Jim Zieche, More Justice asked if the greatest need is in priority housing.

Bryan Grady, Ph.D., SC Housing said that would be my conclusion from the available data.
There are existing resources that serve higher income levels. The National Housing Trust Fund is
the only funding source exclusively for the extremely low income population.

Councilwoman Tameika Isaac Devine said at some point we will have a document with our
approved definition of affordable housing, our priorities, and a glossary of terms to include the
definitions for priority housing and workforce housing. I will send this to Councilwoman
Terracio and I will report out to City Council next week. Then we can move forward with this
definition and Brenna and Jennifer can give us a public engagement plan. Melanie Huggins,
executive Director for the Richland County Public Library has asked how they can be supportive
of our efforts. Our award winning PR department at the City of Columbia will be positioned to
help us move forward with getting this definition out. At the next meeting we will have a plan
for public engagement. Please email your thoughts to Jennifer and Brenna.


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 COLUMBIA AFFORDABLE HOUSING TASK FORCE MEETING MINUTES
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Julie Ann Avin, MIRCI, Accessibility Committee Chair said we are working to formalize a
report that we can send to you. We continue to focus on universal design requirements for
individuals with disabilities or for people to age in place; enhancing the federal fair housing
minimums for ADA compliance; and working with landlords to make units accessible to
individuals who were formerly incarcerated.

Councilman Sam Davis said when I worked with the state we tried to intercept the construction
process to get commitments from the builders and owners to make sure they met the minimum
federal set aside in terms of physical accommodations. That strategy can increase the numbers as
they come online.

Councilwoman Tameika Isaac Devine asked if there are models that we need to research
regarding housing for those returning from incarceration.

Sue Berkowitz, SC Appleseed Legal Justice Center, Legal & Zoning Committee Chair said an
application has been submitted to HUD through 180 Place and other providers for eviction legal
assistance. We are waiting to see if the application has been approved. I have been working to
help people access rental assistance around the state.

ANNOUNCEMENTS
Jim Zieche, More Justice announced that they are working with Richland County Council to
form an affordable housing trust fund. We believe that ARP funds can be used for that purpose.

Councilwoman Tameika Isaac Devine outlined the following next steps:

  Julie Ann Avin will submit a report for the Accessibility Committee.
  Reggie Barner will host a Financing Committee meeting and submit a report.
  Lila Anna Sauls and Sue Berkowitz will host a Legal & Zoning Committee meeting
 and submit a report.
  Jennifer Moore and Brenna Bernardin will develop our public education, awareness,
 and outreach plan.
  We will stablish goals and recommendations for 2022 in October.
  We will draft a document for the councils to review prior to November.

Ivory Mathews, Columbia Housing thanked all housing ambassadors for supporting and
advocating for federal resources for housing during the month of August. Housing has been
considered in the reconciliation bill that is being considered by Congress. This week, we started


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 COLUMBIA AFFORDABLE HOUSING TASK FORCE MEETING MINUTES
 TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2021

the demolition of Allen Benedict Court. We are also partnering with the State Housing financing
agency and Richland County to host an emergency rental assistance funds program on
September 15, 2021. Click here to view “Calling all Landlords in SC!”

Cindy Herrera, Columbia Housing reported that the local fund administered by the State Fiscal
Accountability Authority will reach its bond cap and by the end of the year we will not be able to
address several projects in our pipeline. Columbia Housing has three priority projects and twelve
private sector projects that may not come to fruition. We need assistance with opening discussion
on moving bond cap that’s sitting with SC Housing to the local fund and advocating for these
projects at the local level and for an increase in the per capita bond amount at the federal level.

Councilwoman Tameika Isaac Devine asked City Manager Wilson to discuss this with our
lobbyists.

Teresa Wilson, City Manager added that the Turning Leaf Project is expanding to Columbia. It
has been a great project to reduce recidivism in Charleston. They are having a grand opening on
October 27, 2021. They have a significant strategy to ensure that individuals are able to
acclimate to society with wraparound services when they have been formerly incarcerated. One
of those services is identifying suitable housing after successful completing the program. We had
a productive conversation with them on yesterday.

Dylan Gunnels said Haven Home is now official. I am available to meet with you, if you have
questions about our methodology. We are raising funds to serve as a line of equity and we are on
track to start purchasing properties by the beginning of 2022. The Haven Home Market will be
held on Saturday, September 18, 2021 at 8:00 a.m. until 12:00 p.m. at Reformation Lutheran
Church, 1118 Union St, Columbia, SC 29201.

Councilwoman Tameika Isaac Devine announced that Marcia Fudge, the secretary of HUD
recently visited Columbia. One takeaway was her passion for ensuring that HUD is a partner at
the state and local levels. She spoke a lot about equity, upgrading facilities, and evictions. I am
working to identify a magistrate in Richland County who can help us establish an eviction court.
I’ll be in Washington, DC this weekend for HUD and congressional meetings to talk about what
we are doing here. Please email about the great things you are doing and I will include them in
my report. We need resources to continue doing great things. Lastly, Ms. Shropshire, Executive
Director of SC Housing has agreed for Dr. Grady to assist us with conducting a housing needs
assessment.



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 COLUMBIA AFFORDABLE HOUSING TASK FORCE MEETING MINUTES
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Bryan Grady, Ph.D., SC Housing said I have been the lead author of a statewide housing needs
assessment, which puts all of the table on the table for policy makers and stakeholders to
consider about the state of affordability, housing availability, the number of individuals unable to
access affordable housing, challenges, demographics, and more. It helps to inform strategic
planning and program design. Click here to learn more.

NEXT MEETING DATE
Tuesday, October 12, 2021 at 11:00 a.m.

ADJOURNMENT
The meeting was closed at 11:56 a.m.
Respectfully submitted:



Erika D. Moore Hammond, CMC
City Clerk




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