Affordable Housing Task Force — Columbia, SC
Date: 2021-05-11
Time: 11:00

COLUMBIA AFFORDABLE HOUSING TASK FORCE MEETING AGENDA
 TUESDAY, MAY 11, 2021


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

CALL TO ORDER
APPROVAL OF MINUTES

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

COMMITTEE DISCUSSION

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

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

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

ANNOUNCEMENTS
NEXT MEETING DATE
ADJOURNMENT




 Page 1 of 1

COLUMBIA AFFORDABLE HOUSING TASK FORCE MEETING AGENDA
 TUESDAY, MAY 11, 2021


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

CALL TO ORDER
APPROVAL OF MINUTES

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

COMMITTEE DISCUSSION

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

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

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

ANNOUNCEMENTS
NEXT MEETING DATE
ADJOURNMENT




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 COLUMBIA AFFORDABLE HOUSING TASK FORCE MEETING MINUTES
 TUESDAY, APRIL 13, 2021




 Attachment: AHTF_MN_04132021 (6680 : Approval of April 13, 2021 Meeting Minutes)
CALL TO ORDER
The meeting was called to order at 11:04 a.m. by Chair Tameika Isaac Devine.
 Attendee Name Present Absent Late Arrived
 Tameika Isaac Devine   
 John Andoh   
 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   
 Pamela Bynoe-Reed   
APPROVAL OF MINUTES

1. Approval of March 9, 2021 Meeting Minutes

Upon a motion made by Lila Anna Sauls and seconded by Ivory Matthews, task force members
voted unanimously to approve the March 9, 2021 Meeting Minutes.




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 COLUMBIA AFFORDABLE HOUSING TASK FORCE MEETING MINUTES
 TUESDAY, APRIL 13, 2021
COMMITTEE DISCUSSION




 Attachment: AHTF_MN_04132021 (6680 : Approval of April 13, 2021 Meeting Minutes)
2. Committee Reports

Councilwoman Devine said it is prudent for us to give an update to the Columbia City Council
and Richland County Council. I would like buy-in and approval of our definition of affordable
housing. Let’s review the draft report.

After an in-depth discussion, the affordable housing unit goal was revised as follows to focus on
the need to produce and preserve housing for individuals with extremely low and low incomes:

 To adequately address the needs of affordable housing in our community, it is
 imperative that we set aggressive but realistic goals to help add or preserve
 affordable housing units giving special attention to low income and extremely low
 income residents’ needs. The Affordable Housing Task Force will monitor 2021
 building permits and certificates of occupancy to establish unit goals for 2022,
 2023, and 2024.

The list of outreach categories was also amended to include housing developers. A letter and the
final report will be sent to members of the Richland County Legislative Delegation.

3. Summary of National Housing Trust Fund - Dr. Bryan Grady, Chief Research Officer for
 the SC State Housing Finance and Development Authority

Councilwoman Devine announced that additional funds have been allocated for affordable
housing under the American Rescue Plan. Dr. Grady and Ms. Cogan are going to tell us about
the National Housing Trust Fund and what it means for South Carolina.

Bryan Grady, PhD, Chief Research Officer at SC Housing reported that bill H.3770 authorizes
SC Housing to administer emergency rental assistance funding in the 39 counties that did not
receive a direct allocation. Richland County received funding and has launched a program. There
is a second round of rental assistance that will provide states and counties with $274 million.
There is also the homeowner assistance fund. The Department of Treasury has not released
guidance and it is too early to say who will administer that. There was $5 billion nationally in
HOME appropriations designed for homeless prevention services. The statewide non-entitlement
total is over $26 million. The City of Columbia will receive $2.5 million and Richland County
will receive $6.7 million. The National Housing Trust Fund is an annual fund that was created in
2008 and funded in 2016. The funding to SC Housing doubled to slightly less than $8 million. In
the past, we used the funds for small rental development.


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 COLUMBIA AFFORDABLE HOUSING TASK FORCE MEETING MINUTES
 TUESDAY, APRIL 13, 2021




 Attachment: AHTF_MN_04132021 (6680 : Approval of April 13, 2021 Meeting Minutes)
Jennifer Cogan, Development Director at SC Housing said the National Housing Trust Fund has
been combined with the HOME Investment Partnerships Program and the State Housing Trust
Fund as funding sources for the small rental development program. The program has financed
affordable housing developments between 4 and 39 units. This year, we are accepting
applications in a two tier system with tier one applications due on May 14, 2021 and tier two
applications are due on August 31, 2021. The National Housing Trust Fund only serves
individuals who meet the ELI at 30% and below and developments must remain affordable for
30 years. We created an underwriting model that allows us to utilize the HOME and SC Housing
Trust Fund units to support the higher income brackets and make up the cash flow you won’t see
from the National Housing Trust Fund units. We typically see 25% of the units serving those
30% and below AMI. We have specific requirements for rehab that have been approved by
HUD. You can apply for new construction or rehabilitation affordable housing through the small
rental development program. We have two years to commit the funding and it is a competitive
process.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Councilwoman Devine announced that Lila Anna Sauls will have her doctorate on Friday.

Lila Anna Sauls, Homeless No More announced a wreath hanging ceremony for the 15 units at
Myrtle Grove on Wednesday, April 28, 2021 at 9:00 a.m. A ribbon cutting ceremony for the
family shelter and new administrative space will be held on Thursday, May 27, 2021.

Ivory Matthews, Columbia Housing Authority invited everyone to join the Housing Power Hour:
Residents First interactive presentation on Wednesday, April 14, 2021 at 4:00 p.m. via Zoom.
ICYMI, click here to view: https://youtu.be/Cx2XH-da9aI.

Mary Louise Resch, Habitat for Humanity announced the dedication of two new homes in Cayce
on Tuesday, May 4, 2021 at 4:00 p.m.

Sue Berkowitz, SC Appleseed Legal Justice offered to schedule a presentation to the task force
on Charleston's Housing Eviction Court.

Councilwoman Devine announced expansion of the child income tax credit and earned income
tax credit under the American Rescue Plan. Families will start receiving monthly payments in
July if they have filed taxes.




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 COLUMBIA AFFORDABLE HOUSING TASK FORCE MEETING MINUTES
 TUESDAY, APRIL 13, 2021
Jeffrey Armstrong, Family Promise announced the virtual Family Promise Gala on Saturday,




 Attachment: AHTF_MN_04132021 (6680 : Approval of April 13, 2021 Meeting Minutes)
April 24, 2021 at 6:00 p.m.

Jim Zieche, More Justice announced the Nehemiah Action Assembly on Monday, April 26, 2021
at 6:30 p.m. via Zoom. We are requesting gun violence intervention and establishment of a
housing trust fund for Richland County.

Tonya Isaac, North Pointe Estates resident announced the formation of a library at North Pointe
as a donation from Ms. Devine.

Regina Williams, Booker Washington Heights Organization noted that the youth were provided
with stipends for helping with the library. This will encourage financial literacy.

Shayla Riley, Coldwell Banker announced the development of more affordable homes.
Additional information will be provided.

NEXT MEETING DATE

May 11, 2021 at 11:00 a.m.

ADJOURNMENT

The meeting was closed at 12:06 p.m.

Respectfully submitted:



Erika D. Moore Hammond, CMC
City Clerk




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Affordable Housing Task Force Report
City of Columbia, South Carolina




 Attachment: Affordable Housing Task Force Report Draft (6681 : Revision to the Definition of Affordable Housing)
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.

 Councilwoman Tameika Isaac Devine, Chair Mary Louise Resch, Habitat for Humanity
 John Andoh, The Comet Jeff Larimore, Midlands Housing Trust Fund
 Jeff Armstrong, Family Promise Jennifer Moore, United Way
 Julie Ann Avin, MIRCI Shayla Riley, Coldwell Banker
 Reggie Barner, The Barner Group Lila Anna Sauls, Homeless No More
 Sue Berkowitz, SC Appleseed Legal Justice Center Gregory Sprouse, Central Midlands COG
 Brenna Bernardin, Fast Forward Councilwoman Allison Terracio, Richland County
 Dr. Bryan P. Grady, SC State Housing Regina Williams, Booker Washington Heights
 Dylan Gunnels Lester Young, Just Leadership
 Tonya Isaac, North Columbia Resident Jim Zieche, More Justice
 Ivory Matthews, Columbia Housing Authority Chris Zimmer, Truist Bank

Facts:
  There is a statewide shortage of over 87,000 homes affordable and available to extremely low-
 income (ELI) households, those earning no more than 30 percent of area median income,
 according to the National Low Income Housing Coalition, making this group uniquely unlikely to
 have access to safe, decent, and affordable housing.
  Nearly 7,500 low-income renter households in Columbia are experiencing particularly
 unaffordable or substandard housing conditions, representing 30 percent of all renters citywide.
 This includes all cost burdened ELI renters, as well as severely cost burdened very low-income
 renters and all low-income renters living in homes that are overcrowded or lacking the most basic
 amenities.

Affordable Housing Unit Goal:
To adequately address the needs of affordable housing in our community, it is imperative that we set
aggressive but realistic goals to help add or preserve affordable housing units giving special attention to
low income and extremely low income residents’ needs. The Affordable Housing Task Force will
monitor 2021 building permits and certificates of occupancy to establish unit goals for 2022, 2023, and
2024.

Committee Priorities:
Accessibility - Julie Ann Avin, Chair

The accessibility committee will delve into solutions for making access to quality affordable housing a
reality for people within special populations i.e., people with mental illness, formerly incarcerated
persons, people with disabilities, seniors and other populations.




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Financing - Mr. Reggie Barner, Chair

The financing committee will identify effective affordable housing financing tools that can be utilized.
Current tools under consideration include, but are not limited to the City of Columbia local affordable




 Attachment: Affordable Housing Task Force Report Draft (6681 : Revision to the Definition of Affordable Housing)
housing tax abatement program, social impact fund for private investors, an affordable housing bond, one
cent sales tax program, tax increament financing, multi-county industrial park legislation, unclaimed state
funds, land banks, an affordable housing impact fee, and a county-wide trust fund.

Legal & Zoning - Sue Berkowitz and Ms. Lila Anna Sauls, Co-Chairs

The legal & zoning committee will review laws needed to advance affordable housing opportunities, laws
that are an impediment to affordable housing, and zoning changes necessary to support the development
of more affordable housing. Other areas of focus include mechanisms to address the issue of providing
assistance and funding for persons facing eviction and innovative ideas for the reuse of abandoned
properties like hotels and motels.

Partnerships - Jennifer Moore, Chair

The partnerships committee will bring together partners, such as other nonprofits and community based
organizations that can help support the mission of the Affordable Housing Task Force.

Public Education & Awareness Committee - Brenna Bernadin, Chair

In collaboration with the partnerships committee, the public education & awareness committee will develop
a strategy to help communicate the message of what affordable housing is and why it is needed, while
working to dispel negative stereotypes about affordable housing and who we serve. We want to start a
success story model. The goal is to demonstrate the worth and positive side of affordable housing, to debunk
the myths, and work with opposition.

 OUTREACH CATEGORIES


 Funding
 Business,
 State & Local Entities Potenital
 Municipal Community & Neighborhood Community
 Housing & Homebuyers Media Outlets
 Developers Housing Associations Coalitions
 Agencies Real Estate & Renters
 Developers
 Partners




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 Housing
 Affordable Housing Task Force Community Talking Points
Slogan: Putting us in Housing
 Who City of Columbia Affordable Housing Task Force: Public Education and Awareness
 Committee/ Partnership Committee




 Attachment: AHTF Talking Points_Draft (6702 : Public Education & Awareness Committee Report)
 What 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.
 When Meet monthly by Zoom. Livestreams are available on the City of Columbia YouTube
 Where City of Columbia area neighborhoods
 Why Reachable, safe Housing is essential for everyone in the Midlands. Typically, Housing is
 considered affordable if you pay no more than a third of your income on housing costs
 (like rent, mortgage, and utilities).

 The City of Columbia offers a program to encourage homeownership plus other
 community programs that help with needed supports, like vouchers when your income
 cannot meet the amount needed for a typical rent in the area.

 Under the current federal definition, you are considered "low-income" and eligible for
 special housing assistance if your combined family income is under 80% of your area's
 median income. What does that mean? The following chart provides guidance on
 income levels based on the number of people in your home.
 This means that front-line and essential workers like nurses, EMS, teachers, business
 leaders, graduate students, etc. may qualify and for affordable housing financial
 assistance in the City of Columbia.
 How The AHTF includes community and business leaders in the Columbia area. The goal is to
 talk about affordable housing solutions in our community, including homeownership and
 rental. And identify some of the impediments to housing solutions. The group hopes to
 expand Housing, improve public transportation, and preserve neighborhoods.

 Affordable Housing Task Force Sub-Committees and Goals
 Legal: Laws needed to advance affordable housing as well as laws that
 impede affordable Housing
 Zoning: Zoning changes necessary that will help support the development of more
 affordable Housing
 Partnerships: Bringing together partners including non-profits and CBOs that can
 help support the mission and vision
 Accessibility: Outline and encourage understanding of accessibility issues like mental
 illness, people with disabilities, seniors, and people with other barriers that may have
 extra considerations when it comes to Housing.
 Public Education and Awareness: Analyze strategies to help communicate what
 affordable Housing is and why it is needed and work to dispel myths around affordable
 Housing and who it serves.
 Financing: Seek practical, affordable housing financing tools and determine how tools
 can be added and work in SC.


 Packet Pg. 8
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Common Questions/ Concerns:
NIMBY (Not in My Backyard)


 1) Homes in neighborhoods will depreciate in value
Research shows affordable Housing has no negative impact on home prices or the speed of sales of




 Attachment: AHTF Talking Points_Draft (6702 : Public Education & Awareness Committee Report)
neighboring homes. According to the National Low-Income Housing Coalition, "85% of affordable
housing meets or exceeds federal quality standards and over 40% of this housing is considered
"excellent." That means affordable Housing is likely either on-par with its surrounding neighborhood
or in even better condition than its neighbors!"
 2) Housing Looks cheap and undesirable
Builders of affordable housing must comply with all the same restrictions on design, construction, and
safety standards as market-rate projects. Affordable housing projects may rely on some public
money to subsidize costs so the units can be affordable. Still, they typically have to comply with
additional restrictions and higher standards than market-rate Housing.
The AHTF understands the importance of safe and desirable affordable housing units. We are
committed to looking for solutions to ensure buy-in and upkeep.
 3) What about schools and test scores?

Without affordable housing, many families become trapped in a cycle of rising rents and have to
move frequently to find a place they can afford. That means their children cannot stay in the same
school for long with their established relationships with teachers and friends and may result in lower
test scores on standardized tests and increased overall stress.

When a child has a stable home and can remain in a single school system, their test scores rise.

 4) What about crime?
There are no studies that show affordable Housing brings crime to neighborhoods. Families who own
their own homes add stability to a community and lower the crime rate. Families who live in
affordable Housing seek the same thing every family does – a safe place to raise children and the
opportunity to enhance the value of what they own.




 Packet Pg. 9

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 Authority Present
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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 COLUMBIA AFFORDABLE HOUSING TASK FORCE MEETING MINUTES
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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

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 COLUMBIA AFFORDABLE HOUSING TASK FORCE MEETING MINUTES
 TUESDAY, MAY 11, 2021

students 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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 COLUMBIA AFFORDABLE HOUSING TASK FORCE MEETING MINUTES
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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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 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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