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HomeMy WebLinkAboutSKHHP Advisory Board Packet 12.5.24 SKHHP Advisory Board December 5, 2024, 3:30 – 5:30 PM Zoom Meeting Zoom Link: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/89734407973?pwd=cnlISFU4dXFJaFN5TGIwTWlxZHlNZz09 Meeting ID: 897 3440 7973 Password: 981696 Phone: 253-215-8782 Time Agenda 3:30 Welcome / Introductions / Opening 3:40 November 7, 2024 Meeting Minutes 3:45 Executive Board Update 3:50 Housing Capital Fund After Action Review 4:45 2025 Advisory Board Preview 4:55 Updates / Announcements 5:00 Closing Page 1 of 6 SKHHP Advisory Board Meeting November 7, 2024 MINUTES I. CALL TO ORDER Dorsol Plants called the meeting to order at 3:37 PM. ROLL CALL/ESTABLISHMENT OF QUORUM Advisory Board members present: Rumi Takahashi, Kent Hay, Menka Soni, Cobie Sparks- Howard, Grace Wood, Uche Okezie, Olga Lindbom, Zajj Collins, Marie Arns. Other attendees: Dorsol Plants, SKHHP; Claire Goodwin, SKHHP; Amanda Santo, MSC. II. OCTOBER 3, 2024 MEETING MINUTES Maria Arns motioned to approve the October 3, 2024 minutes, seconded by Menka Soni. (9-0) III. EXECUTIVE BOARD LIAISON UPDATE Dorsol Plants informed the Advisory Board that a member was unavailable for the October Executive Board meeting and provided a brief update. The Executive Board met on October 18 and spent most of the meeting reviewing the Housing Capital Fund applications. There were some great questions from the Executive Board, including how the Habitat for Humanity - Miller Creek project determines community connections for the units set aside for households connected to Burien. Dorsol Plants briefly reviewed the way Advisory Board members are assigned which Executive Board meeting to attend and asked if the process still worked for 2025. Rumi Takahashi said the current process is fine but would appreciate knowing which meetings in 2025 they would be asked to attend as much in advance as possible. Dorsol Plants said he would randomly assign the 2025 meetings and let everyone know before the end of the year. IV. SKHHP HOUSING CAPITAL FUND RECOMMENDATION Claire Goodwin provided an overview of the 2024 Housing Capital Fund process. Claire Goodwin reviewed the Advisory Board recusals and disclosures before beginning the recommendation process. Ashley Kenny, Kathleen Hosfeld, and Phoebe Anderson-Kline recused themselves from the 2024 Housing Capital Fund Application review. Kent Hay disclosed that the City of Auburn employs him but has no personal or financial interest in any of the applications being considered. Olga Lindbom disclosed that Open Doors partners with Mercy Housing NW on a separate project but has no personal or financial interest in any of the applications being considered. Rumi Takahashi disclosed that she is an employee of SMR Architects, which has worked with a few applicants but has no personal or financial interest in any of the applications being considered. Page 2 of 6 Grace Wood disclosed that King County Housing Authority has provided one of the applicants with section-based vouchers but has no personal or financial interest in any of the applications being considered. Dorsol Plants reviewed the results of the application evaluation completed by the Advisory Board. Claire Goodwin reviewed the 2024 applications and provided an update on any changes to the projects previously awarded funding. Claire Goodwin informed the Advisory Board that the Homestead CLT’s Willowcrest Townhomes and St Stephen/Way Back Inn’s Steele House would be removed from SKHHP consideration. The City of Renton has been coordinating with SKHHP staff to provide full funding to the Willowcrest project and seed funding for the Steele House project. The City of Renton is the only SKHHP jurisdiction that does not pool its HB 1590 funds, and the Renton City Council will consider approving those funds to support both projects in the first quarter of 2025. Rumi Takahashi wanted to confirm that no other public funders were involved in the TWG Pandion at Star Lake project. Claire Goodwin confirmed that there were no other public funders, but the project would be eligible to apply for King County funding. Rumi Takahashi continued by saying that she noticed the land use/zoning letter needed to be updated because it still referenced the original project plan. Olga Lindbom asked why some of the populations being served were removed from the Pandion at Star Lake. Claire Goodwin responded that the project was more extensive and expensive last year and was scaled down to simplify the project based on current market conditions. Rumi Takahashi asked how much the Pandion at Star Lake was funded last year. Claire Goodwin responded that the request was for $2,856,000, and the project was awarded $1,170,000. The project was funded at a reduced amount because in 2023, there were higher- priority projects with a closer construction start date, and SKHHP had a limited amount of funds available. Kent Hay asked if funding to help asylum seekers find housing provided to Mary's Place would support the Mercy Housing NW Burien Family Housing project. Claire Goodwin responded that any funding provided to Mary's Place would be separate from the project being developed by Mercy Housing NW. Mary's Place will develop an emergency shelter on the same plot of land but will have a separate funding stack from the Burien Family Housing project. Olga Lindbom asked if the Universal Design strategies mentioned in the application would apply to the whole project or only the unit’s set-aside for households with disabilities. Dorsol Plants responded that the building would include three of the components of Universal Design from the Evergreen Sustainable Development Standards, which would include, “All hallways, both in units and in common spaces, are a minimum of 42 inches wide, which will provide more room for those who require aids to promote mobility (specifically wheelchairs and walkers). All doors are designed with a minimum 36-inch rough opening, or 32 inches clear opening, again to ensure that passage of mobility aid devices are accommodated. All doors will also utilize lever- style handles to help with ease of use. A 60-inch diameter turning circle is provided in the kitchen and bathroom. Note that ANSI117.1-2017 now requires a 67-inch turning circle in all Page 3 of 6 Type A units. The 60-inch turning circle would be provided in Type B units only and allows for greater adaptability of the units allowing tenants to remain in place even when their mobility needs may change.” Rumi Takahashi asked how much the previous award to Burien Family Housing had been. Claire Goodwin responded that the project was awarded $1,093,308 in 2022. Rumi Takahashi asked if the Habitat for Humanity Miller Creek project had previously received SKHHP funding. Claire Goodwin confirmed that the project was awarded $300,000 in 2022. Uche Okezie asked about the viability of the Miller Creek project if SKHHP didn't provide funding this year. Claire Goodwin responded that it would be burdensome for the nonprofit to keep the project within the contracted AMI levels without additional support due to inflation and market conditions. The additional funding would have to come from the developer's reserves, which would be a challenge for the organization. Menka Soni asked to confirm that the project had already secured $26,000,000 in funding. Claire Goodwin confirmed that the project has many commitments, but there is still a funding gap. Menka Soni asked to confirm that SKHHP was the only funding source being sought for the MSC White River project. Claire Goodwin mentioned that SKHHP provided a letter of support to MSC for an application for funding at the state level earlier in the year, but MSC was not awarded funding. She continued that it is hard for smaller projects like Victorian Place II or White River to compete for limited funding with larger public funders. SKHHP has been advocating to address funding for smaller preservation projects because SKHHP cannot be the only funder supporting them. Menka Soni reflected that the ask was very high, but smaller projects should be receiving support. Claire Goodwin clarified that if a project had previously been awarded funding, the length of time to use the award for any new funding this round would be set using the timeframe of the first award. A project that was awarded in 2022 has 36 months to use the funds, and additional SKHHP funds in 2024 would also need to be utilized within 36 months of the 2022 award date. Claire Goodwin asked if the Advisory Board would be okay with SKHHP staff setting special conditions based on administrative needs after the Advisory Board had selected which projects to fund. Uche Okezie asked for confirmation that the projects the City of Renton would be funding would not impact the funds SKHHP has available to award. Claire Goodwin confirmed they were separate sources. Maria Arns prioritized the White River Apartments due to their larger units and proximity to parks or services. She continued that they were an asset to the community and should be repaired to improve quality of life. Rumi Takahashi agreed with Maria Arns and noted that it was the only preservation project applied this year. She continued that she appreciated the plan for an occupied rehab so the residents would not be displaced, noting the high number of BIPOC residents being served. Uche Okezie stated that her top projects are White River Apartments because preservation is a priority and challenging to fund and TWG because their funds are committed to the project. She Page 4 of 6 added that the White River project would not be all or nothing, and even partial funding could support them. Menka Soni agreed, but her only concern was that SKHHP funds were the only source that White River applied to. She felt it would be great if there were a way to know what funds the developer could commit. Claire Goodwin reviewed the funding available and explained that SHB 1406 and HB 1590 funds have different eligibility criteria. She explained the benefits and costs of only providing a partial award and provided a few examples of how the available funding could be divided between projects. Olga Lindbom asked if Mercy Housing NW would delay the start of construction if they did not receive funding. Claire Goodwin responded that the developer had stated it would delay the project, and while everything is ready to go, the funding request is needed to get them over the finish line. Olga Lindbom stated she felt that was an important factor to consider along with the number of units available and agreed with the evaluation results, ranking Burien Family Housing as the top priority. Olga Lindbom agreed that the White River preservation project fit SKHHP's priorities and values, but the number of units played a role in her decision. Rumi Takahashi appreciated Olga Lindbom's perspective and agreed that the Burien Family Housing project seems more viable than the Pandion at Star Lake project. The White River Apartments are eligible for SHB 1406 funds, and Burien Family Housing is eligible for HB 1590 funds. It would be possible to fund both. Rumi Takahashi appreciated Mercy Housing NW and Mary's Place's partnership on the Burien Family Housing project. Menka Soni said the Burien Family Housing project was supported by Amazon funding and had Universal Design components. Rumi Takahashi pointed out that the Burien Family Housing project has housing vouchers provided by the King County Housing Authority. Olga Lindbom highlighted that the Burien Family Housing project includes 4-bed units needed for larger families. Rumi Takahashi cited that the White River Apartments' funding request included non-housing elements like the parking lot, and with the limited funding available, SKHHP could award funds only to support the housing components of the project. Maria Arns stated she liked Rumi Takahashi's suggestion and felt that while the White River needs to be supported, she would support it if it would be possible to focus the limited funding on housing. Claire Goodwin confirmed that it was possible and that the developer would be happy to receive any level of funding the Advisory Board would decide. She added that the developer would be responsible for finding additional funds if SKHHP could only provide a reduced amount. Dorsol Plants stated that roughly $150,000 to $250,000 appear to support the funding request's exterior parking lot work. Claire Goodwin suggested that language should state that fund should be prioritized for residential use rather than trying to put an exact dollar amount in the special conditions. Page 5 of 6 Rumi Takahashi wanted to clarify that the only reason she's considering partially funding White River is because she would like to support Miller Creek as well. If the funding were available, she would fully fund White River Apartments. Rumi Takahashi suggested providing White River Apartments with $775,000 and Miller Creek with the remaining SHB 1406 funds, which total $555,000. Zajj Collins asked if that included the unrestricted funds. Claire Goodwin said that to fund at those amounts, it would include SHB 1406 and the unrestricted funds. The Advisory Board supported Claire Goodwin in determining how best to allocate the unrestricted funds and the SHB 1406 funds between the White River and Miller Creek projects. The Advisory Board stated that a special condition should be included with the White River award: the funding should prioritize support for building improvements; parking shall not be funded in favor of residential rehabilitation. Claire Goodwin asked for funding rational for the Miller Creek project. Olga Lindbom said homeownership was a priority, and the project had secured significant funding. It also includes a community preference policy. Rumi Takahashi said Miller Creek has permits and is ready to move forward. Menka Soni stated that Miller Creek's location was great, and the project supports 50-80% AMI. Rumi Takahashi mentioned that a partial funding rationale would be that SKHHP will be funding two projects in Burien this year, and by partially funding Miller Creek, it ensured geographic equity. Olga Lindbom suggested fully funding Burien Family Housing using the HB 1590 funds at $2,000,000 and providing the remaining $770,000 to Pandion at Star Lake. Menka Soni suggested reducing the amount to Burien Family Housing to provide more to Pandion at Star Lake. Claire Goodwin explained that any amount below $2,000,000 would delay Burien Family Housing even if partial funding were awarded. Rumi Takahashi asked if Pandion at Star Lake would be eligible to return next year if provided partial funding this year. Claire Goodwin confirmed that they could apply a third time next year. Claire Goodwin added that while Pandion at Star Lake would not be ready to begin construction if fully funded this year, providing partial funding to the project would signal to other public funders that the project still has support in South King County. Rumi Takahashi stated that the Pandion at Star Lake was a great project but is further out in its construction timeline. She felt it made more sense to fully fund Burien Family Housing, which is ready to begin construction, and partially fund Pandion at Star Lake. Rumi Takahashi said she appreciated that Pandion at Star Lake has good partnerships, including combining childcare with housing. The project would provide housing for Vision House clients. Olga Lindbom supported funding Pandion at Star Lake because of the high unit count. Page 6 of 6 Rumi Takahashi added that Pandion at Star Lake is a Transit Oriented Development (TOD) project, and the City of Kent has a high displacement risk with the new Link light rail. Rumi Takahashi motioned to recommend funding Burien Family Housing at $2,000,000, White River Apartments at $775,000, Pandion at Star Lake at $770,000, Miller Creak at $555,000 to the SKHHP Executive Board, seconded by Menka Soni. (8-0) Menka Soni motioned to empower the SKHHP Executive Manager to include special administrative conditions in the Executive Board's funding recommendation and expand on the funding rationale, seconded by Uche Okezie. (8-0) VIII. UPDATES & ANNOUNCEMENTS Dorsol Plants suggested making the December Advisory Board a hybrid meeting since the Advisory Board has never met in person. Rumi Takahashi said meeting in person would be fun. Olga Lindbom and Menka Soni said they would both be interested in an in-person meeting but could not attend the December meeting. Dorsol Plants said he would look into planning an in-person meeting in 2025 and keep the December meeting virtual. IX. CLOSING/ADJOURN The meeting was adjourned at 5:44 PM. December Meeting Claire Goodwin, SKHHP Executive Manager Dorsol Plants, SKHHP Program Coordinator December 5, 2024 SKHHP Advisory Board After Action Review: 2024 Housing Capital Fund After Action: 2024 Housing Capital Fund How did the review of the projects go? How did the evaluation process go? How can we better prepare for the next review and evaluation in 2025? What gaps in knowledge did you identify in yourself? Are there areas for improvement? Looking Ahead 2025 Advisory Board Meetings 1/2/2025 2/6/2025 3/6/2025 4/3/2025 5/1/2025 6/5/2025 7/3/2025 8/7/2025 9/4/2025 10/2/2025 11/6/2025 12/4/2025 2025 Advisory Board Meetings 1/2/2025 2/6/2025 3/6/2025 4/3/2025 5/1/2025 6/5/2025 7/3/2025 8/7/2025 9/4/2025 10/2/2025 11/6/2025 12/4/2025 Executive Board Liaison Executive Board Meeting Date Advisory Board Attendee 1/17/2025 Olga Lindbom 2/21/2025 Rumi Takahashi 3/21/2025 Menka Soni 4/18/2025 Hamdi Abdulle 5/16/2025 Phoebe Anderson-Kline 6/20/2025 Uche Okezie 7/18/2025 Kent Hay 8/15/2025 Ashley Kenny 9/19/2025 Kathleen Hosfeld 10/17/2025 Ziquora Banks 11/21/2025 Maria Arns 12/19/2025 Grace Wood