2. MetroCOG workforce housing study

~ LEVEL PLAYING FIELD Cities compete with each other to attract residential growth. They offer different incentives as well as having different development requirements, e.g., the 2-year property tax exemption versus the 18-month delay in levying the "specials". Cities push development requirements as far as possible without killing the market. ~ EXPECTATIONS/PERCEPTIONSIMISPERCEPTIONS Developers do want to develop new workforce housing and profit margins are good; however, they find that the perceptions of buyers and perceptions of officials in the development approval process are not the same. What the buyers will buy is not what government officials think they will buy: everyone in the approval process wants to put his or her own personal likes and dislike on what a house and neighborhood should look like (e.g., tree plantings, garages in front/rear, large lots, fac;:ade materials, square footage). Expectations of first-time homebuyers are too high for what they can afford in terms of, say, large lots and design preferences. Renters in apartments with amenities expect to be able to buy a home with similar amenities. Builders are hesitant to build because of the mismatch between buyers' expectations and what they can afford. ~ NIMBY ("Not In My Back Yard") Communities lack the desire to provide housing affordable to working people. There is so much public pressure on appointed planning and zoning officials, developers, elected officials and planning staff that development projects tend to be evaluated with opposition in mind. Each community is letting the "other" community have this housing. ,There is a need to give elected officials factual arguments to support workforce housing developments. ~ A HOUSING MARKET TO CAPTURE OR LOSE? People are going out to the small towns (Barnesville, Hawley, Horace, Harwood, and Casselton) to find affordable housing, but they are also pushing their debt limits to buy these homes. School enrollments in these outlying districts are increasing while Fargo's is declining. Dilworth has especially seen the impact of commuters on Highway 10 and notes that when their housing prices were lower, a number of commuters were buying houses in Dilworth to reduce their one-hour commutes. This is a housing market opportunity for communities to capture or lose. ~ INFORMATION AND EDUCATION People need information about buying a home and information on incentives and maintenance. Home 19 Lind:, S. Dmmdly. A.Le.I'. AugUSl2(1(16