2. MetroCOG workforce housing study

Regional Approaches There are three models of regional approaches to both workforce and affordable housing. These are }> Intergovernmental cooperation and agreements }> Regional housing funds }> Private sector initiatives All of these approaches involve the convening of a representative group of community leaders and stakeholders who guide the direction of strategic initiatives, obtain support for and guide their implementation. INTERGOVERNMENTAL COOPERATION Key features of the model of intergovernmental cooperation are regional housing plans and intergovernmental agreements for each local government to develop its "fair share" of workforce housing using a variety oflocal government implementation programs, policies, techniques and tools. How these agreements are structured and what degree they utilize regulatory requirements, incentives or voluntary negotiation varies enormously across the country. A regional housing plan recognizes that there is one regional housing market. These can be state-mandated, produced by voluntary consortiums of local governments or prepared by regional planning agencies. Fair share intergovernmental agreements on goals for the development of workforce housing distributed among the jurisdictions can be either based on a formula or they can be negotiated. Higher units of government such as counties or states usually set formula agreements. These usually require state legislation and are top-down driven. Negotiated or consensus agreements involve just the key decision-makers and stakeholders working together to identify their interests, invent options and arrive at a housing solution that everybody can live with. Some examples are: each community committing to provide a certain percentage of workforce housing over 24 Linda S, DOllnelly. A.1.eY. /\ ugust 2006