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<br />EXAMPLES OF INTERGOVERNMENT COOPERATION <br /> <br />St. Cloud, Minnesota Joint Powers Agreement recently revised its goal to 50/0 <br />down from 15% of annual building permits for housing affordable to <br />households earning 800/0 or less of median income. It uses developer <br />agreements. Over 200 units have been approved to date. <br /> <br />Metro Council Twin Cities Region (Minnesota) uses the state's Livable <br />Communities Act to provide incentive grants to municipalities who negotiate <br />affordable housing goals with the Council. Begun in 1995, in 1998, 80% of <br />new owner houses were constructed in suburban areas and for the regional <br />as a whole 460/0 of new rental units met affordability criteria. Twelve <br />communities oHared density bonuses and 17 communities used land cost <br />write-downs. <br /> <br />Madison, Wisconsin enacted its inclusionary zoning ordinance in 2004 <br />requiring developments of 10 or more homes to have 150/0 affordable to <br />households earning 800/0 or less of median income. Over 500 units have <br />been approved but not built-less than 12 hove sold. Negotiations with the <br />development community resulted in changes to allow buyers to capture more <br />equity when they sell, and extend the marketing period for developers to sell <br />the homes. There are also issues whether the city's incentives ensure that <br />developers can achieve their desired profit margin. <br /> <br />Manatee County, Florida streamlined its development approval process by <br />pu"ing their Affordable Housing Coordinator in charge of expediting reviews, <br />permits and approvals of developments with either "affordable" or <br />uworkforceu housing. For "affordable housing" the county partially pays the <br />impact fees or grants fee refunds; workforce housing developments get <br />expedited review and approval. In 2004 developers submiHed plans for 90 <br />affordable homes. By 2006, this grew to 446 of which 125 would be <br />apartments. <br /> <br />Austin, Texas S.M.A.R.T. (Safe, Mixed-income, Accessible, Reasonably priced, <br />and Transit accessible) Housing Initiative begun in 2001 has resulted in the <br />completion of 4,000 new workforce housing units. For eligible development <br />projects there are three benefits: development fee waivers on a sliding scale <br />depending on the number of workforce units; expedited review by designated <br />S.M.A.R.T. staff, and troubleshooting assistance with the development review <br />process designed to break logjams. <br /> <br />27 <br /> <br />Linda S. [)()fInelly. A.LC'Y. <br /> <br />;\ ugust 2006 <br />