Sec. 27-164. - Powers and duties.
The general purpose of the housing stability strategic advisors is to render advice and recommendations to the executive director of the department of housing stability in regard to the planning and implementation of city programs and services related to homelessness resolution, housing stability, and housing opportunities. Such advice and recommendations shall include strategies to preserve and increase the supply of affordable housing in the city, to the extent such programs and services are supported by expenditures from the affordable housing permanent funds, as provided in section 27-150, and federal or other funds allocated by the executive director of the department of housing stability for housing development, preservation or programs. Such advice and recommendations shall also include strategies that support equity for those that have been historically disadvantaged in access to housing and for those experiencing homelessness. The specific powers and duties of the housing stability strategic advisors shall be:
(a) To recommend goals, objectives and policies to inform the adoption of the three- to five-year strategic plan for city housing expenditures, including, but not limited to, the permanent funds and any federal or other funds allocated by the executive director of the department of housing stability, for homelessness resolution, housing stability, and housing opportunity, which shall include, but not be limited to, housing development, preservation or programs. The executive director of the department of housing stability shall direct city staff, independent consultants, or a combination thereof to develop the strategic plan to be reviewed by the housing stability strategic advisors and recommended for submittal to the city council by September 1 of the year prior to the plan's first program year for subsequent approval. The plan shall be developed with input from stakeholders and the public including those with lived expertise with housing instability and/or homelessness. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the first three- to five-year strategic plan shall be submitted to the city council by November 1, 2021, for subsequent approval. The three- to five-year strategic plan shall include, at a minimum, the following elements:
(1) Comprehensive list of city homelessness and housing expenditures across the housing continuum intended to address homelessness resolution, housing stability, and housing opportunity, and preserve and increase the supply of affordable housing, to be developed in coordination with agencies such as the Denver Housing Authority and Denver Urban Renewal Authority where external housing expenditures are planned;
(2) Establishment of measurable goals for each type and category of city homelessness and housing expenditure along the housing continuum, with consideration and reference to planned external housing expenditures where possible, including financial and production goals for a mix of housing affordable to persons exiting homelessness and households in various ranges of area median income (AMI), subject to the AMI limitations set forth in section 27-150 for the permanent funds, and appropriate income limitations according to other housing program requirements;
(3) Financial and production goals for a mix of affordable rental and for-sale housing;
(4) Specific strategies aimed at promoting equity in housing and services, including for persons experiencing homelessness.
(5) Specific provisions for tracking homelessness and for shelter or other services for persons experiencing homelessness as part of an overall rehousing strategy;
(6) Specific provisions for tracking and reducing the effects of gentrification and displacement on lower income households in neighborhoods with the most rapidly escalating housing costs;
(7) Parameters for usage of a portion of the revenue in the permanent fund derived from the dedicated affordable housing property tax levy for supportive services;
(8) Parameters for usage of a portion of the revenue in the permanent funds for land banking and other tools to preserve locations in the city for future development of affordable housing; and
(9) Parameters for the use of permanent funds to maximize mixed income development.
(b) To recommend annual action plans intended to implement the overall strategic plan to prioritize and allocate city housing expenditures based on current conditions.
(c) To review annual progress reports and regular intermittent reports throughout each year, at the discretion of the executive director of the department of housing stability, that evaluate the implementation of the goals outlined in the strategic plan. The reports shall describe compliance with the strategic plan and include information on (i) city homelessness and housing expenditures along the housing continuum, (ii) shelter and other strategies for persons experiencing homelessness, and (iii) housing unit production, including an explanation of any variances between plan goals and actual unit production where possible. Reports reviewed by the housing stability strategic advisors shall be delivered to the city council.
(d) To recommend annual goals, objectives and policies to inform budget priorities for expenditures to be made from the permanent funds, prior to the submission of such priorities by the executive director of the department of housing stability to the mayor and the city council as part of the city's annual budget process.
(e) To recommend to the executive director on an ongoing basis:
(1) Concepts for new programs and services to achieve the purposes of the permanent funds;
(2) Metrics to be tracked in order to monitor the success of the expenditures from funds in achieving their intended purposes;
(3) Community engagement strategies, including no less than one (1) public hearing annually;
(4) Housing priorities, including geographic priorities for creating or preserving affordable housing within the city;
(5) Methods to leverage and maximize expenditures from the permanent funds;
(6) Specific provisions for expenditures designed to mitigate the effects of gentrification and displacement of lower income households in neighborhoods with the most rapidly escalating housing costs; and
(7) Specific provisions for expenditures designed to reduce homelessness.
(Ord. No. 625-16, § 1, 9-19-16; Ord. No. 891-17, § 1, 8-28-17; Ord. No. 47-20, § 48, 3-16-20; Ord. No. 781-20, § 1, 8-24-20)
