259904 � , '�j�e1NAL TO CITY CLBRK ��",�1` A
� ,''' - CITY OF ST. PAUL couNCa uv���`#
� ' + OFFICE OF THE CITY CLERK �+�E NO.
. ' CO NC L ESOLUTION—GENERAL FORM
PRESENTED BY ^
COMMISSIONE ATE
WHEREAS, The Metropolitan Development Guide Committee of the
Metropolitan Council, at its meeting of October 12, 1972, approved
a major revision of the Housing Cha.pter of the Development Guide,
which proposed revision will soon be considered by the full Metro-
politan Council; and
WHEREAS, The City of Saint Paul and its Housing and Redevelop-
ment Authority have reviewed the proposed Housing Cha.pter and
request tha.t the Metropolitan Council should be apprised of the
concern of the City Council and its Housing Authority; now, therefore,
be it
RESOLVED, That the Council of the City of Saint Paul does here-
by approve and adopt the attached Position Statement concerning the
Metropolitan Council' s proposed subsidized Housing Allocation Policy,
and the City Clerk is hereby directed to transmit a certified copy
� of this resolution and Position Statement to the Metropolitan Council
W
� so tha.t the City's concerns may be carefully weighed by the Metro-
� Q
� politan Council in its deliberations prior to the revision of the
� :� Development Guide.
c��
�
COUNCILMEN Adopted by the Council ��T 1� �97�g_
Yeas Naya
Butler Hunt OCT 19 1972
Carlson Konopatzki ;pprov 19—
Levine
Levine Meredith �n Favor
Meredith Sprafka
Sprafka
Tedesco � ayor
Mme. Presiden#, F�utler Against
Tedesco
Mr. President, McCarty
+.
t-� .., �.,..,,s�..,4 �' r '1 4�:�,, . �
� ,
r
P�eu��n OCT 21 1972
__..:., ---_ _ .
• ,
�, ' � � October 11, 1972
� � 25y�c��
POSITION STATE:�.�L '
,l
i
RE: I�IET�OPOI,ITAN COUNCIL PF.OPOSED SUBSIDIZED HOUSING ALL6�A.TIUN Yu�.tc:x '
• The City of Saint Paul and its Housing and Redevelopment Authority have reviewed
the �Iousing Chapter of the proposed Development Guide now before the Metropoli-
tan Council for discussion and wishes to compliment the Council and �ts staff
for what is certainly a dedicated and sincere effart to provide for the metro-
politan area's housing needs. As stated by Metropolitan Council Chairman Hofstede
in a recent Ietter to Edward N. Helfeld, Exe aative Director of L-he Housing and
Redevelog��nt Authority, "There is obviously a need to begin reversing the
concentration of low and moderate-income people in the center city by providing
inereased housing choice in suburban communities." This is an objective which
is readily endorsed by the City of Saint Paul,
Saint Paul's major concerns regarding proposed tiousing policies are limited, -
but these concerr_s are ke�s to successful dispersaZ while still recognizing that
current needs and co�itmenCs for subsidized housing in the. City must continue
to be net. These concerns may be summarized as follows:
� 1, Tne issues of pxovi.ding and disQers�ng housing for low and mo3erate- �
income elderly, as distinguished from housing for low. and moderate-
income families, are t;ao very separate and clistinct subjects and �
should not be treated as one subject, as has been done in the sub-
sidized housing alloc�tion policy.
2. In appiy.ino hausing allocation policies ro existing municipalities,
the MetropoliL-an Council has considered Saint Paul (55 sq, rniles,
over 100,000 tiousing units and 313,000 people) as if it were a
• • t
• Positioc: Statement �2» Uctob�r 11, 1972
totally homogeneaus unit, failing to recognize that vast portions of
the Ci�y possess characteristics co.nparing favorably with the best of
the suburban areas.
. . 3, It will probably be readily conceded by ali that the present imglementa-
tion capabilities of the 2�ietropolitan Council or any oeher existing
body fall far short o� those r.eeded to carry out the stated policies.
- 1'herefore, -until such tin� as sufficient impZzu:entatian capability is
achieved, it is vital tha� policies and actions of the Council should
not wark to the detriment of those municipalities and municipal agencies
which presently are admi.nistering hausing pr.egrams in a manner consis-
tent with the overall housing goals and objzctives of the t4etropolitan
Council.
4. The t•letropo7.�,tan Council proposes to allocate just 400 units per year
of all types o� subsidized housing to the City of Saint Paul. This
nu-nber is based on gast le�els o� Federal subsidized housing allocation
to the metropo2itan area and the City's need to meet one to one replace-
ment fro:n renewal proora:�s. The City of Saint Paul acknowledges the
. ifetropolitan Council's recognition that past Federal me�ropolitan area
allocat�ons have been inadequate. Nevertheless, to base Saint Paul's �.
share of present (or even future) Federal area allocations purely on
that housing required to mLet renewal program displacement totally
ignores housing needs of the entire City regardless of renewal area
displacement, Is the 2�e�ropolitan Council saying that Saint Paul
would not receive an� subsictized housing if there were no renewal pro-
gram in the City?
\ � !
• Positioti Statem�nt -3- October 11, 1972
� ; � 2���(�4
5. With respect to the City's renewal progra�:s, millions of public dol].ars
already tiave been co�nited to acc{uisition and clearance of sites spe-
�cifica2ly intended for needed 236 subsidized housing in renewal areas
�ahich �o not now cantain any subsidized housing. Nearly 650 units
. are programed for these sites, and elected Pro3ect Area Committezs
have worked long and hard to see that this needed housing is provzded
3.n their-ne3.ghborhoods. These ~housing prograns are presantly aw�iCing
�?UD feasibility findings, and �he Cityts commitments to these neighbor-
hoods must be meC.
The following co:nments are addressed to the above pointst
Metropolitan Council research has recognized the fact that there is a great di£-
ference betiaeen dispersing subsidized housing for families and dispersing subsi�
dized housing for the elderly. As stated in the dra�t of the Housing Developmsnt
Guide, "In general, communities have resisten providing subsidized housing for
£amilies �yith children and would rather provide only housing for the elderly.
As a result, the family marlcet has been less well served even though the need for
,. this type of housing is far greater than for the elderly--communities generally
wish to be sure that they will be serving only current residents in rheir �ubsi-
dized housing despite the fact that there is rarely any concerre about the pre-
vious residence of people who t��ill move into new middle and uppar-incoine housing
being built in the coumiunity."� T'urther emphasizing the difference in attitude
to�oard elderly versus family housing is the �act that "...only 84I public housing
units were provided in the suburbs as of July, 1972, anu less than 50 units aze �
for families."z . .� �
1 HousinU Deve7.opmenL Guide - Draft - P.evised Copy, .
September 28, 1972, Metropolitan Council., Po 17
Z Tbid, k'. 21
, � ,
•. . Yo.si'tion Statement --4- October 11, 1972
The point is that low and moderate-income housin� �or the exderly is much easier
to provide in a dispersed manner in suburban areas, but thP large number of lo�a-
incm,.ie e�derly located in the central cities are the least .amenable to dispersai
to suburban areas,
The need in Saint Paul for public housing units for the low-income elderly is
tremendous, Tne Housing and Redevelopu:ent Authorxty now has a waiting list of
approximately 700 e�derly applicants and projects a caaitiag list of at least
1,200 by 1975. Past experience indicates that an elderly person, once on the wait- �
ing list, mus� wait at least 24 mon�.hs for a unit. In 1970, lb% of the Saint Paul•
population caas 62 and over, while 10.7% of the seven county area's pogulation was
of this age, In relation to.the entire metropolitan area, Saint Paul comprises
16.5% of the total population while 24.7% of the region's elderly lit,�e in Saint
Paul.
Yf the pro�ose3 a].location policy oi the Mstropolitan Council is adopte� in its
present form, the City of Saint Paul will not be abls to rr.�et the above described
housing needs o� irs low-incorae elderly. To effect an out-migration of the low-
income elderl.y to the suburbs iro*n the central city is not only unrealistic buC
is also o£ten highly undesirable since stores, churches, doctors' offices, public
transpor.tation, recreation facilities, etc. in suburban areas are less accessible
to the far less mobile elderly. Furthermore, Aousing and Redevelopment Authority
records shosa that elderJ.y public housing applicants generally reQuest to live in
the high rise nearest their previous residence an3 life�long cor�unity conCacts.
The Housing Cnapter of the Devel.opment Guide urges that "effective chaice" be '
available to persons seeking .lota and moderate-inco;�e housing. To cliscourage the
further. development of elderl.y L�ni�s in the central cities would in effect be
P�si.tion Statement _ -5- ' October il, 1972
- clex:yin� the 1ow�a.ncome elc�erly their logical chozce of hot�sing opportunities by
forcin� a move to the suburbs in order to find a sound housi.ng unit. It is
reco��n:nended that the Council reevaluate� the proposed housi.ng policies from the
vie�•�point of separating their consideration o£ the aZiacation of subsidized
. housing for �he elderly from those for non-elderly fami3.ies.
Relative to housi.ng for low and modera�:e-income farailies, the goal of the
Metropolitan Council to disperse housing units throughout the meCropolitan area
is highly desirable and is strongly endorsed by the City of Saint Paul., In fact,
the concept of allocating subsidized housing units in order to disperse these
units into socially and economically diverse neignborhoods is virtually identical
to the goli.cy not only adopted but currently being implemented by the City of
Saint 1'auI through its Housinb and P�edevelopment Autharity. Impiicit in the imple-
mentation of this policy is the fact that Saint Paul is nat a socio-economically.
homogen�aus coa�unity, but rather consists of diverse neighborhoods, many of which
possess charac�er�.stics siriilar to suburban communities. �
This crucial factor �f Saint Pau1's diversf�y ap�e^�s to have h�en cn��rleot;e.d by
the Met'ropolitan Council. Perhaps because th�re are two ar three subsiciized hausxn;
d�velopments in tcao neighborhoods o£ Saint Paul (Sur�nit-University and Con�ord Ter-
race) , the Council has overlooked the fact that m�st neigtcborhoods of the City
cantain only a relatively few scattered site sabsidized hausing units, The sacio-
� econamic characteristics of these neighborhorxis co:,ipare favorably with most suburban
communities, rznd additional scattered site svbsidized housing in such neighborhoads
would in no sense represent concentrations of such housing in these neighborhoads.
To infer that even renewal areas are saturated i.s very nisleading. Some of the
renewal areas are considerably larger than many suburhan c .. � nities and are of
themselves quite diverse. As 4n example o£ the 2ack of concentratian of subsidized
N Position St�te�nent � -6- � October 11, 1�7�2
. c)��q��
units in a ren�wal area, the West S�venth i��Dl' area consists of a populatian of 12,300
with subsidized. housing limited to a 100-unit 236 development 'and same scattered site
235 and public housing units. In W�st Seven�h, almost 3,OOa rental households (many
of whoM are ill-housed in dete�iorated buildings) qualify for subsidized hausing,
Are the suburban areas ready to pravide £or the subsidized housing needs of these
zesidents?
On the other hand, Saint Paul is effectiv�l�y implementin� programs to provi.da
subsidized housing evenly distributed throughout the City, even i.nto neighborhoods
that coa�pare favorably c.rith th.e most �ffluent suburbs. Presen�ly six of the
thirteen high rises for Saint Paui elderly pub2ic housing residents are autside �
. of renewal or other low-incame neighborhoods. The three additional �ites approved
for development are outside of. the OEO defined low-income areas of the City.
Family housing also is dispersed �hrouohout the econo�ically diverse areas of the
City. For example, as of October 1, 1972, the City's Housing and Redevelopment
Authority had p�rchased 51 houses and 20 scattered lats for inclusion in its 120-
unit ho�r�e o;anership program for lotia�incorne fainilies. S�xty (84°l0) of th2se a?ready
pu•rchased homes and lots are located autside of renewal areas or OEO �efined
�arget areas. (It will be recalled that in a11 of the metropolitan area outside
of thz central cities there were only 50 public hoLSino units for families.) This
programed 120-unit addifiian to the City's public housing supply represents just
the latest er.pansion of a rotal publ].c housing family prooram which includes (in
,�
. addition to the four family projects built between I950 and 1465) 150 previously
purchased sin�le-family houses, author�.zation for 130 more ho�ne purchases, and 393
units ur.der lease, planned far lease, or authorized lease, all of cahich are scat-
tered throughout economically diverse areas of the City,
The pain� is that thP City of Saint Paul through its Housing and Redevelopment
�1.ut�i�rit:y t�as develo�ed st-rate;ies und ir.stituted ir.:plementaL-ion tech:�ic,ues th:�ti -
f
Pc�sit-ion Statem2nt • -7- � October I1, I972
are not mere hypotheses, but rath�r proven me�hods .of respcnding to low and
mader�te-i�can?e housir.g necds wittii� a socio-econemically mixed environment. Wriy
now propose �o deny Sai,nt Paul the number of subsidi_z2d units necessary to meet
current needs wi�hout requisite iulplenenL•ation procedures to insure a correspond-
. ing increase in suburban housing u�.its for lo�a-income families and assurance
that Saint Paul fami2ies who wish to move to such units (when and if provi.dsd)
ti�i11 ba ass��:red of an op urtunity to do so? As was noted earlier, ".. .communities
. generally wish to Ese sure tnat they �:iil be serving only current residents in
their subsidized housing. ..."3 �
Finally, the Metropolitan Council's proposed policy to allocate subsidized housing
� units to the City based solely on renewal displacemant �aould severely cripple the
City's ability to provide decent housing for aIl its residents. In fact, approxi-
mately 90% oi all public housing applicants, elderl}* and £amily, presently reside
in non-renewal neighborhoods. If the City must accept this l�.�iting policy of
relating housing allocation �?ith replacemen� needs, only those persons displaced.
by renewal effort� will be eligible for any new �units constructed withi.n Saint
- Paul. In fac�, with respect to public housing, the City`s Housing ar.d Redevelop-
ment Authority would be forcec3 to resrrict applications to anly those needing
relocation as a result of renewal activities and totally ignore tne majflr portion
of our actual needs--the non-renewal app2icants.
. In additian, the rationale of denying needed units to Sa�nti Paul has been ques- ,
tioned without reference to przor crnunitments to provide low and m�derate-income
housing units in the City. Residents in renewa� areas working throu�h neighbor-
hood Project Area Co�nittees have expended years of effort in insuring that land
caould be available to prov�.cle for both renewal displacements r�eeds and to meet
overall City demands for subsidiz�cl housing. The Housing and Redeve].opment
AutY:oz�ty has worked closely t�ith these res3.dent groups and has spent approxi�
nately $4.5 r��illion o£ publz.c funds fio prepare land to meet thesa housin� needs.
, Position Statement '8- � October 11, 1972
, � . 25y�(��
Indeel, the Metzo Council's Intera�ra Hausing Allocation Plan sf:ates that ". ..both
Min�zeapolis and Saint Pau1 rec�uire a certain number of reserved public and sub-
sidiz�d h�vsino units in order to de��elo.p c:leared u;-han r�newal l.and, provide
replacement housing for those displaced by public action and remain eligi�le for
' Federal assistance." (Er�phasis added.) Presently, HRA has a large inventory af
land purch�sed �aith public £unds ior the express purpose of provzding 23b housing
and the development of this land. ir�ventary is depencient upQn the avaiiability of
- subsidized housing units. The effective co:�straint upon Saint Paul's renetaal
efforts implicit in the proposed policy of the rletropolitan Council, while not '
intended, is nevertheless real an3 is not the responsibi.lity of a revie�a agency.
� in conclusi.on, the City of Saint Paul strongly reco�ends that the Metropolitan
Council consider the foZlocaing; • '
1. ^1he Courecil shou7,d define the clientele it intends to serve through the.
proposed housing allacation and dispersaZ nalicies. The eanncil should
clearly distinguish betsreen eZ�er].y and familv subsidized housing disp�rsal
_ goals.
2. Proposed subsidized housing allocations should be -directly linkec3 to
the 1�letropolitaa Council's capability to imple�r:ent the disgersai poli-
� cies. Where implementation cannot be assured for family subsidized
units, the units available to the�area should be cztilized by those com-
munities that demonstrate the capa�ility to meet low and modexate-income
housing deMands �ahile avoiding local "concentrations" o� these units.
� Zt seems that the proposed two-year alZocatior. �eriod providzs the
Council �iith the opportunity ro phase the distribu�ian of units accord-
ittg to the success of irnplementation programs, Thus, ihe cer.tral cities
•Posi.t.ion SC�tement -9- � October Z1, 197Z
share ef subsidized family units cou7.d be proportionately reduced as
the Councii �succeeds 3.n i.nducin� suburban ar.eas to accept the family
units. '
3. Proposed unit allocutions should not be based solely on the total �number
' of units HUD may be �YZ111LZ.b to give this �etropolitan area, but rather on
the overall de�and. for subsidiz�d uni�s. The Counci�. should no� accept
an inadequa�e al�ocation of units, but rather should advocate for the
number of units that housing need studies indicate are necessary for the
metrop�litan area in total and, more s�ecifically, for particul�r cormnun-
ities. Furthermore, the Metropolitan Council goal of assignin; allocations
� based on employr.�ent and population growth rates is not only too simplistic,
but does little to respond to current or projected subsidized housing �
. needs. The Council seems satisfiec3 to assign quoLas and to assume that
local units of goverr:r.ient will follo:a through and meet these quatas.
� ihe only "stick" approa�h apgears to be the A-9S revieT.� o� loan and granL-
applications. Erren the pro�osed rfarropoZitan Housin� and I�ec�evelopment
� Authora.ty would only operate witih "the approval of the locaZ governing
body of the community." - �
4. In order �o effectively carry through implementation programs to provide
a significant number of subsidized units in the suburbs, the City of
� Saint Paul endorses the Develbpment Gu3de`s proposal of establist�ing a
rietropolitan Housin� and Redevelopu.eae Authority. The Authority would
have to possess e�r;ir.�nt doiaain po�vers and adequate funding to insure that
dis�ersal goals are rtet. The rietropolitan HRA could also administer the
"Regional Relocation Resource Praoram" as proposed in the De•Jelopment
Guides Regardi.i; proposal po2icies 43 azld 44, the Counci3� shouZd r.:and�te
,position Statement 'i�^ October 11, 197Z
. 2)����
• � �t13t: first priority for all subsi.ctized housing be g�ven. to qualified
� displacees. . This acta.on would prevent subuzban areas from excludin�
central cities' residents from subsidized housin� in the suburbs.
Another problem that must be addressed by the Council is the apparent
reluctance of :iUD to honor one to one housin� replacement requiremenf:s
on a regional basis. This action �.s certainly a prerequisite to a
suecessful dispersal pro�ram and, thus, should ba a priority considera-
• . tion of the CounciZ.
The Metropolitan Council has bcen engaged in a process of conceptualizing housing
policies for a number of years. The City of Saint Paul is most willing to offer
� assistance in formulating metropo].itan housing concepts as well as impleinentation
techniques to achieve real dispersale However, the goal of dispersing subsidized
housing throughout the metropolitan area should not interfere with meeting current
law and moderate-housing demands.
_ .
ou�A.�cwn ro�n�N�rae
� cn�r oF s�r. PAUL ��Np� 2599(14
• OFFICE OF THE CITY CLERK w� NO.
� V ' COUNCIL RESOLUTION—GENERAL FORM
� ����
COMMISSIONE� nAM
WE�LRBAS, The M�tropolitaa Davrelopment Guide Ca�mittes of t.tu
Matropolitan cc�cii, at ics teari�g of October 12, 19T2� appa�o�d
a �a�or rsvisiaa af the Houai� Gaapt�r of tha Dewlop�nt t�cside,
which propos�d z�visio� �rill �tooa 1� ct�asias� b�r t� f�tll Ilatro•
pa►litan Couacil= ax�d
iiE��SA,S, Tha City of Saiut Yats1. a�ad its lbwin,� a�d �ted��nel+ap-
msnt Autl�ositp havae r�viawrd tlss pzopo�i Uowi� t�apt�r a�d
raqu�st tbat tl�e t�tropolitan Gotn�cil s�ul.d b� ap�aris�d of tl�a
co�csrn of t.b�a City C�o�ac11 and its �o�wi� A�itb+�ritp= mv�►, tlwrsfoart,
b� it
BESOLVSD, Tt�t tl�s C�q�:il of tba City of �al.nt Yaul r�aw�� L�r��
bq approv�s aad �rdo�p�t t1N attacl�d Po�itio�t 8tat�t c�u�� tl�t
Ifn�.ropalitrn C�u�il's ps+�po�ad s�ubsiriud Hausi� Alla:ati�t Poli��,
itnd th� City Cle�s�c is �trtby cl�xact�d to tra�aoit a ceYtit�i�d cop�►
of this raa+�lutiaa aad Positi�a 9�te��s�at to th�t l�tt�ropolit.� i�mail
so tbat tt�e City's r.+�c�xx�s m�► bo casrfully �+rei�hsd by► t't�e �latrw
politaa Council in its �libaratiaas pacior to the s�vi�lo�o af th�
Devalopmaat Ouid�.
COUNCILMEN Adopted by the Counci� �CT � 19'!9_
Yeaa Nays
Butler Hunt 'j 1972
Caxlson ` � Approv� �� 9 19_
Konopatrki _;.
��e Levine � '? T„ Favor
�e��� Mereditli
Sprafka ��
Sprafka Tedesco
Tedeaco Mme. President, Butler � AS�t
�?r. President, McCarty
��
.. __ . .
_ � ,
�• • � . Octo�er 11, 1972 2J�����
POSITION STATEME:TT
f
�
RE: METROPOLITAN COUNCIL PROPOSED SUBSZDIZED HOUSING ALLQCATIUN Yui.,t�x '
• The City of Saint paul and its Housi.ng and Redevelopment Authority have reviewed •
the Hcusing Chap�er of the proposed Development Guide now before the Metrogoli-
Can Council for discussion and wishes to comgliment the Council and its staff
for what is certainly a dedicated and sincere effort to provide for the metro-
politan area's housing ne�ds. As stated by Metropolitan Council Chairman Hofstede
in a recent Ietter to Edward N. Helfeld, Executive Director of the Housing and
Redevelopment Authority, "There is obviously a need to begin reversing the
concentration of lo�a and moderate-income people in the center city by providing
�inereased housing choice in suburban conansnitias." 'rhis is an objective which
is readily endorsed by the City of Saint Paul,
Saint Paul's major concerns re�arding proposed housing policies are limited, -
but these concerns are keys to successful dispersai while still recognizing that
current needs an� co�itments for subsidized housing in the. City nust continue
to be met. These concerns may be summarized as follows:
� 1, Tna issues of provi:ding and dispersing housing for low and moderate- �
income elderly, as distinguished from housing for low. and moderAte-
income families, are t�vo very separate and distinct subjects and �
should not be treated as one subject, as has been done in the sub-
sidized housing allocation policy. '
2. zn apply.ing hausing a17.oca�ion policies to existing municipalities,
the rietropolitan Council has considered Saint Paul (55 sq, miles,
ov`r 100,000 housin� un�ts and 313,0�0 people) as if it wer� a
. ' " ,
�bsitio�: Statement -Z_ Uctaber 11, 1972
totally liomogeneous uniC, failing Co recognize that vast portions �f
the City possess characteristics co;nparing favorably with the best of
the suburban areas.
. 3, It wi1Z probably be readily conceded by all that the present implementa-
tion cagabilities of the Metropolitan Council or any athar existing
body fall far short of those needed to carry out the stated palicies.
Therefore, -until such time as sufficient impl2mentation capability is
achieved, it is vital that policies and actions of the Council should
not work to the detrim�nt of those municipalities and me�r►icipal agencies
� which preseatly are administering housing programs in a manner consis-
tent with the overall housing goals and objectives of the Metropo7.itan
Council.
4. The Metropolitan Council proposes to allocate just 4�0 units ger year
of all types of subsidized housing to the City of Saint Paul. This
n�nber is based on past levels oF Federal subsidized housing allccaCion
to the metropolitan area and the City's need to meet one to one rep�ace-
ment from renewal grograms. The City of Saint Paul acknowledges the
. Metropolitan Council's recognition that past Federal metropolitan area
allocations have been inadequate. Nevertheless, to base Saint Paul's �•
share of present (or even future) Federal area allocations purely on
that housing required to meet rene4�aZ grogram displacement totally
ignores housing needs of tha entire City regardless of renewal area
displacement, Is the Metropolitan Council saying that Saint Paul
would not receive an�► subsidized housing i� there were no renewal pro-
gram in the City? �
• f
�. � .,
• , Posi�ion Statement -3- Octobez 11, 1972
5. With respect to the City's renewal prograr,.s, mi.11ions of public dollars
already have been commited to acquisition and clearance of sites spe-
�cifically intended for needed 236 subsidized housing in renewal areas
c.•hich do not now contain any subsidized housing. Nearly 650 units
are programed for these sites, and elected Project Area Coa�mittees
have �iorked long and hard to see that this needed housing is provided
in their�nef.ghborhoods. These-hoasing pra�rans are presentZy awaiting
F?UD feasibil3,ty findings, and the City's counnitm2nts to these neighbor- �
hoods must be met.
The follau�ing comments are addressed to the above points: .
Metropolitan Council research has recognized the fact that there is a great dif-
ference bet�aeen disgersing subsidized housing for families and dispersing subsi-
dized housing for the elderly. As stated in the draft of the Housing Development _
Guide, "In gene.ral, communi�ies have resisted providing subsidized housing for
families w�ith childrert and would rather provi�e only housing for the elderly.
As a resuit, the family maricet has been less well served even though the need for
this type of housing is fzr gxeater than £or the elderly--co:nmunities generally
. wish to be sure that they will be serving only current residents in their �ubsi-
dized housittg despite the fact that there is rarely any concern about the pre-
vious residence of people caho ��ill mave inta new middle and uppQr-incoine housing
being built in the community."x Further emphasizin� the dif�erence in attitude
toward elderly versus family housing is the fact ttiat "...only 841 public housing
units �aere nrovided in the suburbs as o£ July, 1972, and less than 50 units are �
for famil.ies."2 . .� �
1 Housir.b Development Guide � �ra�C - Revised Copy, .
September 28, 1972, P�etro��iitan Council, Po 1.7
2 Ibid, �'. 21
. `
� ' Fos3tion State:nent �4- October lI, 1972
The point is that low and m�derate-income housing for the elderLy is much easier
to prw ide in a dispersed manne-r in suburban arezs, but the large number of lo�a-
inco�ne elderly located in the central cities are the least .amenable to dispersal
to suburban areaso
The need in Saint Paul for public housing units for the lo;a-income elderly is
tremendous, The Housing and Redevelopment Authority now has a waiting list of
approximately 70� elderly applicants and projects a waiting list of at least
1,Zd0 by 1975. Past experience indicates that an elderly psrson, once on the wait-
ing list, mus� wait at least 24 montihs for a unit. In 197Q, 16°I, of the Saint Paul•
population Gvas 62 and over, cahile 10.7% of the seven county area's population was
of this age, In relation to„�he entire metropolitan area, Saint Paul comprises
Z6.5% of the �otal population while 24.7% of the region's elderly live in Saint
Paul.
If the propose3 allocation policy of the Metropolitan Council is adopte� in its
present fozm, the City of Saint Paul wi12 not be able to meet the above described
housing needs of itis low-income elderly. To effect an out�migratio� of the low-
income elderly to the suburbs from the central city is not only unrealistic but
is also often highly undesirable sittce stores, churches, doctors' offices, public -
transportation, recreation facilzties, etc. in suburban areas are less accessible
to the far less mobile elderly. Furthermore, FIousing and Redevelopment Authority
records shosa that elderly public housino applican�s generally request to live in
the h�gh rise nearest their previous residence and life�lono co�uniCy contacts.
The Housinb Cnapter of Che Development Guide urges that "effective choice" be �
available to persons seek�ng .loca and moderate-income housing. To discourage the
further. development of elderly uni�s in the central cities would in effect b�
Position Statemenr _ -5- ' October ll, I977.
: � . 2���f�4
: � d�n}rin� iche low�income elderly their lo�ical choice o= housing opportunities by
forcing a move to the suburbs in order to find a sound housi.ng unit. It is
reco-�nmended that the Council reevaluaee� the proposed housing policies from the
vie���point of separating their consideration of the aJlocation of subsidized
. hous�ng for the eZderly from �hose for non-elderly families.
Relative to housi.ng for low and moderate-income fa�ilies, the goal of the
Metropolitan Council to disperse hausin� units throughout the metropolitan area
is highly desirable and is strongly endorsed by the City of Saint PauZ, In fact,
the concept of allocating subsidized housing units in order to disperse these
units into socially and economically diverse neighborhoods is virtually identical
to the golicy not only adopted but currently bein implemented by the City of
Saint Paul through its Housing and Redevelopnent Authority. Implicit in the imp7.e-
mentation of this policy is the fact �hat Saint Paul is not a soc�.o-economically
homagex;eaus ct�uu�unity, bnt rather consists of diverse neighborhoods, many of which
possess charac�er�.stics similar to suburban eommunities. �
This crucial factor oi Saint Paul's div�rsity appears to have b�en ov�rlook�d by
the Metropolitan Council, Pernaps because th�re ara two ar three subsidized housing
developments in tiwo neighborhoods of Saint Paul (Sum.mit-University and Co�cord Tzr-
race) , the Counc3.1 has overlooked the fact that most neighborhoods of the City .
contain only a relatively few scattered site subsidized housing units. The socio-
econa.nic cl�aracteristics of these neighborho:ods cor,�pare favorably with most suburban
co�munities, and additional scattered site subsidized housing in such neighborho�ds
would in no sense represent concentrations of such housing in these neighborhoods.
To infer that even renewal areas are s�zurated is very misleacling. Some of the
renewal areas are considerably larger than many suburban cammun�ties and are o£
themselves quite diverse. As an example of the ].ack of concentrati.on of subsidized
Position St�?tement � �6- � October I1, 1972
- � units in � ren�wal area, th� t�3est Saventh t�Dt' �rea consists of a papulation of I2,300
with subsidized. housing limited to a 100-unit 236 develop�ent �and some scattered site
235 and public housing units. In West Seventh, aZmost 3,000 rental households (many
�
of whom are ill-housed in deter.iarated buildir.gs) qualify for subsidized housing.
Are the suburban areas ready to provide for the �ubsidized housing needs af these
residents? '
On the other hand, Saint Paul is effectiveXy implempntin� programs to provide
subsiaized housing evenly distributed throughout the City, even into neighborhoods
that coa;pare favorably ��ith �he m�st affluent suburbs. Presently si� of the ,
thirteen high rises for Saint Paul elderly pub2ic housing residents are outside -
. of rene��al or other low-incame neighborhoods. The three additional �ites approved
for development are outside of. the OEO defined low-incom? areas of the City,
�amiZy housing also is dispersed throughout the econonically diverse axeas of the
City. For example, as of Ocfiober I, 1972, the City's Housing and Redevelopment
Aurhority had purchased 51 houses and 20 scatiCered lats for inclu�ion in its 120-
unit home ownership pxogram �or Ioti,raincorne tamilies. Si�:ty {84°l0) of these aiready
purchased homes and lots are lacated autside of renewal areas or 0E0 defined
target areas. (It will b� recalled that in all of the metropol�tan area outsi_de
of the central cities there were onZy 50 public housing units for families,} This
programed 120-uttit additian to the City's public housing supply represents just
the latest expansion of a total public housing fa::zily program which includes {in
�
. addition fio ttie four family projects built between I950 and 1965) i50 previously
purchased single-family houses, a.uthori.zation for I30 more home purchases, and 393
units under lease, planned for lease, or authorized Zease, all of cahich are scat-
tered throughout economically diverse areas ot the City,
The poinL- is that the City of Saint Paul through its Housing and Redevelopment
�luthority has develop�d sL-r<^�.Ce�ies and ir,s"iL-uted im:alemer.tat�on techni.qu?s that �
,
► Posi�ion Statement -7- October lI, i972
, are not mere h otheses but rather proven me�hods .of responding to low and �J~ �"�
YP �
mader�te-fnco�e hossing needs wit}ti� a soclo-econamically mixed enviro�men�. �iy
n�w propose Lo deny Saint Paul the num�er of subsidized units necessary to meet
current r.eeds without requisite implerenL-ation procedures to insure a correspond-
. ir.g increase in suburban housing uaits for low-inco�e families and assurance
that Saint Paul famiZies who wish to move to such units (when and if provided)
��ill be assur�d of an opportunity to do so? As was noted earlier, ". . .communities
generally wish to be sure that they will be serving only current residents in
their subsidized hausing...."� �
Finally, the Metropolitan Council`s praposed policy to allocate subsidized housing
- units to the City based salely on rene4•ral displacement would severely cripple the
CiCy's ability to provide decent hotising for all its residents. In fact, approxi-
mately 90% oi a11 public housing applicants, elderly and family, presently reside
in non-renec•ial neighborhaods. If the City must accept this limiting policy of
relating housi�ng allocation wzth replacement needs, only those persons displaced
by renewal efiEorts will be eligible far any na�a �units constructed withi.n Saint
- Paul. In fact, caith respact to public housing, the City`s tiousing ar.d Redevelop-
ment �iuthority would be forced to restrict applications to only those needing
relocation as a result of renet�al activities and totally ignore tne major portion
of our actual needs--the non-renewal applicants.
. In addition, the rationale of denying needed units Co Sain� Paul has been ques� .
tioned without reference to prior comznitments to provide low and m�derate-income
housing units in the City. Res3.denes in renewal ureas working through neighbor-
hood Project Area Commietees tiave expend�d years of ef£ert in insuring that land
would be available to provide fox both rene�aal displacements needs and to meet
overall City demands for subsictized housing. The Housing and Redevel.opment
Author.i.ty has worked closely ��i�h these res3.den� graups and has spent approxi-
mately $�}..`> million of public funds to prepare land Lo mee� �hese housing needs.
,
, Positi.on Statenlent .-$-. October Z1, Z972
Tndee;l, th� rierro CounciZ's Ir,terim Housing Allor.a�ion Plan s�ates that ". ..both
Miniieapolis and Sainr Paul require a certain nurnLer of reserved public and sub-
sidized housi.ng units in order to develop cleared ur.ban renec�ral land, pravide -
repla.cement housing for thase displaced by public actian and remain eligi�le for
' Federal assistance." (Ecaphasis added.} Presently, HR.A has a large i�rventory of
land Furchased with public funds for the e�press puzpose of providing 236 housing
and the development of this Zand imrentary is de�endent upon the availability of
• subsidized housing units. The effective constraint upon Saint Paul's renewal
efforts implici� in the proposed policy of the rletropolitan Counci.I, while not -
a.ntended, is nevertheless real and is not the responsibiiity of a review agency. .
In conclusion, the City of Saint Paul strong3.y recomr�e:�ds that the Metropolitan
Council consider the follo;aing; � '
1. The Gouncil should define the clientele it intends to sex�ve through the_
proposed housing alloca4ion and dispersal pali.cies. Tt�e Couacil shauld
clearly distinguish bet�r�en eZderl.5� and familv subsidized housing dispersal
�eals.
2. Proposed subsidized housing allocations should be -direct7.y linked to �
the Tletropolitan Coun.cil's capability to implement the di�persal palf-
� cies. Where i�plemen�ation cannot be assured for family subsidized
units, the units available to the area shoci7.d be utilized by those com-
munities that demonstrate the capability to meet low and moderate-income
housing demands while avoiding local "concentrations" of. these unxts.
� It seems that the proposed two-year allocation period provz�zs the
Council caith the opportunity to phase the distribution of un?ts accord-
in� to the success of irnplementatioi� programs. Thus, L-he central ci.tias
t
••Position Statement -9- . October 11, 1972
� � ;�J��(��
share af subsidized family units could be proportionately reduced as
the Counca.l succeeds �.n inducing suburban areas to accept the family
units. '
3. Pro�osed v.nit allocations should not be based solely an tha total �number
' of units HUD r,iay be williil� to give th'is r.letrogolitan area, ,but rather on
the overall de�and for subsidized units. The Council should no� accept
an inadequaL-e allocation of units, but rather shnuld advocate for the
num�er of units that housing n�ed studies indicatie are necessary for the
metro��litan area in total z.nd, more specifi.cally, for particular com�un-
ities. Furthermore, the Me�ropolitan Council goal of assigning allocations
based on employinent and population groc�th rates is not only too simplistic,
but does little to respond to current or projected suhsidized housing '
. needs. The Council seems satisfied to assign quoias and to assume that
local uni.ts of gover�ent wi11 follow throubh and maet these quot�s,
The only "stick" approach appears to be the A-95 review of loan and grant
applications. �en the proposed �ietropolitan Housing arid Redevelopment
Authority would anly o�erate wi�h "the approval of the local governing
body of the community."
4. In order to effectively carry through implement�.tion programs to provide
a significant number of subsidized units in the suburbs, the City of
� Saint Paul endorses the Development Guide's proposal of establist�ing a
r;etropolitare Housino and Redevelop:^,.ent Authori.ty. The Authority would
have to possess eminent domain powers and adequate funding to :nsure that
dispersal goals are m�t. The rfetropolitaa IIRA could also administer the
"F.egional Relocation Resource Program" as progosed in the De•relopment
Gui�e, P�egarainb proposal policies 43 and 44, the Council should manclate
�position SCatement ��fl' � October Il, 1972
, . r , 25��(� �
4 L
- ; r ' that first priori�y for a�.l subsid-�zed housing he given. to qualif�ed
displacees. . This acti�n �aould prevent suburban areas from excluding
cQntral cities' residents from subsidized housing in the suburbs.
Another problem tha� must be addressed by the Council is Che apparent
• reluctanc� of :iUD to honor one to one housin� replacement requiremenis
on a regional basis. This action is certainly a prerequisite to a
successful dispersal program and, thus, should b� a priorzt}r considera-
• . tion of the CounciZ.
The Metropolitan Counci2 has been engaged in a process of conceptualizing housing
poiicies for a number of years. The City of Saint Paui is most c�rillin� to offer
assistance in formulating metropolitan housing concepts as well as implementation
techniques eo achieve reaZ dispersal, However, the goal of dispersing subsidized
housing throughout the me�ropoli,tan area should not interfeze with meeting current
low and moc�erate-housing der.iands.
. . _
. . ,
.
C� �3'99a5!
• /o�
�, . �--
THOMAS-DALE DEVELOPMENT COUNCiL, INC.
� 537 N. Dale Street�St. Paul, Minnesota 55'103�227-702J
October 4, 1972
President Mrs. Rosalie Butler and City Council Members
City Ha.11 and Court House
St. Paul, Minnesota 55102
Dear Ma.dame President and City Council Members:
It has come to the attention of the Thoma.s-Dale Project Area Committee that
the Metropolitan Council has introduced a proposal which would drastically
affect the number of new subsidized housing units to be constructed in the
City of St. Paul.
We have recieved very little further information about the proposal and the
plan for implementation, and are therefore totally unprepared to respond to
the proposal at this time. However, since the Thomas-Dale NDP area will be
affected by such a proposal if adopted, we feel that we, in addition to other
urban renewal groups, should be given the opportunity to respond to it.
We therefore are requesting that the City Council request of the Metropolitan
Council that its meetings of October 5 and 8 be postponed for a two week
period of time and that no decisions be made or actions be taken by that
group regarding the proposal for these two weeks during which time this
PAC and the other urban renewal groups will study the new proposal and
respond appropriately.
Your immediate attention to this matter would be greatly appreciated.
Sincerely,
� 6� ���-c�.n- � �--�
�
Adolf T. Tobler
President
Thomas-Dale Development Council, Inc.
ATT:JN:lh
,.� f�}��;� ��L�
U U
�sso 6�� ��� �
����,
� � `J , `�' `�
October 21+, 1972
Metropolitan Council
300 Metro Square Bldg.
St. Paul, Pdinn. 5 5101
Gentlemen:
Enclosed is a Certified Copy of a resolution of the St. Paul
City Council, C.F. 2599��+� e�d a position statement concerning
the proposed subsidized Housin� Allocation Policy.
Very truly yours,
City Clerk
ml