AGENDA DATE: 9/18/2019
TITLE:
Title
Proposed Anti-displacement and Tenant Relocation Assistance Policy for Albemarle County
BODY
SUBJECT/PROPOSAL/REQUEST: Proposed Anti-displacement and Tenant Relocation Assistance Policy for Albemarle County
ITEM TYPE: Regular Action Item
STAFF CONTACT(S): Richardson, Walker, Kamptner, Baumgartner, McCulley, Pethia
PRESENTER (S): Stacy Pethia, Principal Planner - Housing
LEGAL REVIEW: Yes
REVIEWED BY: Jeffrey B. Richardson
BACKGROUND: On March 19, 2019 members of the Charlottesville HOME Consortium, the entitlement entity for federal HOME funds for the region, adopted the Charlottesville HOME Consortium Anti-displacement and Relocation Assistance Plan. The plan was developed to comply with the HOME 2013 Final Rule, 24 CFR 92.353: Displacement, Relocation and Acquisition. Under this rule, all programs and projects receiving HUD funding (including CDBG and HOME funds) are required to comply with the federal Uniform Relocation Assistance and Real Property Acquisition Policies Act of 1970.
Staff is proposing the creation of a similar policy that applies to any development or redevelopment projects that receive Albemarle County support or require a legislative action. Such a relocation/displacement policy will aid in the mitigation of any negative impacts on County residents as a result of development projects.
STRATEGIC PLAN: Infrastructure Investment: Prioritize, plan, and invest in critical infrastructure that responds to past and future changes and improves the capacity to serve community needs
DISCUSSION: As housing costs continue to rise in cities and counties throughout the nation, concerns related to tenant displacement, particularly the displacement of low-wealth and low-income communities and other vulnerable populations are increasing. In an effort to address these growing concerns, local governments across the country - from Portland, Oregon and Seattle, Washington to Minneapolis, Minnesota and Arlington, Virginia - have adopted anti-displacement and relocation assistance policies to help mitigate the negative impacts on tenants associated with rising rents and residential (re)development projects. While these policies vary in their breadth of coverage, they have all been designed to apply to development projects receiving some form of local government support, whether that is in the form of funding (e.g. grants or loans from a housing trust fund) or legislative action, such as through a rezoning approval. Each of these policies supplement the tenant protections provided under federal grant programs, providing an extra layer of support for residents most at risk of residential displacement.
Concerns about (re)development-related displacement have been raised in Albemarle County as well. In response to these concerns, staff proposes the development and adoption of a tenant anti-displacement policy for Albemarle County, to include guidelines for tenant relocation assistance (for both temporary and permanent moves) when relocation is unavoidable. The policy would apply to any development or redevelopment project that receives approval for a site rezoning or special use permit, as well as any projects receiving financial support from the County. Tenants of both rental homes and mobile home parks would be covered. By-right developments would not be subject to policy compliance, but those developers would be encouraged to follow the relocation guidelines.
While a detailed policy is being developed, staff has prepared an interim general policy statement for the Board’s consideration which, if adopted, would signal the County’s commitment to minimizing unnecessary displacement or relocation of residents as a result of the residential (re)development and rehabilitation activities described above. That statement is included as Attachment A.
BUDGET IMPACT: There is no direct budgetary impact specifically related to this information.
RECOMMENDATION:
Recommendation
Staff recommends that the Board:
1. adopt the attached resolution (Attachment A) outlining the County’s general commitment to anti-displacement and tenant relocation
2. direct staff to develop a detailed Tenant Anti-Displacement and Relocation Assistance policy and associated guidelines
ATTACHMENTS:
Attachment A: Resolution - General Anti-Displacement and Tenant Relocation Assistance Policy