My Votes on Affordable Housing
by Angelique Espinoza, Democratic Candidate for CO State House (HD10)
Limited supply and limitless demand have pushed Boulder’s housing costs out of reach for many working people. As a former Boulder City Council Member, I’ve worked hard to learn the issue’s complexities. Of the 300+ votes I took on Council, some of the most important were votes to support affordable housing and stand up for regular folks who depend on a paycheck.
It takes a village.
As a newly elected Council Member in the fall of 2007, one of my first challenges was resolving the Washington Village conflict. Neighbors felt the project, which included a number of permanently affordable units, was too dense. The issue came to a head in 2007 when project opponents successfully petitioned to revoke a zoning change required for the the original plan. My new colleagues and I directed the City Manager to form a working group with representatives from both sides to balance the residents’ desire for more open space and less density with the community’s need for affordable housing
Ultimately the group recommended a number of changes to the project including trading off several affordable housing units for a pocket park. I had concerns about this trade-off, but I respected the process by which compromise had been achieved. That’s why I seconded the motion to approve the Washington Village project and was pleased to vote with the majority in support.*
A tale of two taxes.
The housing market in a successful and desirable community like Boulder often can’t provide affordable housing. We must identify public funding if we want to maintain economic and social diversity. Unfortunately, density opponents killed an affordable housing sales tax on the ballot in 2000*. As a result, Boulder depends on new development to provide affordable housing funds. Instead of a sales tax to which we all contribute, proposals since that time have been for additional taxes and fees for new residential and commercial development, or on an occupation privilege or “head” tax.
When I was on Council we undertook a comprehensive review of the Inclusionary Zoning program and tax structure. My colleagues voted to submit a ballot issue to the voters which would increase the housing excise tax on new development to provide affordable housing. 2009 was the beginning of the great recession. We did not know how bad unemployment might get and I worried about the impact this new tax might have on the economy and on working people who depend on a paycheck. I voted against putting this tax on the ballot and The Boulder Weekly agreed*. Boulder voters ultimately agreed with me as well, defeating the tax 58% to 42%.
Home sweet mobile home.
Some of the only truly affordable market rate housing we have in our community are mobile homes. But mobile home owners are subject to a significant power differential with the landlords who rent them the land on which their homes rest.
On Council I visited the Orchard Grove community several times and fought alongside them to protect their diverse and well established community. I seconded the motion to rezone the parcel for mobile homes only*, scuttling the landlord’s plan to sell off the property for redevelopment. I also fought alongside the residents of the Vista Village mobile home park when their landlord erected a fence that impacted their safety and quality of life. When negotiations with the landlord failed, my colleagues and I voted unanimously to initiate an eminent domain legal process against him*. The fence came down.
As a Boulder City Council Member I read volumes of information and analysis and heard countless hours of public testimony. I am ready to go to the Colorado State House and dig even deeper into the issues. I will work hard to provide more tools for affordable housing, identify funding resources, and preserve the limited amount of truly affordable housing we already have in Boulder and across the state.
If you are a Democrat in Colorado House District 10, please vote for me, Angelique Espinoza, when your primary ballot arrives in the mailbox in June.
*references and links below.
In 2000, voters narrowly rejected a measure that would have raised the city’s housing excise tax and sales and use tax. The increases would have generated as much as $3.1 million annually that could be put toward purchasing existing homes in the city and building others to make them permanently affordable.
Steve Pomerance, a former Boulder councilman and a vocal growth-control advocate, worked to defeat the measure and personally funded a direct mailing to voters in 2000 asking them to reject the measure.
-Daily Camera, Boulder task force: New tax may be needed to fund affordable housing, 8/28/11
On this one, we agree with opponents. Though affordable housing is an important issue in this town, Boulder doesn’t need to position itself as a city that’s hostile to business, particularly in these economic times.
Vote NO on City of Boulder Ballot Question No. 2D.
-Boulder Weekly, Vote 2009: City of Boulder Ballot Issues
