Ward 4 — Chris Holbrook

Candidate Questionnaire — Ward 4 — Chris Holbrook

Ward 4 contains the neighborhoods of Hamline-Midway, Merriam Park, Saint Anthony Park, and parts of Mac-Groveland and Como. It is currently represented by Councilmember Mitra Jalali Nelson. There are three candidates running: Councilmember Mitra Jalali Nelson, Tarrence Robertson-Bayless, and Chris Holbrook. We have received responses from Councilmember Mitra Jalali Nelson and Chris Holbrook.

1. How do you plan to increase housing affordability in St. Paul?

I am not running on housing, I am running to Fix the Trash program, Fix the Roads and create Free Parking, and work to create Safe community Police interactions with oversight and insurance. But if elected I will work to cut the heavy burden of fees, regulations, mandates, zoning, and taxation upon property in Saint Paul which will improve affordability.

2. What do you see as the main cause for the shortage of affordable housing in St. Paul?

City Hall.

3. How can the city eliminate homelessness?

It can’t.

4. Do you support changing the city’s zoning to allow quadplexes everywhere in the city? If not, please explain why.

Yes.

5. Do you support eliminating minimum parking requirements? If not, please explain why.

Yes.

6. Do you support funding the city’s 4(d) affordable housing program? If not, how will you preserve at-risk Naturally Occurring Affordable Housing (NOAH)?

The 4(d) program that gives NOAH owners a 30 day enrollment window to receive up to a 40% property tax reduction with the threat of a full tax relief restoration penalty if the 10 year contract ever gets breached? The 4(d) program that limits a tenant’s maximum income, limits allowable rent increases, but does not limit higher property costs passed from City Hall? The 4(d) program that restricts how many units the NOAH property must or must not have on it? The 4(d) program that is funded by the property tax levy which means higher property tax for 70,000 homes? The 4(d) program that subsidized approximately 400 units last year in a city of 300,000 residents (.15%)? The City has NOT preserved affordable housing by trying to keep rent artificially low with subsidies to owners, which itself is a direct contrast just to the words ‘naturally occurring’.