Making It Work - Inclusionary Housing

Inclusionary housing programs cannot be successful unless they are well run and adequately staffed, and they must secure sufficient funding for ongoing administrative costs. Communities also need to be able to track program data in order to evaluate outcomes and make needed changes over time.

Administrative Manual

Every program should create and update on a regular basis an internal administrative manual for housing division staff. This manual documents all internal procedures related to running the inclusionary program, including:

Basic inclusionary housing requirements
Menu of options for satisfying requirement and requirements for each
Eligibility requirements for any incentives
Marketing and selection procedures
Homeownership requirements
Rental requirements
Staff roles and responsibilities
Fee schedule

Supporting Builders

Communicating program requirements to developers and property managers
Reviewing development proposals for compliance with rules
Negotiating certain requirements to maximize production (in some communities)
Ensuring that affordable units meet appropriate design and location standards
Ensuring timely payment of fees (if any)
Planning and implementing reinvestment of fee revenue to produce affordable units
Balancing flexibility and predictability

Monitoring Rental Units

Setting affordable rents
Working with property managers to ensure fair marketing of units
Monitoring eligibility screening for new tenants
Re-certifying annual incomes of tenants
Enforcing requirements (as necessary)

Stewarding Homeownership Units

Setting initial prices at an affordable level
Marketing homes to eligible buyers
Ensuring that potential buyers receive homebuyer education
Verifying that applicants understand program requirements and resale restrictions
Screening applicants against eligibility requirements
Working with lenders to ensure access to appropriate financing
Monitoring homes for owner occupancy over time
Managing resales to future income eligible buyers at formula price
Enforcing program requirements when necessary

Program Administration

Staffing and Funding Administration

Staffing and outsourcing options
Funding program administration
Sources of administrative revenue

Measuring Success

Tracking program outcomes
Refining program design over time

Resources

Delivering on the Promise of Inclusionary Housing Policies: Best Practices in Administration and Monitoring

Inclusionary housing programs require a certain level of ongoing administration and oversight in order to effectively produce and preserve affordable housing opportunities. This paper outlines several of the common tasks associated with ongoing administration of inclusionary housing programs and describes some of the approaches to staffing and paying for their implementation. The paper also provides an overview of the choices that have the greatest impact on the jurisdiction’s administrative workload. View Paper