Housing rule rewrite heads to 45-day comment: first responders first in line

Under the draft housing rules, first responders would get first preference in weighted housing drawings until 20 of them have been housed. Everyone else in the drawing would come after them. On Monday, Oct. 5, the Town Council and County Commissioners will decide whether to release the redlined rules for the county's required 45-day public comment period (agenda). Staff recommend releasing it (staff report). Other changes in the draft:

• First responder households would need only 25% of their income from a local business. Everyone else needs 75%.
• Restricted units would get maximum occupancy limits for the first time. Staff could approve exceptions.
• Income ranges would be narrowed.
• Households displaced by a Housing Department project would get an extra drawing entry.
• Owners of new rental units would be fined $100 a week for each unit still vacant after the default cure period.
• Future new units would pay a $50 annual fee.
• The Housing Department's standards for denying a tenancy would be spelled out.

The town would hold readings Nov. 2, Nov. 16 and Dec. 7, and the county would adopt Dec. 7.

On Aug. 3, the electeds chose to lower the local-income requirement for first responders. They also asked for more data on the vacancy and occupancy questions (September packet). Before final adoption, the record doesn't show how many units the occupancy limits would affect. For those of us sharing a house four to a roof, that number matters.