[00:00:06]
          SORRY FOR THE DELAY. WE JUST HAD SOME TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES, BUT IT LOOKS SOUNDS LIKE 
          [Roll Call]
THEY'RE ALL STRAIGHTENED OUT. WE APPRECIATE IT. THANK YOU, MISS ORTEGA. WE'LL START WITH A ROLL CALL. MISS GERLACH HERE. MR. BENDER, PRESENT. MISS MODA HERE. MR. NAPOLI HERE. MR. PONGO HERE. MISS ARFA IS WATCHING REMOTELY, AND MISS SANTOS IS NOT HERE. OKAY. THANK 
          [Discussion: Housing Fund]
YOU. SO TONIGHT WE'RE HAVING OUR FIRST ANNUAL ACTION PLAN ON UTILIZING HOUSING FUNDS FOR THE CITY OF ALLENTOWN. FOR THOSE WHO MAY NOT BE FAMILIAR WITH THIS NEW INITIATIVE, I'D LIKE TO TAKE A FEW MOMENTS TO TALK ABOUT HOW WE GOT HERE. SO LAST YEAR, MY COLLEAGUES AND I, SEVEN NOTHING VOTE AUTHORIZED AN INCREASE OF A HALF PERCENT TO THE D TRANSFER TAX FOR REAL ESTATE TRANSACTIONS IN THE CITY OF ALLENTOWN. THIS INCREASE WOULD NOT AFFECT ANY EXISTING HOMEOWNERS OR SENIORS AND WAS FOCUSED ON IMPROVING HOUSING CONDITIONS CITYWIDE, MUCH OF WHICH HAS BEEN NEGLECTED FOR YEARS DUE TO BUDGET CONCERNS. THIS ADDITIONAL REVENUE WAS ALL POINTED TO A HOUSING FUND WITHIN OUR CITY DEPARTMENT. BASED ON PREVIOUS YEARS DATA, THE ESTIMATE WAS APPROXIMATELY 2.3 MILLION A YEAR. AS OF JUNE 30TH OF THIS YEAR, THE HOUSING FUND HAS RECEIVED $1,080,000. MY LEGISLATION ALSO CALLS FOR AN ANNUAL ACTION PLAN, WHICH WAS A PUBLIC MEETING TO DISCUSS HOW BEST TO UTILIZE HOUSING FUND DOLLARS FOR HOUSING INITIATIVES THROUGHOUT THE CITY. THAT'S WHY WE'RE HERE TONIGHT. ON A SIDE NOTE, THIS MORNING, THE LEHIGH VALLEY PLANNING COMMISSION HOSTED AN EVENT FOCUSED ON HOUSING AND ATTAINABILITY THROUGHOUT THE LEHIGH VALLEY. I WAS PLEASED TO SEE MY COLLEAGUE MISS SISSY GERLACH IN ATTENDANCE, AND WE LEARNED THE CHALLENGES FACED NOT ONLY BUT BY ALLENTOWN, BUT BY COMMUNITIES ACROSS LEHIGH VALLEY AND THE COMMONWEALTH. AS A LEHIGH VALLEY PLANNING COMMISSION COMMISSIONER, I'VE BEEN FORTUNATE TO BE PART OF THESE HOUSING DISCUSSIONS AND FORUMS THE LAST YEAR AND A HALF. THEIR DATA AND RESEARCH CAN BE INSTRUMENTAL IN HELPING COMMUNITIES ADDRESS THE HOUSING CHALLENGES WE FACE. I DO WANT TO WELCOME SOME GUESTS THAT ARE IN ATTENDANCE TONIGHT REMOTELY. WE HAVE MISS KAREN BLACK. SHE'S A PRINCIPAL CONSULTANT FOR MAY 8TH CONSULTING, AND MISS BLACK CONDUCTED THE HOUSING STUDY. WELCOME HOME CITY OF ALLENTOWN HOUSING NEEDS ASSESSMENT AND STRATEGIC PLAN FOR 2024 TO 2029. IN PERSON, WE HAVE SCOTT ANDIS, A FELLOW AT RENAISSANCE PHILANTHROPY. AND ALSO IN PERSON WE HAVE SATHYAN SIVAKUMARAN, PROGRAM MANAGER FOR RECOMPETE INVESTMENT SPRINTS. LASTLY, I WILL BE WE'LL BE COVERING MANY INITIATIVES REGARDING HOUSING WITHIN OUR CITY DEPARTMENT. FOR THAT REASON, I'M GOING TO DEFER TO MY COLLEAGUE MISS SISSY GERLACH, WHO CHAIRS THE COMMITTEE, SO SHE CAN HELP DRIVE THE CONVERSATION. AND AFTER WE'LL MOVE TO MY OTHER COLLEAGUES FOR QUESTIONS AND FEEDBACK. WE WILL THEN ALSO HAVE PUBLIC COMMENT SO THAT MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC HAVE A CHANCE TO OFFER ANY FEEDBACK OR QUESTIONS. SO THAT SAID, IT'S IT'S AN IMPORTANT MEETING. HOUSING HAS BEEN SOMETHING WE TALK A LOT, A LOT ABOUT AROUND HERE. AND FOR THE FIRST TIME, WE HAVE A DEDICATED REVENUE STREAM THAT CAN ACTUALLY HELP ADDRESS SOME OF THESE ISSUES. SO I'M REALLY EXCITED. I'M GOING TO HAND IT OFF TO MISS 
          [Discussion: Affordable Housing Legislation]
VICKY KESSLER, OUR CITY, OUR CITY DEPARTMENT DIRECTOR, ALONG WITH MARK HARTNEY, OUR DEPUTY DIRECTOR, AND THEIR TEAM. THEY'LL BEGIN THEIR PRESENTATION ON HOUSING FUND INITIATIVES. THANK YOU, THANK YOU. FIRST, I'D LIKE TO THANK THE LEHIGH VALLEY PLANNING COMMISSION. THEY DID A SPECIAL SESSION WITH US AHEAD OF TODAY'S EVENT SO THAT WE WOULD BE ABLE TO ATTEND SINCE WE HAD OTHER OBLIGATIONS AND WE COULD NOT BE THERE. BUT WE'RE GRATEFUL TO THEM AND THEIR PARTNERSHIP AND MANY OF THE THINGS YOU'RE GOING TO HEAR US TALK ABOUT TONIGHT ARE ALSO RESPONSES TO THEIR DATA AND WHAT THEY ARE SEEING. HOW WE'D LIKE TO DO THIS IS WE ASKED MISS BLACK IF SHE WOULD KINDLY PREPARE SLIDES FOR US BASED ON THE FIVE DIFFERENT OPTIONS OF RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THE HOUSING STUDY SHE DID THAT WE HAVE DUG INTO THEM A BIT. SHE IS AVAILABLE. IF THERE ARE SPECIFIC QUESTIONS THAT EACH OF YOU HAVE WHEN WE GO THROUGH THESE FIVE, WHAT WE'D LIKE TO STRESS IS THAT NOTHING IN THESE SLIDES OR IN THIS PROGRAMING IS ETCHED IN STONE. AND IN FACT, IF COUNCIL CHOOSES TO SUPPORT THE FACT THAT WE'D LIKE TO ADDRESS THESE 5 OR 3 OF THESE 5 OR 4 OF THESE FIVE, THEN MY MY REQUEST WOULD BE THAT WE SIT AND DEEP DIVE INTO EACH OF THEM TO PUT THE PARAMETERS WITHIN THEM THAT WE FEEL IS BEST. KAREN'S GIVING HER A BEST OPINION, BUT CERTAINLY IN TERMS OF INCOME ELIGIBILITY, THE THE DURATION OF THE LIEN AGAINST THE PROPERTY, THINGS OF THOSE NATURES, THOSE CAN BE THINGS THAT WE CAN COLLECTIVELY DECIDE TOGETHER. SO GENESIS, IF YOU COULD ADVANCE TO THE FIRST ONE, WHICH IS A REHABILITATION FOR FIRST TIME HOME BUYERS, KAREN 
          [00:05:05]
RESEARCHED PEER CITY BEST PRACTICES. SHE HELD EXTENSIVE FOCUS GROUPS WITH LOCAL LEADERS. 
          SHE MADE RECOMMENDATIONS DESIGNED TO CREATE EFFECTIVE, EQUITABLE PILOT PROGRAMS. NEXT SLIDE PLEASE. AGAIN. NEXT SLIDE. THE PROGRAM GOAL WAS TO DELIVER CODE COMPLIANT MOVE IN READY HOMES AT AN ELIGIBLE PRICE THAT THEY CAN ACTUALLY FINANCE BY SUBSIDIZING THE GAP BETWEEN ACQUISITION AND REHABILITATION. AND FOR THIS SLIDE, IT WAS AN 80% AMI OR LESS AS THE TARGET POPULATION. ONE OF THE THINGS WE'VE TALKED ABOUT. NEXT SLIDE. GENESIS, IS THE FACT THAT WE DON'T HAVE AN INVENTORY THAT ALTHOUGH MANY OF OUR LENDERS HAVE HOMEBUYER PROGRAMS, THAT THE CHALLENGE HAS BEEN GETTING HOMES INTO THE HANDS OF THOSE INDIVIDUALS WHO QUALIFY, KNOWING THAT THEY GET OUTBID BY CASH OFFERS, OR THEY GET OUTBID BY FOLKS WAIVING INSPECTIONS AND WHO ARE NOT IN NEED OF TRUE MORTGAGES. SO THE KEY ASSUMPTIONS BEHIND THIS PROGRAM IS THAT IT WOULD COME FROM THE HOUSING TRUST FUND INCREASE, THAT IT WOULD BE A REHAB RESELL PROGRAM TO CREATE SUSTAINABLE HOMEOWNERS, THAT WE WOULD PARTNER WITH A NONPROFIT OR A FOR PROFIT DEVELOPER TO PERFORM THE REHAB AND IDENTIFY AND PREPARE THE BUYER. SO PERHAPS A LENDING INSTITUTION WHO WORKS WITH THE BUYERS TO MAKE THEM BANKABLE AND ELIGIBLE TO HAVE A MORTGAGE, AND WORKING WITH A NONPROFIT OR A FOR PROFIT TO TAKE PROPERTIES THAT ARE REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY CAN IDENTIFY AND GET THEM TO THE POINT WHERE THEY CAN BE RESOLD, THAT THE BUYER WOULD OBTAIN THE MORTGAGE, AND THAT THEY WOULD START A PILOT WITH THREE CITY HOMES TAKING THREE, YOU KNOW, BLIGHTED PROPERTIES TO SEE HOW THAT WENT, TO MAKE SURE THEY LANDED WITH APPROPRIATE FAMILIES AND THEN SCALE UP OR RAMP UP FROM THEN. NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE, THAT THEY WOULD BE CURRENT CITY RESIDENTS, THAT THEY WOULD AGREE THE HOME WOULD BE THE PRIMARY RESIDENCE. AND AGAIN, THESE ARE THE TERMS THAT ARE UP FOR DISCUSSION FOR FIVE YEARS THAT THEY WOULD HAVE A HOUSEHOLD INCOME AT OR BELOW 80% AMI, THAT THEY WERE EITHER A FIRST TIME BUYER OR NOT OWNED A PRINCIPAL RESIDENCE IN THE LAST THREE YEARS THAT THEY HAVE A MORTGAGE PRE-APPROVAL, PRE-APPROVAL FROM AN APPROVED LENDER, KNOWING THAT THAT MAY HAVE TO HAPPEN IN ADVANCE OF ENTERING THE PROGRAM COMPLETED OR WILL COMPLETE THE HOME BUYER EDUCATION THAT'S OFFERED BY THE LENDER OR BY ANOTHER ENTITY IDENTIFIED, AND THAT THEY BE CURRENT ON TAXES AND HAVE NO CURRENT PROPERTY VIOLATIONS THAT ARE PENDING WITH THE CITY. 
          AND THOSE WERE SOME OF THE CRITERIA THAT WE SPOKE ABOUT IN TERMS OF, AGAIN, ENCOURAGING FOLKS TO ENROLL IN THE PROGRAM AHEAD OF TIME. AND THEN AS PROPERTIES BECOME AVAILABLE, RAMP FROM THOSE THREE PROPERTIES UP INTO MORE AND MORE AND MORE EVERY YEAR. DOES COUNCIL HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ON THE FIRST TIME HOME BUYERS OR WANT TO HAVE DISCUSSIONS ON EACH OPTION? OR DO YOU WANT ME TO GO THROUGH THE SLIDES AND COME BACK? HOW WOULD YOU PREFER TO DO IT AS WE GO? OKAY, AS WE GO, JUST SO WE DON'T LOSE TRACK. MISS GERLACH, ANY QUESTIONS OR FEEDBACK? SURE. SO WITH THE THANK YOU. SO WITH THE FIRST TIME HOME BUYER PROGRAM, AND IF I'M SKIPPING AHEAD, JUST TELL ME THAT YOU'RE ABOUT TO SPEAK ABOUT IT. SO THESE ARE FOLKS THAT ARE ALREADY BANK QUALIFIED. THESE. WHAT WE WOULD HAVE TO DO IS WE WOULD HAVE TO LAUNCH AN EXTENSIVE OUTREACH SAYING THAT THIS PROGRAM IS COMING DOWN THE PIKE AND ENCOURAGING PEOPLE TO WORK WITH WHOEVER THE LENDERS WERE. WE NEED TO DO AN RFP OR AN OUTREACH TO SAY, WHO ARE THE LENDERS WHO WOULD WORK WITH OUR FAMILIES AND ENCOURAGE FOLKS TO ENROLL IN THOSE PROGRAMS. SOME OF THEM MAY ALREADY BE BANKABLE, AND THEY CAN SIMPLY ENTER THE PROGRAM AND AND ALREADY HAVE A LETTER SAYING THAT THEY'RE BANKABLE. OTHERS WILL NEED TO COMPLETE THINGS TO CORRECT THEIR CREDIT SCORES OR UP THEIR CREDIT SCORES. AND THEN ONCE THEY ARE BANKABLE, SCORING A HOUSEHOLD SIZE MATCHES UNIT SIZE THAT'S UP HERE. THE NUMBER OF BEDROOMS MAY ONLY EXCEED THE NUMBER IN THE HOUSEHOLD BY ONE. A HOUSEHOLD DISPLACED BY GOVERNMENT ACTION, SUCH AS CODE. 
          HOUSEHOLD MEMBER WITH A DISABILITY. THOSE COULD BE SCORING CATEGORIES THAT WOULD BE UTILIZED BY THE LENDER OR THE TEAM OF LENDER, COUPLED WITH CITY REPRESENTATION TO SCORE THOSE ELIGIBLE APPLICANTS. AND THEN THOSE APPLICANTS WOULD BE THE CANDIDATE POOL FOR THE FIRST THREE HOMES. AS WE GET THREE MORE, AS WE GET THREE MORE, MORE PEOPLE HOPEFULLY ARE ENTERING THE QUEUE AS THEY CORRECT THEIR GET TO THE POINT WHERE A LENDER WILL CONSIDER THEM TO BE BANKABLE. MISS GERLACH, YOU SPOKE ABOUT THE ENTITY THAT YOU WERE FAMILIAR WITH, WORKING TO PREPARE PEOPLE TO BE BANKABLE. CERTAINLY, IF WE HAD THOSE PARTNERS, IF WE 
          [00:10:03]
HAD ENTITIES IN THE CITY WHO HAD MULTIPLE DIFFERENT. I'M PREPARING YOU FOR YOUR FIRST TIME HOME KIND OF A THING. THOSE WOULD ALSO BE ENTERING PEOPLE INTO THE QUEUE AS HOMES WOULD BECOME AVAILABLE. OKAY. AND THEN JUST TO BE A LITTLE SPECIFIC FOR AM I WOULD, WOULD THE IDEA TO BE TO USE ALLENTOWN'S AM I OR THE LEHIGH VALLEY'S AM I? WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENCES? LEAH VALLEY IS IS MUCH HIGHER. I THINK WE WOULD PROBABLY NEED TO USE THE LEHIGH VALLEY'S. AM I OKAY? I THINK WE COULD LOOK AT TRYING TO USE ALLENTOWN'S AM I? BUT I'M WORRIED IT WOULD BE TOO LOW AND THEY WOULDN'T QUALIFY FOR A BANK LOAN, OR YOU WOULD HAVE TO SUBSTANTIALLY INCREASE THE AMOUNT OF SUBSIDY TO MAKE IT AFFORDABLE. SO IN IN GENERAL TERMS, SOMEBODY EARNING 80% AM, I CAN ROUGHLY AFFORD IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD OF $200,000 WITH A LOT OF THESE HOMES, WE'RE PROBABLY LOOKING AT ALL IN COSTS OF, SAY, AROUND 300 ZERO ZERO $0 TO ACQUIRE AND REHAB IT. SO YOU'RE PUTTING 100 ZERO ZERO $0 WORTH OF SUBSIDY BECAUSE YOU GET THAT $200,000 BACK WHEN YOU SELL IT. IF WE WENT LOWER, I'M NOT SURE HOW MUCH OF A LOAN FOLKS WOULD QUALIFY FOR AT THE 80% ALLENTOWN AMI. WHAT IS THE 80%? ALLENTOWN, MI. I WANT TO SAY ABOUT 56, 80%, 45, 55, 45 VERSUS LEHIGH VALLEY, LEHIGH VALLEY APPROXIMATE APPROXIMATELY 80 NO. 80, 78, 66, 64, I THINK IS 80% LEHIGH COUNTY, I THINK. WELL, HOW MANY? AND IT ALSO DEPENDS ON I THINK THAT'S ONE, RIGHT? IT ALL DEPENDS ON HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE IN THE HOUSEHOLD. YEAH. FOR ONE PERSON, YOU KNOW, A SINGLE PERSON VERSUS, YOU KNOW, A FAMILY OF FOUR. SO THAT 45 AND 64, THAT'S ONE, ONE PERSON. I MEAN, FOR FOR 2024 ON PA WEBSITE. YEAH, IT WAS 55,100 FOR LEHIGH COUNTY FOR ONE PERSON, IF I COULD. I FEEL LIKE A GENERAL RULE OF THUMB. THE LEHIGH VALLEY'S THE. SO IT'S TAGGED TO THE METRO AREA. SO ALLENTOWN-BETHLEHEM-EASTON BOTH THE COUNTIES. IT'S GOING TO ATTRACT GENERALLY 50% HIGHER AT THE REGIONAL LEVEL THAN IT WILL BE FOR THE CITIES. SO I FEEL LIKE ACROSS ONE TO HOWEVER MANY PEOPLE IN THE HOUSEHOLD, THAT WILL TYPICALLY BE A 50% LAG. AND ONE OF THE REASONS WHY WE'RE SHOOTING, LIKE WE'RE SAYING LOWER IS THAT THREE HOMES, YOU'VE ALREADY HEARD THAT EVEN AT THAT, AM I WE'RE TALKING ABOUT $100,000 THAT WERE NOT GOING TO RECOUP ON EACH OF THESE HOMES. SO WE NEED TO BE A LITTLE FLEXIBLE, EVEN IF WE TAKE HOMES BY EMINENT DOMAIN, THE HOME OWNER BECOMES WHOLE. SO IT ISN'T LIKE WE GET THESE FOR NOTHING AND THEN WE REHAB THEM. THE REHAB COSTS ARE SIGNIFICANT. SO AS THE HOUSING TRUST FUND GROWS, MORE MONEY CERTAINLY CAN GO TOWARD THAT. BUT AGAIN, THE LOWER THE AMI, THE HARDER THE BANK ABILITY, THE MORE OF THE SUBSIDY WE HAVE TO GO ABOVE THE $100,000 TO DO EACH OF THE HOMES THAT WE WILL NOT RECOUP. I WAS GOING TO SAY, CAN I JUST MAKE A QUICK POINT? AND I THINK, VICKY, TO YOUR DIRECTOR, TO YOUR POINT, JUST VICKY, NO WORRIES. I WOULD LIKE TO SHOW EVERYONE RESPECT HERE. 
          THE THE KEY IS, YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY WE WANT TO HAVE THIS HOUSING FUND HAVE THE GREATEST IMPACT POSSIBLE FOR OUR RESIDENTS. AND SO DEPENDING ON HOW WE STRUCTURE IT. AND AGAIN, TO YOUR POINT EARLIER, IF WE DO CHOOSE TO GO WITH ONE OF THESE, WE CAN ABSOLUTELY FLESH EACH ONE OF THESE POINTS, WHETHER IT'S LEHIGH VALLEY, AM I ALLENTOWN, AM I? BUT IF WE END UP SUBSIDIZING MORE PER HOME, THAT MEANS THE LESS FAMILIES AND PEOPLE THIS WILL AFFECT. SO, YOU KNOW, ULTIMATELY WHEN WE HAVE THOSE CONVERSATIONS, IT'LL SAY, OKAY, WELL, WE COULD PROJECT OUT FOR THE NEXT FIVE YEARS. WE COULD EITHER HELP 30 PEOPLE OR WE CAN HELP 65 DEPENDING ON HOW WE BALANCE, WHICH AM I WE USE AND HOW MUCH WE'RE SPENDING AND RECOUPING FROM EACH HOUSE SALE. BUT I THINK, AGAIN, THAT ALL, YOU KNOW, WE'LL GO THROUGH THE NUMBERS AND THAT'LL FLESH ITSELF OUT TO SEE KIND OF REALISTICALLY HOW MUCH IT'S GOING TO AFFECT, BUT WE CAN MAKE IT WHATEVER WE NEED IT TO BE, WHETHER IT'S LEHIGH VALLEY OR ALLENTOWN. AND WE WOULD HOPE EVEN THOUGH THE REHAB WILL BE A LITTLE MORE EXPENSIVE, WE WOULD 
          [00:15:06]
HOPE THAT WE COULD REHAB THESE HOMES SIMILAR TO THE WAY HABITAT REHABS HOMES, WHICH IS ALL ENERGY EFFICIENT APPLIANCES, A NEW ROOF, A NEW. ALL OF THE MAJOR SYSTEMS HOPEFULLY WOULD NOT NEED REPLACEMENT FOR AT LEAST 10 TO 15 YEARS, WHICH WOULD AGAIN ALLOW THEM TO ACCRUE SOME EQUITY AND NOT HAVE THOSE MAJOR SNAGS THAT THEY WOULD GET IF THEY WERE BUYING A PROPERTY JUST OFF THE MARKET. SO HOPEFULLY THERE'S SOME STABILITY IN THESE NEW HOMEOWNERS HAVING A HOME THAT'S ENERGY EFFICIENT, SAFE, AND WITHOUT A MAJOR EXPENSE FOR THE FIRST 10 TO 15 YEARS. SO IF WE I JUST I'M JUST GOING WITH THE NUMBER YOU FOUND 55,000 FOR LEHIGH VALLEY, AM I? THAT WOULD BE JUST DIVIDE BY 12 MONTHS. THAT WOULD BE $4,583 A MONTH. 
          THAT'S HOW MUCH A PERSON WOULD WHO MAKES $55,000 A YEAR MAKES A MONTH. OKAY. AT THE 80%. YEAH, YEAH, YEAH. SO HOW MUCH WAS THE MORTGAGE BE? YEAH. WELL, I'M JUST MORE SO THINKING ABOUT WHAT TYPE OF JOB SOMEONE WOULD HAVE TO HAVE TO MAKE THAT DUAL INCOME. LIKE IF IT WAS, IT COULD BE MULTIPLE INCOME. IT COULD BE THREE INCOMES. IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE ONE PERSON. 
          AND THEY PULL THEIR W-2S TOGETHER AND THEY BOTH ADD UP TO 70,000. WE'RE GOOD TO GO. 
          AND I WOULD ENVISION MANY OF THE APPLICANTS BEING IN THAT SITUATION. AND I THINK WE ALSO ARE LOOKING AT THE INVERSE HERE. WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HOW MUCH MORE THEY'D HAVE TO MAKE. SO IF SOMEBODY IS MAKING MORE THAN THAT 65,000, THEN THEY WOULDN'T BE ELIGIBLE. IT'S AN 80% AMI HOUSEHOLD INCOME. YEAH. WHATEVER THAT THRESHOLD IS. CORRECT. RELATIVELY SPEAKING, WE'RE CALLING IT. YEAH. IF IT'S THAT 55%, IS THAT 80%, THEN THAT'S LIKE THE CUT OFF. YOU CAN'T MAKE MORE THAN THAT, RIGHT? THAT'S WHY I'M SAYING THAT WE COULD SIT DOWN ONCE WE LOOK AT ALL FIVE OF THESE OPTIONS AND WE DECIDE WHICH OF THESE OPTIONS WE REALLY WANT TO MOVE FORWARD WITH, I THINK WE NEED TO SIT DOWN AND DIG DEEP INTO THE WEEDS TO DETERMINE EXACTLY, YOU KNOW, WHAT WOULD THREE HOMES TAKE AS THAT POT OF MONEY TO LOOK AT HOW WE MOVE IN THAT DIRECTION? UNLESS WE WANT TO CHANGE THE 3 TO 5 OR WE WANT TO, YOU KNOW, HOWEVER WE WANT TO WORK WITH THAT. BUT KAREN'S RECOMMENDATION WAS TO START WITH THIS SMALL IN THE FIRST YEAR, KNOWING THAT THE DEED TRANSFER TAX POT IS NOT AS ROBUST IN YEAR ONE AS HOPEFULLY IT WILL BE IN SUBSEQUENT YEARS TO COME. THE OTHER THING THAT I WOULD SAY THAT THE LOWER OF INCOME YOU HAVE, THE HARDER IT'S GOING TO BE TO FIND QUALIFIED APPLICANTS. AND IF PART OF OUR STRATEGY IS BEING ABLE TO LIKE CHURN THIS MONEY, WE PUT THE MONEY IN TO DO THE RENOVATION, WE GET SOME MONEY BACK SO THAT WE CAN WORK ON THE NEXT HOUSE. THE LONGER IT TAKES US TO QUALIFY, APPLICANTS LIKE THE SLOWER THAT PROCESS IS. AND I WOULD SAY AS WE SCALE THIS PROGRAM, YOU KNOW, YOU COULD LOOK AT DEVELOPING, DEPENDING ON THE HOUSE, THE RIGHT SITUATION, WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO SAY, OH, THIS ONE MAKES SENSE TO LIMIT THIS TO 80% OF ALLENTOWN'S MEDIAN INCOME VERSUS THE LEHIGH VALLEY'S INCOME. AND AS WE'RE DOING MORE OF THESE, IT MAY BE EASIER TO SEGREGATE A FEW JUST TO MEET THAT THRESHOLD. SO THERE'S FLEXIBILITY WITHIN IT. BUT I THINK, YOU KNOW, IT BEING A PILOT, LIKE IT'S GOING TO BE IMPORTANT TO LIKE, TRY TO GET THIS TO A POINT WHERE WE CAN SCALE IT. OKAY. NO, NO, YEAH, JUST THANK YOU. I MEAN, I JUST SO WE'RE LOOKING AT SOMEONE WHO EARNS ABOUT JUST OVER $28 AN HOUR. OR, OR A COUPLE OR A COUPLE THAT CAN COMBINE 14 EACH OR WHOEVER, WHOEVER COMPOSES THAT HOUSEHOLD. YEAH. OKAY. BUT IF IT'S A SINGLE PERSON, IT COULD BE AN INDIVIDUAL ON A SOCIAL SECURITY DISABILITY AND A WORKING PARTNER. IT COULD BE LOTS OF DIFFERENT HOUSEHOLD STRUCTURES. YEAH, YEAH, YEAH. OKAY. YEAH. I MEAN, WITH TWO PEOPLE, THEN THAT THRESHOLD WOULD INCREASE. BUT IF WE'RE LOOKING AT A SINGLE PERSON, A SOLO PERSON, THEY WOULD NEED TO EARN 28, JUST OVER $28 AN HOUR. OKAY. I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE CLEAR ON THAT. I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE AVERAGE WAGES. AND FOR ALLENTOWN WORKER, BUT HOPEFULLY IT'S $28 AN HOUR. 
          WELL, NO, IT'S THE OTHER WAY. IT'S WELL, NO, NO, IT'S THE OTHER WAY. SO IF SOMEBODY'S 
          [00:20:04]
MAKING LIKE $29 AN HOUR, THEN THEY DON'T QUALIFY. THEY DON'T. YEAH. BUT IF SOMEBODY'S MAKING 18, $20 AN HOUR THEY DO. BUT THE PROBLEM IS, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, WE GET BACK INTO HOW MUCH HOUSE CAN YOU AFFORD AT THAT KIND OF A SALARY. YEAH. SO. ALL RIGHT. COOL. I HAVE ONE QUESTION RELATED TO THIS. SURE. SO I KNOW WE WE JUST RECENTLY HAD ALLENTOWN HOUSING AUTHORITY HERE. I KNOW THEY DO SOMETHING SIMILAR RIGHT NOW. I GUESS MY, MY FIRST QUESTION RELATED TO THAT IS, IS THIS SOMETHING THAT WE LEVERAGE SEPARATELY? IS THERE A THOUGHT WOULD BE SOMETHING LIKE THIS WOULD BE A PARTNERSHIP OR IS THIS THOSE THINGS WOULD TOTALLY BE UP FOR GRABS. BUT AT THIS POINT, WE WERE DOING THIS ANALYSIS AS THOUGH WE WERE PARTNERING WITH A LENDING ORGANIZATION AND PARTNERING WITH A REHAB ORGANIZATION THAT AT THAT POINT, WE AND WE CERTAINLY COULD MODEL IT AS SOMETHING SIMILAR TO WHAT THE HOUSING AUTHORITY HAS DONE. 
          HOWEVER, I DON'T BELIEVE THEY HAVE THIS CRITERIA IN PLACE. SO THIS WAS WHAT KAREN, WHO IS OUR NATIONAL EXPERT, WAS RECOMMENDING AS A JUMPING OFF POINT. AND THEN I GUESS MY SECOND QUESTION RELATED TO THAT IS I ASKED MR. GREEDY THE SAME THING. SO WHAT CONTROLS DO WE HAVE IN PLACE TO TO MAKE THAT DETERMINATION? IS THIS SOMETHING THAT HAS TO GO TO MARKET OR ARE WE SAYING, OKAY, WE'RE GOING TO OPEN UP THIS WINDOW FOR A PROPERTY FOR LIKE THREE MONTHS AND ALLOW ANYONE TO COME IN AND SEE IT AND MAYBE GET QUALIFIED. AND THEN AT SOME POINT WE WILL, YOU KNOW, AND I'M GOING TO ASK KAREN TO JUMP IN HERE WHEN I'M DONE. BUT MY UNDERSTANDING IS WE WOULD TAKE A QUALIFIED CANDIDATE POOL AND PRESENT HOUSES TO THAT QUALIFIED CANDIDATE POOL, SIMILAR TO LIKE AN MLS, WHERE THIS IS THE HOUSE WE HAVE WHO WANTS TO LIVE IN THIS HOUSE. AND THEN THAT'S WHERE THE SCORING AND THE SELECTION CRITERIA COMES IN. BUT KAREN, IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO CHIME IN ON THAT, I WOULD LOVE TO HEAR YOUR PERSPECTIVE. GOOD EVENING EVERYONE. CAN YOU HEAR ME? YES, YES. THANK YOU. SO WHAT WE HAD TALKED ABOUT IS EXACTLY THAT THAT FOLKS WOULD APPLY AND THEY WOULD WAIT FOR A HOUSE THAT FITS THEIR NEEDS. CLEARLY, THAT ONE PERSON HOUSEHOLD THAT WE WERE TALKING ABOUT WITH AM I IS PROBABLY NOT THE RIGHT PERSON TO GET A THREE BEDROOM HOUSE. AND SO THERE WOULD BE A TWO STEP PROCESS FOR THE APPLICATION. THE FIRST IS JUST, DO YOU WANT TO BE A PART OF IT? ARE YOU INTERESTED? AND THEN WHEN THERE'S ACTUALLY A HOUSE AVAILABLE, THERE'D BE A MUCH MORE THOROUGH VETTING OF THEM AND THEY WOULD ACTUALLY GO THROUGH THE PROCESS, PROVE THEY HAVE A LOAN, THEY HAVE THE MONEY TO PAY THEIR MORTGAGE, ETC. AND THEN THEY WOULD BECOME HOMEOWNERS AT THAT POINT. SO. SO CAN I ASK YOU, YOU FINISHED? WELL, I WAS JUST GONNA FOLLOW UP TO THAT. I THINK THAT'S THAT'S THE KEY. I THINK SOME PEOPLE, IN ORDER TO GET PRE-QUALIFIED, SOMETIMES YOU HAVE TO GET YOUR DUCKS IN A ROW. AND IT'S IF WE ONLY HAVE A MONTH OR TWO TO NOTICE BEFORE A HOUSE IS GOING TO BE UP, THAT WAS MY CONCERN. HOW ARE WE PREPARING PEOPLE? BUT YEAH, OUR LOCAL LENDERS RIGHT NOW TO AT LEAST HAVE A HOME BUYERS PROGRAM WHERE THEY OFFER QUITE A LARGE AMOUNT OF MONEY FOR ANY HOME IN A MAJORITY MINORITY NEIGHBORHOOD THAT HAS A QUALIFIED BUYER, THEY ARE WILLING TO WORK WITH ANYONE WITH ANY CREDIT SCORE. THEIR PREFERRED CREDIT SCORE IS 600 OR ABOVE. HOWEVER, IF SOMEONE HAS A LOWER CREDIT SCORE AND THEY TAKE THE SIX WEEK ONLINE CLASS, COMPLETE ALL THE SESSIONS THEY ARE CURRENTLY OFFERING THEM THE OPPORTUNITY TO ATTEMPT BANKABILITY AND THEY'RE WORKING WITH THEM. OUR DIFFICULTY HAS BEEN ONLY ONE PERSON WHO HAS APPLIED TO EITHER OF THOSE TWO PROGRAMS HAS ACTUALLY GOTTEN A HOUSE, ONLY BECAUSE THEY'VE BEEN OUTBID TO THE HOUSE AND THE MONEY. THE MINIMUM MONEY THAT THEY WERE GIVING WAS $18,000 TOWARD DOWN PAYMENT, CLOSING COSTS, APPRAISAL COSTS AND OR MOVING FURNITURE, WHATEVER YOU NEEDED. SO IT WAS A GENEROUS OFFER. AND AGAIN, ONLY ONE WAS ABLE TO GET THE HOUSE THAT NOBODY ELSE WANTED. I THINK IN THIS PARTICULAR SITUATION, A SIX WEEK CLASS, WE WOULD HAVE WAY MORE NOTICE THAN THAT. SINCE WE'RE IN CHARGE OF THE REHABBING OF THE HOME, WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO KNOW FROM THE INCEPTION THAT IT'S PURCHASED, WHAT SIZE FAMILY WOULD QUALIFY, WHAT INCOME WE'RE LOOKING FOR, AND THOSE FOLKS HOPEFULLY WOULD TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE PRE-QUALIFIED TO GO THROUGH THAT SIX WEEK CLASS IF THEY NEEDED IT. OR SOME OF THEM MAY NEED LONGER TO CLEAN UP THEIR CREDIT SCORES, BUT THEN THEY GO INTO THIS REVOLVING POOL. AND THEN AS EACH HOUSE BECOMES AVAILABLE, THEY CAN DECIDE WHETHER THEY WANT TO MAKE AN OFFER ON THAT HOUSE. OKAY. YEAH. IF THERE'S IF THERE'S, LET'S SAY THAT 
          [00:25:05]
THERE'S THIS IS A SCENARIO IF THERE'S FIVE PEOPLE WHO ARE QUALIFIERS, HOW WOULD YOU PICK BETWEEN THOSE FIVE PEOPLE? WELL, THAT'S WHAT WE HAVE UP HERE. THEY HAVE TO BE CURRENT CITY RESIDENTS. THEY HAVE TO AGREE THAT THEY'RE STAYING IN THAT RESIDENCE FOR FIVE YEARS. IT'S THEIR PRIMARY HOME. THEY HAVE TO INCOME QUALIFY. IF WE GO WITH FIRST TIME BUYER NOT OWNED A PRINCIPAL RESIDENCE IN THE LAST THREE YEARS, THEY HAVE THEIR PRE-APPROVAL LETTER, THEY'VE COMPLETED THE EDUCATION AND THEY HAVE NO BACK TAXES OR PROPERTY VIOLATIONS. THEN THEY GO INTO THE SCORING MECHANISM AND GENESIS, CAN YOU FLIP TO THAT? THAT SLIDE, THE HOUSEHOLD SIZE MATCHES THE UNIT. THE HOUSEHOLD WOULD GET PRIORITY IF THEY WERE DISPLACED BY A GOVERNMENT ACTION. IN OTHER WORDS, IF WE CONDEMN THE HOUSE THAT THEY WERE IN AND THEY ARE NOW HOMELESS BECAUSE WE CONDEMN THEIR HOME, THEY WOULD SCORE A LITTLE HIGHER AND THAT IF THE HOUSEHOLD MEMBER HAS A DISABILITY, THEY WOULD SCORE A LITTLE HIGHER. IF ALL APPLICATIONS ARE CONSIDERED EVEN, WE WOULD LOOK TO THE LENDER TO USE WHATEVER SITUATION THEY WOULD USE, WHICH MAY BE WHO HAS A DOWN PAYMENT, WHO HAS THE BETTER INCOME. OUT OF THE FIVE, WHO HAS NEVER HAD A FORECLOSURE IN THEIR BACKGROUND, HOWEVER, THE LENDER WOULD THEN EVALUATE THOSE FIVE. THE LENDER OR THE PARTNER THAT WE'VE WORKED WITH WOULD THEN SELECT THE APPROPRIATE ONE, AND THE OTHER FOUR OR THE OTHER THREE WOULD REMAIN IN THE POOL TO BE CONSIDERED FOR THE NEXT HOME. OKAY. THANK YOU. OKAY, MR. BINDER, AND CERTAINLY AGAIN, THAT CRITERION SCORING PREFERENCE. THIS IS THE RECOMMENDATION WE GOT FROM KAREN, BUT THIS IS SOMETHING WE COULD SIT DOWN AND SAY, DO YOU WANT A VETERAN'S PREFERENCE? DO YOU WANT HOW MANY YEARS HAVE YOU LIVED IN ALLENTOWN? LIKE WHAT? WHAT DO YOU WANT? WHAT DO WE WANT COLLECTIVELY TOGETHER? I WOULD ADD TO THAT QUICKLY, AND I'LL GO TO YOU. ONE OF THE THINGS I WOULD LIKE TO SEE OR UNDERSTAND, IF IT'S AN OPTION WE'VE SPOKEN ABOUT THIS BEFORE IS LOCAL TEACHERS, LOCAL NURSES, OUR PUBLIC SAFETY, OUR FIREFIGHTERS, OUR POLICE OFFICERS, OUR EMS, LIKE THESE ARE FOLKS WHO I THINK SHOULD HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO PLAY A PART IN SOME OF THE SCORING IF THEY'RE LOCAL. I MEAN, I THINK WE COULD FROM A RETENTION STANDPOINT, IF IF A LOT OF THESE FOLKS OWNED HOMES IN ALLENTOWN, THEY'RE MORE LIKELY TO WORK IN ALLENTOWN LONG TERM AND STICK AROUND AGAIN, WHETHER IT'S A TEACHER. SO I DON'T KNOW. 
          MISS BLACK, IF YOU HAVE IF YOU'VE SEEN THIS IN OTHER COMMUNITIES, IF THERE ARE ANY CASE STUDIES ON HOW THAT COULD PLAY A PART. SO IT'S INTERESTING, IN MANY STATES I WORK IN, YOU ARE NOT ALLOWED TO PREFER CITY EMPLOYEES OR PUBLIC SERVANTS, AND THAT'S THE STATE LEGISLATURE WHO STATED THAT THERE COULD NOT BE A PREFERENCE. AS FAR AS I KNOW, THERE IS NOTHING STATING THAT YOU CANNOT HAVE A PREFERENCE IN PENNSYLVANIA. THAT SAID, I DON'T KNOW OF A PENNSYLVANIA PROGRAM THAT HAS THAT PREFERENCE. SO CERTAINLY THERE HAVE BEEN SOME BUILDINGS THAT HAVE A PREFERENCE FOR ARTISTS OR TEACHERS OR EVEN PUBLIC SERVANTS. BUT BEFORE WE DO THAT, WE'D WANT TO LOOK AND MAKE SURE THERE'S NO FAIR HOUSING PROHIBITION. THERE'S NO STATE LEGAL PROHIBITION. BUT AS LONG AS THE STATE HAS NOT SAID YOU CAN'T DO IT, AND IT'S DONE VERY OBJECTIVELY BASED ON CRITERIA THAT DOES NOT VIOLATE THE FAIR HOUSING ACT. I DON'T THINK IT WOULD BE A PROBLEM. THAT'S MY IMMEDIATE RESPONSE. OKAY. THANK YOU. AND I THINK IT WOULD JUST BE ONE OF THE SCORING. I MEAN, THERE ARE STILL OTHER SCORING CRITERIA, BUT I WOULD I'D LIKE TO TO LEARN MORE IF THAT'S AN OPTION TO MAKE. YOU KNOW, AGAIN, YOU KNOW, SOME OF OUR THE FOLKS LOCALLY WHO PLAY SUCH AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN THIS COMMUNITY, HOW WE CAN HELP THEM BECOME HOMEOWNERS AND BY DEFAULT, LESS TRANSIENT. AND I THINK THAT WOULD BE A GOOD THING FOR EVERYONE. SO THAT'S THAT'S A CONVERSATION I'D LIKE TO CONTINUE, MISS BLACK. THANK YOU, MR. BENDER. GO AHEAD. YEAH, JUST TO JUMP ON THAT. SO IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU'RE SAYING, HOW DO WE PRIORITIZE SOMEONE WHO LIVES AND WORKS IN ALLENTOWN AS A AS A METRIC? SO I THINK, AND PLAYS A ROLE AND PLAYS A ROLE IN THE COMMUNITY. I MEAN, AGAIN, THESE ARE FIREFIGHTERS. THESE ARE FOLKS WHO DRIVE AMBULANCES, TEACHERS LIKE THEY'RE PLAYING A VITAL ROLE. YEAH. SO MY QUESTION FOR THIS PROGRAM, WHO WOULD OVERSEE IT? WELL, WE WOULD HAVE A COMBINATION. I WOULD THINK THAT WHOEVER WOULD END UP BEING OUR LENDER WOULD OVERSEE MUCH OF THE FINANCIAL QUALIFICATIONS. AND WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT OF DC ED, WE WOULD HAVE TO WORK WITH THE REHAB ORGANIZATION, WHICH AGAIN, COULD BE A FOR PROFIT, COULD BE OUR REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY, COULD BE A NONPROFIT ENTITY. SO I THINK IT WOULD BE COORDINATED 
          [00:30:01]
BY DC ED AND IT WOULD HAVE OVERSIGHT IN DC ED, BUT WE WOULD RELY HEAVILY ON PARTNERS AND THE COOPERATION OF THE, THE TRIAD BETWEEN THE FINANCIAL SIDE, THE REHAB SIDE AND THE PROGRAM ADMINISTRATION SIDE. OKAY. THANK YOU. AND DO YOU FEEL LIKE DC, DC ED HAS A CAPACITY AT THIS POINT TO DO THAT IN THIS IN THIS, I THINK IF WE HAD THREE HOMES, WE HAVE THE CAPACITY TO DO THAT. I THINK AS IT WOULD SCALE, OF COURSE WE WOULD HAVE TO LOOK AT THAT. BUT CERTAINLY OUR REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY RIGHT NOW IS IN THE PROCESS OF REHABBING A HOME. WE HAVE OUR COMMUNITY HOUSING TEAM UNDER HEIDI, WHO IS, YOU KNOW, DOING SPECS SPEC WRITING AND AND DOING THE OWNER OCCUPIED REHAB PROGRAM. SO I THINK ON A SMALL SCALE, WE'D BE FINE, BUT I THINK WE WOULD PROBABLY NEED TO ADD A PERSON OR IDENTIFY A PERSON WITH SOME BANDWIDTH TO BE ABLE TO TAKE THIS ON AS IT SCALES. OKAY. I ASK MAINLY BECAUSE IT'S ALWAYS THE BALANCE OF WANTING TO MAKE SURE EVERY DOLLAR GETS USED AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE. SO IF WE GO TOO HIGH AND WE HAVE TO BRING PEOPLE ON AND THEN IT REDUCES THAT, THEN. 
          EXACTLY. BUT I MEAN, IF WE GET TO THE POINT WHERE WE'RE DOING A TON OF HOMES, IT SHOULD BE EXCITING TO BE ABLE TO BRING SOMEBODY ON BECAUSE AT THAT POINT, WE SHOULD BE RECOUPING FROM THE SALE MONEY COMING IN. YOU KNOW, I'M HOPING THAT WE WON'T LOSE MONEY ON EVERY SALE. 
          AND, YOU KNOW, HOPEFULLY WE'LL GET SOME PROPERTIES. I'M ACTUALLY HOPING THAT CITIZENS WILL CONSIDER THIS WHEN THEY LOSE A FAMILY MEMBER, AND THEY HAVE TO LIQUIDATE A HOME THAT THEY'D CONSIDER WORKING WITH THE CITY INSTEAD OF AN OUT OF THE AREA BUYER TO HAVE US COME IN AND, AND GIVE THEM A FAIR MARKET VALUE FOR THE HOME. AND MAYBE IT DOESN'T NEED A TON AND TON OF REHAB. ACTUALLY, KELLY MCELROY HAS KELLY NOW HAS BEEN WORKING WITH EXACTLY THAT SITUATION WITH OUR REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY, WHERE SOMEONE REACHED OUT AND SAID, I HAVE A FAMILY MEMBER I LOST AND I NEED TO TO PASS THE HOME ON. AND WE WANTED TO KNOW IF THE REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY WOULD LIKE TO TAKE CONTROL OF THE PROPERTY. AND THEY CAME TO A FAIR MARKET PRICE. SO I WOULD LOVE IT IF WE WOULD SEE MORE OF THAT HAPPEN, OR IF WE COULD CREATE A RELATIONSHIP WITH COUNTY WHERE WE'D HAVE FIRST SHOT AT A SHERIFF'S SALE HOME, THAT WOULD GIVE US A TREMENDOUS LEG UP. YES. AND I WOULD ALSO SAY WE'RE NOT ONLY LOOKING AT HOUSING TRUST FUND MONEY TO FUND THIS STUFF. LIKE WE'RE LEVERAGING DOLLARS WHEREVER WE CAN. SO, YOU KNOW, DEPENDING ON WE'VE APPLIED FOR SEVERAL GRANTS TO DO A PROGRAM SIMILAR TO THIS. SO, YOU KNOW, 100% OF THE FUNDING DOESN'T HAVE TO COME FROM THE TRUST FUND. AND ONE LAST QUESTION THEN WITH, AND I DON'T KNOW IF YOU'RE GOING TO GET TO THIS OR NOT, BUT WHEN IT COMES TO THE PROPERTY RENOVATIONS OR THE REHABS, IS THERE A CONSIDERATION? I KNOW, AND THIS IS A BIT OF A TOUCHY SUBJECT WITH RESPECT TO INCREASING DENSITY, BUT I KNOW WITH OUR ZONING CHANGES, WE'VE ALLOTTED FOR SOME OF THAT. AND SINCE OUR HOUSING STOCK IS IS OFTENTIMES A MULTISTORY PROPERTY THAT MAY OR MAY NOT NEED TO HAVE SO MANY BEDROOMS, HAS THERE CONSIDERATION IN THIS PROCESS TO SAY THAT THAT WOULD BE SPLIT IN SOME WAY, SHAPE OR FORM? AND WHAT WOULD THAT LOOK LIKE? COULD IT BE SOLD AS TWO DIFFERENT CONDOS KIND OF THING? I THINK WE'RE ALWAYS LOOKING AT IT REALLY DEPENDS ON THE INDIVIDUAL PROPERTY. THAT PART OF IT IS ARE WE ABLE TO ACQUIRE IT? AND THEN, YOU KNOW, DOES THIS MAKE SENSE FOR HOME OWNERSHIP OR. I WOULD CERTAINLY LOOK, I THINK IT WOULD BE COOL TO DO CONDOS OR, YOU KNOW, LIKE A SPLIT LEVEL. I DON'T KNOW THAT WE'RE GOING TO LOOK TO DO THAT RIGHT AWAY. I'D LIKE TO JUST GET A COUPLE WINS AND SELL A HOUSE, BUT I WOULD THINK CONSIDERING OUR PLANNING TEAM PUT TOGETHER SUCH A GOOD PROPOSAL WITH ZONE ALLENTOWN, THAT THERE IS THE POSSIBILITY OF AN OWNER OCCUPIED WITH AN ADU AND THAT COULD SOLVE SOME OF THE BANKABILITY ISSUES IF THE RIGHT PROPERTY PRESENTED ITSELF. SO WE OPENED THAT DOOR WITH ZONE ALLENTOWN, AND I WOULD THINK THAT THAT COULD BE A WAY THAT THAT FAMILY THAT PERHAPS IS RIGHT ON THAT CUSP GETS THE RENTAL INCOME FROM THE ADU. SO I THINK ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE AT THIS POINT. BUT I DO AGREE WITH MARK. I THINK IT HAS TO BE PROPERTY SPECIFIC. 
          OKAY. THANK YOU. AND OKAY. GO AHEAD. GO AHEAD. NO, I JUST HAVE ONE LAST QUESTION. SO FOR THE SCORING PREFERENCES, I'D BE INTERESTED TO SEE IF AN ITEM COULD BE ADDED. ADD TO THE TO THE LIST. THAT WOULD, I DON'T KNOW, ADDRESS LIKE THE HISTORIC DISCRIMINATION, THE REDLINING 
          [00:35:06]
THAT HAS HAPPENED HERE IN ALLENTOWN AND IN THIS NATION WHERE COMMUNITIES WHO HAVE HISTORICALLY BEEN MARGINALIZED AND DISCRIMINATED AGAINST, WELL, GET A COUPLE EXTRA POINTS. IS THAT LEGAL? I MEAN, I DON'T BANKS HAVE TO DO THAT BECAUSE OF THE DISCRIMINATION THEY'VE DONE. KAREN, COULD YOU TAKE THAT ONE? ON? IF YOU HAD ASKED ME THIS FOUR YEARS AGO, I WOULD HAVE SAID, OF COURSE IT'S LEGAL. I CAN TELL YOU NOW THAT THERE HAVE BEEN SEVERAL COURT CASES BROUGHT IN OTHER STATES AND DISTRICTS, AND SOME OF THOSE HAVE FOUND IT TO BE ILLEGAL DISCRIMINATION. CLEARLY, THE EASIEST IS TO SAY FIRST COME, FIRST SERVE AND HAVE ABSOLUTELY NO PREFERENCES OR PRIORITIES. BUT THAT MAKES IT MUCH HARDER TO ACHIEVE WHAT YOU WANT TO AND SERVE THOSE POTENTIAL HOME BUYERS THAT YOU WANT TO SERVE. SO I THINK THIS HAS TO BE DONE CAREFULLY. LOOKING AT STATE AND FEDERAL LAW. AND THE GOAL WOULD BE FOR THIS PILOT TO SEE IF YOU CAN GET THIS UP AND RUNNING, LEARN AN AWFUL LOT ABOUT WHAT A REALISTIC SUBSIDY GAP IS, HOW LONG THE CYCLE IS FROM ACQUISITION TO CLOSING ALL OF THESE PIECES AND AVOID A LEGAL CHALLENGE IF YOU CAN, THAT WILL HOLD EVERYTHING UP. BUT RIGHT NOW, THE LEGAL CLIMATE, AND I AM A LAWYER, I MUST SAY, IS JUST IMPOSSIBLE FOR ME TO PREDICT WHAT A COURT WOULD DO. 
          OKAY. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. SO THE THE PREMISE OF MY QUESTION IS JUST BECAUSE, I MEAN, ALLENTOWN IS A MAJORITY LATINO CITY, BLACK AND BROWN CITY. AND I WOULD HOPE THAT THE HOMEOWNERS, THE MAJORITY OF THE HOMEOWNERS WOULD REFLECT THAT POPULATION. AND I CAN TELL YOU THAT, AGAIN, THE BANKS HAVE A TREMENDOUS PRESSURE TO PROVIDE BANKABILITY TO THAT POPULATION. 
          SO I WOULD THINK THAT THERE WOULD BE AN INCENTIVE ON THE BANK'S SIDE TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT IT REFLECTS THE DEMOGRAPHIC. OKAY. GO AHEAD. HOW WOULD YOU TELL THE COMMUNITY? HOW WOULD YOU TELL THE COMMUNITY ABOUT THIS WONDERFUL PROGRAM? WELL, THE FIRST THING WE WOULD DO IS COUNT ON ALL OF YOU. YOU HAVE TREMENDOUS NETWORKS, SO WE WOULD DEVELOP APPROPRIATE INFORMATION AND WE WOULD PUT IT OUT AS FAR AND WIDE AS WE COULD THROUGH ALL OF YOU, THROUGH OUR RADIO STATIONS, THROUGH WHATEVER COMMUNICATION WE CAN. 
          IT'S THE SAME THING WE'RE FACING WITH ALLENTOWN WORKS THAT WE NEED TO ENROLL FOLKS. 
          WE'RE READY TO ENROLL FOLKS, AND WE NEED PEOPLE TO ENCOURAGE OTHER PEOPLE TO APPLY. WE ALSO ALREADY HAVE BANKING INSTITUTIONS THAT FOLKS HAVE APPROACHED SAYING, I WANT TO I WANT TO BUY A HOUSE. WE ALSO HAVE COMMUNITY PARTNERS LIKE HABITAT WITH A WAITING LIST, LIKE COMMUNITY ACTION, WHO DOES A FIRST TIME HOME BUYERS PROGRAM. WE HAVE A NUMBER OF FINANCIAL LITERACY PROGRAMS THAT ARE ALREADY WORKING WITH FOLKS, SO WE WOULD RELY ON THAT. 
          BUT AGAIN, WE NEED LIKE THE FIRST THREE, AND THEN WE'D HAVE TO SCALE FROM THERE. I WOULD ASSUME THAT AS SOON AS THE FIRST HOUSE GETS INTO SOMEONE'S HANDS, THE MEDIA SPLASH FROM THAT WILL ALSO SAY, OH MY GOD, SOMEONE ACTUALLY GOT A HOME AND WORD OF MOUTH WILL SPREAD AND WILL START TO GET A CLIENT BASE. I MEAN, FOR A PROGRAM LIKE THIS TO BE SUCCESSFUL, IT'S GOING TO BE IMPERATIVE FOR US TO LIKE, MAINTAIN A WAITING LIST AND HAVE LIKE A HEALTHY POOL OF POTENTIAL BUYERS THAT ARE PREQUALIFIED, THAT WHEN THESE HOMES ARE REHABBED AND READY TO BE SOLD, THAT THERE'S LIKE A POOL OF PEOPLE ALREADY THERE. BECAUSE ALSO KEEP IN MIND, LIKE, UNLIKE WHEN I'D SAY MOST PEOPLE GO LOOKING FOR A HOME, THEY'RE CHOOSING AGAINST A MUCH LARGER POOL OF HOMES THAT'S AVAILABLE TO THEM HERE. THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE TO LIKE THE HOME THAT WE HAVE. AND WE REHABBED. YOU KNOW, SOME PEOPLE MAY NOT LIKE THAT HOME FOR WHATEVER REASON, AND THEY ARE BUYING LIKE A $200,000 HOUSE. SO IT IS NOT LIKE THEY'RE GOING TO TAKE A HOUSE THAT THEY DON'T WANT. THE OTHER THING IS THAT AS PEOPLE START TO WORK WITH THESE BANKS AND THEY START TO IMPROVE THEIR CREDIT SCORE AND THEY START TO BECOME BANKABLE, THERE'S A LOT OF OTHER HOMES THAT THEY MAY WANT TO PURCHASE THAT ARE ALREADY ON THE MARKET, BECAUSE 
          [00:40:02]
NOW THEY'VE OPENED A DOOR. AND IF THEY'RE HANDY AND THEY CAN DO ANY REHAB THEMSELVES, THEY MAY ACTUALLY BUY A STARTER HOME. AND, AND THEY'RE BANKABLE. SO ONCE THEY GET THAT PREQUALIFIED LETTER, IT DOESN'T MEAN THEY HAVE TO USE IT WITH US. THEY CAN USE IT WITH ANY HOME THEY QUALIFY FOR. OKAY. AND I'D JUST LIKE TO ADD, I MEAN, THE LEGISLATION ALSO CALLS FOR AN ANNUAL REPORT. SO THE PUBLIC AND OURSELVES, WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY, YOU KNOW, A YEAR AFTER TO KIND OF SEE, YOU KNOW, HOW THE HOW THIS PROJECT, HOW THESE PROJECTS ARE GOING, WHO THEY'RE GOING TO, THE RATE, YOU KNOW, THE RETURN ON INVESTMENTS. YOU MENTIONED, YOU KNOW, JUST A, AN EXAMPLE OF MAYBE HAVING TO SUBSIDIZE A LOSS. WE DON'T KNOW WHAT THOSE LOSSES ARE GOING TO BE. SO SOME OF THEM COULD BE HIGHER. SOME OF THEM COULD BE PROFITABLE. WE'LL SEE HOW THEY AVERAGE OUT. I DO I DO HAVE TROUBLE STOMACHING A LOSS. JUST IT'S NOT HOW I'M WIRED. BUT I DO THINK WE CAN LOOK AT THESE SITUATIONS AND SAY, HEY, IF WE IF WE GOT A BLIGHTED PROPERTY OFF OF A BLOCK THAT WAS DRAGGING DOWN THE ENTIRE BLOCK, MAYBE THERE IS A LOSS THAT WE COULD STOMACH AS A, AS A, AS A CITY. SO I THINK WE HAVE TO LOOK AT THESE SITUATIONS AND SAY, HOW DO WE IDENTIFY OPPORTUNITIES TO NOT ONLY REMOVE BLIGHTED PROPERTY, BUT IMPROVE QUALITY OF LIFE ON THAT BLOCK AND MAYBE IMPROVE PUBLIC SAFETY? WELL, AND SO IT'S WHO'S TAKING THE LOSS? BECAUSE IN IN HONESTY, RIGHT NOW, WE HAVE A BLIGHTED PROPERTY THAT WE'VE BEEN FIGHTING ON FOR TWO OF THE YEARS THAT THAT I'M IN DCD OVER HERE. AND IN THOSE TWO YEARS, WE HAVE PEOPLE TRYING TO SELL THEIR HOME IN THAT NEIGHBORHOOD WHO ARE BEING TOLD FLAT OUT BY REALTORS THAT THEY'RE AT A $20,000, $15,000 LOSS BECAUSE OF THAT, I SAW IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD. SO I THINK IT'S EASIER TO STOMACH THE FACT THAT WE TAKE THE LOSS. IF EVERY ONE OF THOSE PROPERTY OWNERS HAS AN INCREASED VALUE IN THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD, AND WE'VE ACTUALLY SOLVED THE PROBLEM WITHIN THE NEIGHBORHOOD, THAT'S BEEN THE DISPROPORTIONATE USE OF CITY SERVICES FROM CRIME, FROM SWEEP, FROM CODE ENFORCEMENT. I MEAN, ALL THE MONEY WE'RE LOSING GOING OUT ON ALL THOSE COMPLAINTS FROM THAT PROPERTY WE SAVE WHEN IT'S NO LONGER A BLIGHTED PROPERTY. IT MAY NOT BE THE $100,000 CASH, BUT IT'S A HECK OF A LOT OF STAFF TIME, TIME AND ENERGY. AND WE'VE GOT A NEIGHBORHOOD WITH A HIGHER PROPERTY VALUE. 
          TO ME, THAT'S A WIN WIN. YEAH, I AGREE AND AND I'M GLAD YOU BROUGHT UP THE LEHIGH COUNTY, BECAUSE IT'S ONE OF THE THINGS WE DISCUSSED AT OUR LEHIGH COUNTY WORKSHOP WAS, IS THERE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THE CITY OF ALLENTOWN TO HAVE FIRST ACCESS TO A TAX SALES OFFERED BY LEHIGH COUNTY THAT ARE WITHIN THE CITY OF ALLENTOWN? OF COURSE, AND I THINK THAT WOULD HELP US AVERAGE OUT SOME OF OUR OUR PRICING BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, IF YOU LOSE, IF YOU LOSE ON, ON 1 OR 2 HOMES, BUT YOU GAIN ON TWO HOMES, YOU KNOW, YOU AVERAGE THEM OUT AND IT WORKS OUT IN THE END. SO I THINK THAT'S A CONVERSATION I WOULD LIKE TO CONTINUE WITH THE COUNTY AND, AND THEIR ADMINISTRATION. BUT I THINK ULTIMATELY THIS WHOLE THIS WHOLE IDEA WAS BASED ON CONTROLLING INVENTORY. WE HEAR THE STORIES OF FOLKS WHO JUST CAN'T GET TO THE FINISH LINE, YOU KNOW, TRADITIONALLY WITH, YOU KNOW, THE REAL ESTATE MARKET. SO CONTROLLING THE INVENTORY, GETTING THESE HOMES IN THE RIGHT HANDS WITH HOMEOWNERS, STRENGTHENING BLOCKS, REMOVING BLIGHTED PROPERTIES. I MEAN, THAT WAS REALLY THE GIST OF EVERYTHING WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT THE LAST YEAR ON THIS. SO I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT. THAT SAID. NEXT SLIDE GENESIS. WE'LL START NEXT SLIDE. YOU CAN KEEP GOING. THE DEED RESTRICTION AGAIN WOULD BE UP FOR GRABS. WITH OUR DEED RESTRICTION YOU CAN KEEP GOING. THE DEFAULT KAREN SPELLS OUT THE CHECK INS. AND WHAT HAPPENS IF SOMEONE IS GOING TO DEFAULT. AGAIN. WE CAN GO THROUGH THOSE NITTY GRITTY AS WE PUT TOGETHER A PROGRAM. 
          NEXT SLIDE. JUST TO BE CLEAR VERY QUICKLY, CAN YOU PAUSE FOR THOSE WHO DON'T UNDERSTAND DEED RESTRICTIONS, GIVE US THE THE IDEA OF WHAT THAT INCLUDES. LET'S SAY SOMEONE GETS THIS HOME AND THEY DECIDE AT FOUR YEARS THAT THEY WANT TO SELL THE PROPERTY. THEY WANT TO MOVE TO NORTH CAROLINA. THAT HOME HAS TO BE SOLD TO AN 80% AMI BY IT'S DEED, BY ITS DEED RESTRICTION. SO WE WOULD MAKE SURE THAT THAT HOME STAYS AFFORDABLE TO SOMEONE WHO IS IN THE SAME FINANCIAL SITUATION THAT THEY WERE IN. SO THE NEXT PERSON ON THE WAITING LIST, PERHAPS WOULD THEN HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO ACQUIRE THE HOME. AND JUST TO BE CLEAR, IT CANNOT BECOME A RENTAL. NO. OKAY. KAREN RECOMMENDED UP TO $690,000 FOR THE THREE HOMES, KNOWING THAT THE GUT REHAB WAS 1 TO 2 ON AVERAGE AND THAT THERE WOULD BE A DEVELOPER FEE, WHICH IS THE DEVELOPER IS EITHER THE NONPROFIT OR THE FOR PROFIT THAT'S DOING THE WORK TO 
          [00:45:02]
REHAB THE HOME. THE SECOND THING, I'M SORRY, CAN YOU PAUSE FOR A MOMENT, MR. BENDER? GO AHEAD. JUST BECAUSE YOU TOUCHED ON A POINT THERE WHEN SAYING IT CANNOT BE A RENTAL, HOW ARE WE, THE CITY MONITORING THE PERSON? IF SOMEONE DID TAKE A PROPERTY AND DIDN'T GET A RENTAL AGREEMENT, DIDN'T GET A RENTAL INSPECTION CONTRACT AND JUST STARTED RENTING IT OUT, WE CURRENTLY WE WOULD. I MEAN, OBVIOUSLY THERE'S GOING TO BE AN ONGOING. YOU SAW THERE'S A SIX AND A 12 MONTH CHECK IN WITH THE TENANTS, BUT OBVIOUSLY THE BANK WOULD BE NOTIFYING US IF THEY HAD A POTENTIAL CHANGE IN THE MORTGAGE OR A CHANGE IN THE SALE. WE ALSO WOULD BE MONITORING THAT. THOSE ARE THE HOME OWNERS BY THE DEPARTMENT OF BUILDING STANDARDS AND SAFETY FOR THAT FIVE YEAR PERIOD, MUCH LIKE WE HAVE TO DO NOW WITH FOLKS THAT TAKE HUD SUBSIDIES. OKAY. AND I'M CORRECT, WE HAVE NO WAY OF GETTING LIKE WE DON'T WE CAN'T GET FEEDBACK FROM PEOPLE OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT. NOTE IF SOMETHING CHANGED, I HAVE TRIED. 
          OKAY. I HAVE TRIED AND WE'VE TRIED EVEN TO SAY IF THERE'S A SECOND METER ADDED TO A HOME, THAT COULD BE A TRIGGER. THEY SAY THEY CANNOT RELEASE THAT. THANK YOU. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. THE SECOND TOOL THAT WE WOULD HAVE IS A LERTA TAX ABATEMENT LAW. THAT IS WHERE MUNICIPALITIES EXEMPT THE ASSESSED VALUE OF THE IMPROVEMENT. AND THAT IS THE CRITICAL PIECE. YOU STILL COLLECT THE TAX ON THE BASE VALUE OF THE PROPERTY. ALERTED DEFERS THE ADDITIONAL TAX WHEN YOU IMPROVE THE PROPERTY. SO EACH LOCALITY DESIGNS ITS PROGRAM THROUGH THE LOCAL ORDINANCE, WHICH MAY ADD AFFORDABILITY REQUIREMENTS. AND ALL THREE TAXING BODIES MUST INDEPENDENTLY ADOPT AN ORDINANCE FOR A PROJECT TO QUALIFY FOR A LERTA. NEXT SLIDE. 
          THE ABATEMENT REDUCES THE COST STRUCTURE FOR THE DEVELOPER, ALLOWING THEM TO CREATE MORE AFFORDABLE RENTALS AND HOMEOWNERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES FOR RESIDENTS AT OR BELOW 80%. AM I THE MARKET RATE AND NONPROFIT DEVELOPERS MAY APPLY IF THEY AGREE TO AFFORD TO DEVELOP AFFORDABLE UNITS THAT THEY WOULD OTHERWISE NOT BE ABLE TO DO, AND THE TAX ABATEMENT PERIOD WOULD BE TEN YEARS. THE HOUSING UNITS REMAIN AFFORDABLE FOR 20, SO IT RENT RESTRICTS THESE HOUSING UNITS FOR UP TO 20 YEARS. IT REDUCES THE BURDEN ON THE DEVELOPER FOR THE FIRST TEN YEARS AFTER THEY HAVE IMPROVED THE PROPERTY, WHICH IS TYPICALLY WHEN THEY'RE PAYING BACK THEIR LOANS ON THE PROPERTY. AND THEN IT SLOWLY BUT SURELY, IT'S NOT THAT IT GOES TAXABLE AND ALL AT ONCE IS FULLY TAXABLE. YOU CAN STRUCTURE A LERTA THAT THE TAX INCREASES OVER TIME SO THAT THERE CAN BE TAX ON THE IMPROVEMENT SLOWLY BUT SURELY THROUGHOUT THE YEARS, UNTIL IT REACHES FULL TAX TO ALL THREE GOVERNING BODIES WITHIN TEN YEARS. IT'S A TOOL THAT'S BEEN USED IN DIFFERENT WAYS THROUGHOUT. EASTON JUST HAD A PROJECT SPECIFIC LERTA. SOME CITIES USE CITY WIDE ALERTAS AND THEY PUT CONDITIONS ON THEIR LERTA THAT IF A PROJECT IS 100% AFFORDABLE OR 40% AFFORDABLE, THAT'S ALL STRUCTURED. NEXT SLIDE PLEASE. RENTAL PROPERTIES COULD BE. PRIVATE. MARKET ABATEMENT REDUCES THE PROPERTY TAX THE OWNER OCCUPIED IS THE. TAX ABATEMENT LOWERS THE MONTHLY HOUSING COST AND HELPS MORE QUALIFY FOR MORTGAGES. YOU CAN KEEP GOING. THE CITY WIDE ELIGIBILITY WOULD BE A DETERIORATING AREA. YOU COULD SAY THAT YOU COULD PICK THIS FOR THE WHOLE CITY. YOU COULD PICK THIS FOR A PORTION OF THE MUNICIPALITY THAT IS SIGNIFICANTLY BLIGHTED, OR THAT THERE'S A SINGLE SET OF AFFORDABILITY THRESHOLDS THAT ARE STRAIGHTFORWARD. NEXT SLIDE. KAREN PUT TOGETHER A CHART FOR US WITH A TIER ONE UP TO TIER FOUR. SHE WROTE DOWN AFFORDABLE UNITS REQUIRED 10 TO 20 21 TO 35, 36 TO 50 WITH AN 80% AMI. 
          YOU COULD DO IT WITH YEARS, 1 TO 3 YEARS, 4 TO 7. AND THEN YEARS 8 TO 10. THAT'S WHAT I TALKED ABOUT AS THEY INCREASE THE PERCENTAGE BASED ON HOW MANY AFFORDABLE UNITS. THIS IS SOMETHING WHERE WE WOULD NEED YOUR ASSISTANCE AND THE MAYOR'S ASSISTANCE TO APPROACH THE OTHER TAXING BODIES TO SAY IS LEHIGH COUNTY. IS THE ALLENTOWN SCHOOL DISTRICT WILLING TO PARTNER TOGETHER ON ALERTA? I WILL TELL YOU THAT THE LERTA ISN'T THE BE ALL, END ALL TO EVERYTHING. WE HAVE A CURRENT DEVELOPER WHO REALLY WANTS TO TAKE A PROPERTY THAT IS CURRENTLY SINGLE ROOM OCCUPANCY AND TURN IT INTO 1 OR 2 BEDROOM UNITS. THE LERTA DOESN'T HELP THEM A LOT, BECAUSE THE VALUE OF THE BUILDING CONVERTED TO ONE BEDROOM UNITS ISN'T SIGNIFICANTLY DIFFERENT THAN THE VALUE OF THE BUILDING IN SINGLE ROOM OCCUPANCY. SO THE 
          [00:50:03]
TAX ABATEMENT IS NOT ALL THAT MUCH OF AN INCENTIVE, AND THE REHAB COSTS ARE VERY HIGH. BUT THIS WOULD WORK EXTREMELY WELL WITH A BLANK LOT THAT SOMEBODY CHOOSES TO BUILD ON. THIS IS A GREAT INCENTIVE TO BUILD AFFORDABLE VERSUS BUILDING MARKET RATE. NEXT SLIDE PLEASE. 
          THE DEVELOPER RECEIVES THE 100% OF THE LERTA. IN THE INITIAL YEARS WE TALKED ABOUT IT DECLINES OVER TIME. IT MAXIMIZES THE CRITICAL DEBT SERVICE AND IT'S IMPACTFUL PER DOLLAR OF FORGONE REVENUE. IF YOU WANT TO INCENTIVIZE BUILDING AFFORDABLE HOUSING. SO IT'S A TOOL THAT WE COULD IMPLEMENT, AGAIN, SPECIFIC TO A NEIGHBORHOOD OR SPECIFIC TO THE CITY OR HOWEVER WE SO DESIGNED. NEXT SLIDE. THE PROJECT CAP GIVES THE EXPOSURE PER PROJECT. 
          PITTSBURGH CAPPED AT 250,000 PER TAXING BODY PER YEAR. BUT AGAIN, THAT'S SOMETHING WE WOULD DECIDE. TOTAL ABATEMENT PROTECTS THE CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT'S FISCAL POSITION, ENSURES THAT NO SINGLE DEVELOPMENT CAPTURES THE DISPROPORTIONATE SHARE OF THE PROGRAM'S VALUE. NEXT SLIDE. ANY QUESTIONS ON THE LERTA? YES, MISS GERLACH, ANY QUESTIONS? GOOD. MR. GO AHEAD. YEP. SO I GUESS MY QUESTION IS I KNOW THIS SPECIFICALLY CITY TAX, TRYING TO PAIR IT WITH THE OTHER GOVERNING BODIES. IF IT'S, LET'S SAY, A DEVELOPER TAKING A BLANK LOT AND BUILDING ON IT, I KNOW THAT KIND OF INCREASES THE VALUE. WHAT ABOUT THE DIFFERENT TAXES AND FEES ASSOCIATED WITH CONSTRUCTION? LIKE, YOU KNOW, A BUSINESS PRIVILEGE TAX? IS THAT ON THE TABLE OR IS THAT SPECIFICALLY ONLY ON THE PROPERTY TAX? I BELIEVE IT'S ONLY ON THE PROPERTY TAX. LEARNERS ARE SPECIFIC TO PROPERTY TAX. AND IT'S BASED OFF A STATE ENABLING LEGISLATION LEGISLATION. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. OKAY. ANY OTHER. MR. BENDER GO AHEAD. YEAH. SO THAT'S 250 IN THIS PROJECT. 250 K PER YEAR CAP FOR ANY ONE PROJECT. AGAIN, THAT'S WHAT KAREN IS RECOMMENDING. WE COULD CHANGE THAT. WE COULD ADJUST THAT. AND AND ONE OF THE KEY DISTINCTIONS, THE LERTA WOULD NOT BE FUNDED NECESSARILY WITH HOUSING TRUST FUND DOLLARS. THIS IS A COMPLEMENT TO PROJECTS THAT ARE TAKING ADVANTAGE OF HOUSING TRUST FUND DOLLARS TO HELP MAKE THEM PENCIL AND WORK. SO THE WAY THE LERTA IS FUNDED IS YOU'RE BASICALLY DEFERRING FUTURE TAX REVENUE FOR A NEW DEVELOPMENT ON THE INCREMENTAL VALUE OF THE INCREASE. SO, YOU KNOW, IT DOESN'T COST THE CITY ANYTHING BECAUSE THE ARGUMENT WITH LERTA IS. BUT FOR THIS INCENTIVE, THIS DEVELOPMENT WOULDN'T HAVE HAPPENED. SO YOU WOULDN'T HAVE SEEN THE INCREASE IN THE PROPERTY VALUE. BUT REALISTICALLY, THANK YOU. REALISTICALLY, WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT BUILDING FROM A BLANK LOT IN THIS CASE AT 250 K, BECAUSE THAT OFFSET IS NOT GOING TO BE ENOUGH. IT'S NOT THE ONLY THING. SO THE IDEA KIND OF IS TAKING ADVANTAGE OF SOME OF THE PROVISIONS AND INCENTIVES WE BAKED INTO THE ZONING CODE TO ALLOW FOR DENSITY BONUSES AND STUFF LIKE THAT. THIS IS A WAY TO HELP AT LEAST MY PRIMARY. THE WAY I LOOK AT IT IS WE CAN HELP BUILD AFFORDABLE HOUSING WITHOUT HAVING TO USE GRANT SUBSIDY. BY TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THE ZONING INCENTIVES AND THE TAX ABATEMENT INCENTIVES. THIS CAN BE DONE BY THE PRIVATE SECTOR ON THEIR OWN. OKAY. THANKS. OKAY. AND TO BE CLEAR, FOR THOSE LISTENING, THE CITY OF ALLENTOWN CONTINUES TO COLLECT TAXES THAT WERE GENERATED FROM THAT PROPERTY BEFORE ANY OF THIS STARTED. CORRECT. LIKE THE BASE, THE IDEA WOULD BE, YOU KNOW, IF IT WAS GENERATING $10,000 A YEAR IN REAL ESTATE TAXES, CURRENTLY, WE STILL GET THE $10,000 IF AFTER THE IMPROVEMENT. NOW IT'S GENERATING $50,000. IT WOULD BE THAT $40,000 DELTA THAT GETS ABATED. WE CAN TELL YOU THAT THERE WAS A PROPOSED PROJECT THAT CAME TO US THAT WE GOT EXCITED ABOUT. IT WAS OWNED BY A NONPROFIT. THE LAND WAS OWNED BY A NONPROFIT. THE NONPROFIT WAS INTERESTED IN CONVERTING IT TO AFFORDABLE HOUSING. WE WERE EXCITED. THEY COULDN'T MAKE THEIR NUMBERS WORK. WE TALKED ABOUT WOULD ALERTA BE ADVANTAGEOUS TO THEM TO MAKE 
          [00:55:04]
THE NUMBERS WORK? AND THIS WAS A LARGE, AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROJECT. THE CITY WOULDN'T HAVE LOST ANYTHING BECAUSE WE HAD NOTHING ON THE TAX ROLLS TO BEGIN WITH. IT WAS OWNED BY A NONPROFIT, SO WE WOULD HAVE DEFERRED THE BENEFIT OF ALL OF THESE AFFORDABLE UNITS FOR PROBABLY TEN YEARS OR PART OF TEN YEARS, BUT WE COULD HAVE GIVEN THEM AN INCENTIVE. TURNS OUT THEY COULD NOT MAKE THE NUMBERS WORK FOR THE SAME REASON AS THE LETTER, I BELIEVE WAS CIRCULATED TO COUNCIL TODAY. WHICH WAS A CRUSHING BLOW TO US ABOUT THE FACT THAT OUR TEAM PUT GOOD WORK INTO ASSISTING WITH A GRANT PROPOSAL. WE WON THE GRANT, THE DEVELOPER WAS AWARDED THE GRANT, AND WHEN THE DEPARTMENT OF LABOR DECIDED THAT THE ENTIRE PROJECT, NOT JUST THE AFFORDABLE UNITS, HAD TO GO PREVAILING WAGE, IT MADE THE COSTS SKYROCKET FOR THE PROJECT, AND THEY REJECTED THE GRANT AND WILL NOT HAVE AFFORDABLE HOUSING ON HAMILTON, WHICH WE WERE SO EXCITED ABOUT THE POTENTIAL OF HAVING. SO WE HAVE NOTHING TO OFFER THAT DEVELOPER OTHER THAN THE ZONING INCENTIVES RIGHT NOW. HAD WE HAD A LERTA, AT LEAST WE COULD HAVE OFFERED SOMETHING TO OFFSET THOSE COSTS. OKAY. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS ON LERTA? OKAY. THANK YOU. MOVING INTO OWNER OCCUPIED HOME REHAB, WE HAVE, AS YOU KNOW, AN OWNER OCCUPIED HOME REHAB PROGRAM, AND WE HAVE APPLIED CONSISTENTLY FOR MONEY FOR OWNER OCCUPIED REHAB. WE'VE NEVER HAD A $40,000 PER PROPERTY CAP, AND WE'VE NEVER REALLY LOOKED AT FOLKS THAT DO NOT QUALIFY FOR TRADITIONAL OWNER OCCUPIED REHAB. GENESIS. 
          NEXT SLIDE PLEASE. THIS IS TO STABILIZE OWNER OCCUPIED HOMES TO PRESERVE LONG TERM VIABILITY OF ALLENTOWN'S EXISTING HOUSING STOCK. AND TO LOOK AT, YOU KNOW, THE VISIBLY DETERIORATING HOMES SURROUNDING EACH OTHER IN A BLOCK. NEXT SLIDE. THE CITY WOULD DO AN RFP FOR A PROGRAM ADMINISTRATOR WITH DEMONSTRATED EXPERIENCE IN HOME REPAIR. WE HAVE OUR OWN IN-HOUSE THAT IS DONE WITH OUR STATE OR WHEN WE HAVE IT, FEDERAL. WE HAVEN'T HAD FEDERAL FOR A WHILE, BUT OUR STATE OR OUR THROUGH OUR LEAD PROGRAM, WE. THIS COULD BE AN ADDITION TO THAT. NEXT SLIDE PLEASE. WE'RE LOOKING AT EFG MARKET NEIGHBORHOODS DEFINED BY THE REINVESTMENT FUND'S MARKET VALUE ANALYSIS. AND WE COULD LOOK AT PERMITS IN TERMS OF GRANT FUNDING ACTIVITIES TO OPERATE, YOU KNOW, ONE MILE BEYOND THE ELIGIBLE BOUNDARIES IF NEED BE. OR WE COULD TARGET SPECIFIC NEIGHBORHOODS. NEXT SLIDE PLEASE. AGAIN, THE OWNER MUST BE AT OR BELOW 80% AMI IN A PRIMARY RESIDENCE HOLDING THE TITLE TO THE PROPERTY CURRENT ON PROPERTY TAX AND MORTGAGE AND HAS HOMEOWNER'S INSURANCE. PRIORITY WOULD BE GIVEN IN THIS CASE. AGAIN UP FOR DEBATE. 
          SENIORS, VETERANS, PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES. BASICALLY, OUR PROGRAM HAS A LOWER CAP TRADITIONALLY, BUT WE'RE FINDING THAT MANY OF OUR FOLKS ARE HAVING A PRESSURE TO SELL BECAUSE INSURANCE COMPANIES WILL NO LONGER INSURE THE HOME DUE TO THE AGE OF THE ROOF, AND SOME OF THE ROOFS EXCEED THE NORMAL 10 OR $15,000 CAPS THAT ARE PUT ON THESE PROGRAMS. IT'S A $22,000 ROOF FOR A $25,000 ROOF, AND IT'S BEYOND THE ABILITY OF THE APPLICANT TO FUND THE DIFFERENCE. NEXT SLIDE PLEASE. SO WE'RE LOOKING AT ROOFS, FOUNDATIONS, FLOOR REPAIRS, REPAIR OR REPLACEMENT OF AN EXTERIOR WALL, AN HVAC SYSTEM, A PLUMBING OR ELECTRIC REPAIR, REMEDIATION OF LEAD PAINT, EXTERIOR STAIRS, MOISTURE ACCESSIBILITY MODIFICATIONS, RAMPS, HANDRAILS, HANDICAPPED BATHROOM AND THAT OBVIOUSLY THIS WOULD ADDRESS CODE COMPLIANCE, BUT IT WOULD ALSO ALLOW THIS INDIVIDUAL TO REMAIN IN THEIR HOME. NEXT SLIDE PLEASE. THE GRANTS ARE UP TO 40,000 PER HOME AND ARE FORGIVABLE LOANS BY A LIEN RECORDED AGAINST THE PROPERTY. WE WOULD DECIDE THE FORGIVENESS PERIOD, THE 5 TO 10 YEAR PROGRAM IDEA. SO 20% FORGIVEN EACH YEAR IF IT'S A FIVE YEAR FORGIVENESS PROGRAM, BUT REPAYMENT DUE UPON THE SALE OF A PROPERTY. SO MONEY COULD BE USED TO REPAIR ANOTHER HOME. 
          NEXT SLIDE. AND THEN IMPROVEMENTS UP TO 20 HOMES IN THE FIRST YEAR WITH EACH GRANT BETWEEN 4000 WOULD BE $800,000 OF OUR HOUSING TRUST FUND, AN ADMINISTRATIVE FEE THAT WOULD GO TO WHO'S ACTUALLY DOING THESE REPAIRS. AND WE'RE TALKING $920,000. THAT WAS 
          [01:00:01]
KAREN'S SUGGESTION FOR AN OWNERD SUPPLEMENT THE OWNER OCTAGRAM THAT WE HAVE WITH THAT, WE RUN OUT OF MONEY WITH YEAR AFTER YEAR AFTER YEAR. AND HEIDI HAS FIRST HAND KNOWLEDGE OF THE WAITLIST AND THE FACT THAT NOW THESE HOMES ARE EXCEEDING. AND WE COULD TAKE THAT 80% AMI AND WE COULD EVEN RAISE THAT A BIT IF WE WANTED TO, TO GET THOSE PEOPLE IN THAT CATCHMENT GROUP THAT EARN JUST SLIGHTLY TOO MUCH FOR OUR PROGRAM. SO ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? I MISS REGARDING YOU DON'T HAVE TO KEEP DOING ME FIRST. IT'S COOL. I'M JUST MAKING SURE IT'S ALL GOOD. MR. GO AHEAD. JUST A GENERAL NOTE, I THINK GOING AROUND THE CITY, I THINK THIS IS WHAT WE HEAR A LOT FROM MANY OF OUR RESIDENTS. THERE ARE FOLKS WHO, EVEN THOUGH THEY HAVE HOMES, ARE CONSISTENTLY GETTING PRICED OUT BECAUSE, YES, THEY WERE ABLE TO BUY IT MAYBE SEVERAL DECADES AGO. BUT NOW, YOU KNOW, THEIR INCOME HASN'T REALLY, YOU KNOW, INCREASED OR THEY'RE ON FIXED INCOMES. AND I THINK THIS IS ESPECIALLY TARGETING IT TO THIS GROUP COULD BE A GREAT WAY TO HELP WITH THAT DISPARITY THAT WE'RE SEEING IN OUR CITY. BUT OF COURSE, I THINK WE COULD ALWAYS TALK THROUGH THE SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS OF THE PROGRAM. 
          AND I JUST THINK IT'S A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO BRIDGE THAT GAP. HEIDI AND HER STAFF ALSO SUBMITTED A SIMILAR PROPOSAL WITH A A NOT FORGIVABLE LOAN, BUT A LOAN THAT GETS PAID BACK OVER TIME. AND THAT IS CERTAINLY SOMETHING THAT WE COULD TALK ABOUT AS WELL, ALMOST FINANCING THE REPAIRS FOR SOMEONE WHO NEEDS A DIFFERENT PAYBACK SCHEDULE AND RECOUPING THAT. SO THERE COULD ACTUALLY BE MULTIPLE TRACKS TO THIS WHERE WE COULD DO, YOU KNOW, FORGIVABLE LOANS IN CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES, BUT DO LOANS THAT HAVE TO BE PAID BACK IN OTHERS BASED UPON EITHER INCOME OR THE EXTENT NEEDED? MAYBE THE FIRST CAP IS FORGIVABLE, BUT IF YOU EXCEED, YOU KNOW, IF YOU EXCEED THE 20,000 AND YOU'RE MOVING TO THE 40, MAYBE THE SECOND PART IS SOMETHING THAT'S PAID BACK. LIKE HOWEVER, WE STRUCTURE THIS TO KEEP MONEY FLOWING BACK INTO THE POOL. YEAH, YOU BEAT ME TO IT. I REMEMBER WE'VE DISCUSSED THIS AND, YOU KNOW, I'M, I DO HAVE SOME CONCERNS ABOUT IT ALL BEING FORGIVABLE. I THINK, YOU KNOW, PART OF THIS HOUSING FUND IS, YOU KNOW, THERE'S MONEY GOING OUT, BUT THERE NEEDS TO BE MONEY COMING BACK IN, WHETHER IT'S FROM THE SALE OF PROPERTIES, WHETHER IT'S FROM A REVOLVING LOAN FUND FOR SOME OF THESE REPAIRS, LIKE WE NEED TO THIS, THIS FUND HAS TO REMAIN FLUSH FOR US TO, TO REALLY DO THE WORK WE'RE TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH. SO I LIKE TO SEE MORE OF THE REVOLVING LOAN FUND. OBVIOUSLY, WE'RE GOING TO BE UTILIZING LIENS TO HOLD HOMEOWNERS ACCOUNTABLE. AND IF THE PROPERTY DOES SELL, THE CITY GETS MADE WHOLE AT SETTLEMENT. SO THAT'S A CONVERSATION WE CAN CONTINUE. BUT IT'S DEFINITELY AN IMPORTANT ASPECT OF THIS BECAUSE IT ALL GOES BACK. YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE THINGS WE TALK A LOT HERE IS QUALITY OF LIFE. AND WE TALK ABOUT PUBLIC SAFETY. AND THE MORE WE CAN DO WITH OUR, OUR HOMES IN THE CITY, YOU KNOW, TO INCREASE THEIR, THEIR VALUE AND TO INCREASE QUALITY OF LIFE IN SOME OF THESE BLOCKS. I THINK THE RIPPLE EFFECTS ARE TREMENDOUS. SO, YOU KNOW, FINDING OPPORTUNITIES FOR FACADES. ONE, ONE DEVELOPER MENTIONED SOMETHING TO ME, WHICH I THOUGHT WAS INTERESTING, HE SAID. AND MOST OF THE HOMES IN ALLENTOWN WERE BUILT, YOU KNOW, IN THE 1900 1910. SO A LOT OF FOLKS WITH SEWER SYSTEMS ARE GOING TO START HAVING SOME ISSUES OVER THE NEXT DECADE OR TWO AS THEY NEED TO GET THOSE REPLACED. AND THOSE CAN BE 20, $25,000 TO RUN A NEW SEWER LINE, YOU KNOW, FROM YOUR BASEMENT TO WHEREVER IT IS IN THE BACK ALLEY OR THE STREET. SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT COULD BE ADDED TO THE PROGRAM BECAUSE IT'S A SIGNIFICANT REPAIRS. BUT I DEFINITELY, I DEFINITELY LIKE THAT PROGRAM. I THINK WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT THE, HOW WE ADMINISTER THAT MONEY. SO WE'LL CONTINUE THAT. YEAH. OKAY. 
          ANYTHING ELSE? THE NEXT PROGRAM, THE LAST ONE I BELIEVE IS A FAMILY CHILD CARE FACILITY IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE HAVE IN OUR CITY, WE'RE FORTUNATE TO HAVE THEM, IS A PLETHORA OF FAMILY BASED DAYCARES. THOSE FAMILY BASED DAYCARES ARE IN ALL DIFFERENT SORTS OF HOMES ROW HOMES, SINGLE FAMILY HOUSES, TWINS, YOU NAME IT. WE HAVE A DAYCARE IN IT. NEXT SLIDE. SPECIFICALLY, WITHIN THE RECOMPETE ELIGIBLE AREA, WE HAVE NOW THE OPPORTUNITY TO INVEST IN THE DAYCARE PROVIDER, TO GET THAT PROVIDER TO BE ABLE TO BECOME KEYSTONE STARS ELIGIBLE AND HOPEFULLY MOVE UP THROUGH THE KEYSTONE STARS PROGRAM, WHICH, IF YOU'RE FAMILIAR WITH THAT PROGRAM, ALLOWS THE PROVIDER TO ACTUALLY GET STATE SUBSIDY, WHICH MEANS THAT THE PROVIDER WHO MAY BE STRUGGLING TO MAKE ENDS MEET IS ACTUALLY GOING TO 
          [01:05:03]
BE SUBSIDIZED BY THE STATE AND SEE AN EXPONENTIAL INCREASE IN THEIR OWN PERSONAL INCOME IF THEY CAN MEET THE REQUIREMENTS THE STATE HAS, THIS PROGRAM WOULD EXPAND THE PROGRAM CAPACITY AND WOULD PROVIDE SOME ASSISTANCE TO HELP THEM WITH THE PHYSICAL PLANT OF THIS HOME DAYCARE. NEXT SLIDE PLEASE. THAT LICENSING AND OPERATING FOR SIX MONTHS, 50% OR MORE OF ENROLLED CHILDREN AT OR BELOW 300% OF THE POVERTY LEVEL, A STAR RATING OF TWO, 3 OR 4, OR A PLAN TO ACHIEVE A STAR TWO RATING WITHIN 12 MONTHS OF THE LOAN COMPLETION PASSES. 
          BUSINESS VIABILITY REVIEW OWNS THE HOUSE OR HAS LANDLORD CONSENT WITH A THREE YEAR PLUS LEASE. PROVIDES FULL TIME CARE AT LEAST SIX HOURS A DAY, FIVE DAYS A WEEK, TEN MONTHS A YEAR. 
          SO WE WOULD BE TALKING ABOUT STABLE FAMILY DAYCARES. THE FAMILY DAYCARE THAT, YOU KNOW, HAS BEEN A FAMILY DAYCARE FOR A LONG TIME THAT IS SEEING THE POOREST OF POOR CHILDREN THAT IS WILLING TO MAKE A COMMITMENT TO RECOMPETE, WHO HAS PARTNER AGENCIES INVESTING IN ALL SORTS OF PROGRAMING FOR THAT DAYCARE PROVIDER TO HELP THEM REACH THAT TWO STAR RATING. SO IF THEY NEED EMERGENCY LIGHTING, IF THEY NEED A BETTER BATHROOM FACILITY ON THE FIRST FLOOR, IF THEY NEED A PLAYROOM AREA THAT'S FENCED OR OR PROTECTED BY DOORS OR WALLS. NEXT SLIDE. 
          GENESIS. THAT THERE'D HAVE TO BE AN URGENT HEALTH, SAFETY OR LICENSING COMPLIANT. NEED A CREDIBLE LIST? RISK OF CLOSURE DUE TO A FACILITY CONDITION THAT THEY'D ADD NEW CHILD CARE SLOTS. IF WE DID THIS IMPROVEMENT, THAT THEY WOULD GET TO THE TWO STAR POINT, AND THAT THEY WERE LOCATED IN A BLOCK WITH SIGNIFICANT CHILDCARE SHORTAGES. AND THAT'S PART OF THE ALLENTOWN CHILDCARE NETWORK ASSESSMENT AS WELL. SO THIS WOULD BE AN AREA WHERE OUR POOREST OF POOR KIDS WOULD BE SERVED BY A FAMILY WHO VERY LIKELY MEETS THE INCOME QUALIFICATIONS THEMSELVES, BUT NEEDS OUR HELP TO STABILIZE THAT HOUSE, NEEDS OUR HELP TO BE ABLE TO TAKE ON MORE KIDS AND TO QUALIFY FOR A SUBSIDY THAT WILL PULL THAT DAYCARE OPERATOR, HOPEFULLY OUT OF POVERTY. THAT'S OUR GOAL TO GET THE DAYCARE OPERATORS BETTER LIVABLE WAGES SO THAT THEY CAN BREATHE. BUT TO KEEP THE ENVIRONMENT SAFE, WE HAVE A NUMBER OF THESE WHERE EITHER THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT OR THE PENNSYLVANIA STATE HAS DECIDED THAT THEY ARE UNSAFE AND THEY HAVE TO SHUT DOWN THEIR BUSINESS. AND SOMETIMES IT'S NOT A MASSIVE REPAIR THAT THEY NEED, BUT THERE IS NO ABILITY FOR THEM TO DRAW ON A LOAN BECAUSE THEIR INCOME IS SO VARIABLE. NEXT SLIDE PLEASE, THAT WE WOULD HAVE AN RFP FOR A PROGRAM ADMINISTRATOR. NONPROFITS WITH EXPERIENCE IN CHILD CARE, SMALL BUSINESS, HOME REPAIR OR COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT, FINANCIAL INSTITUTION OPERATIONS WOULD APPLY FOR THIS, AND WE WOULD MAKE A FUND AVAILABLE AT A 0% LOAN TO GET THOSE REPAIRS DONE. 
          AND WE COULD THEN SAY IT'S A LOAN BETWEEN 5000 AND 40,000. THE OWNER WILL PAY BACK THE LOAN WHEN THEY SELL OR TRANSFER THEIR HOUSE, OR CLOSE OR CEASE OPERATING WITH A LIEN AGAIN. OR IT MAY BE FORGIVEN AFTER A SET NUMBER OF YEARS. OR WE COULD ACTUALLY STRUCTURE A PAYMENT PLAN ONCE THEIR INCOME RISES FROM THE KEYSTONE STARS REIMBURSEMENT AGAIN, SPACE IMPROVEMENT CAPACITY EXPANSION, FURNITURE FIXTURES, EQUIPMENT ACCESSIBILITY. WE STRUGGLE WITH HAVING ACCESSIBLE DAYCARES FOR CHILDREN WITH DISABILITIES BECAUSE THEY DON'T HAVE RAMPS, THEY DON'T HAVE DOORWAYS LARGE ENOUGH FOR A WHEELCHAIR. THEY DON'T HAVE A BATHROOM THAT'S HANDICAPPED ACCESSIBLE. WE COULD HAVE A SPECIALIZED DAYCARE SAY, I WANT TO PUT IN THIS ACCOMMODATION, AND WE COULD HELP THEM FUND THAT, AND THEY WOULD BE A SPECIAL NEEDS DESIGNATED DAYCARE. NEXT SLIDE PLEASE. THE PRE-CONSTRUCTION SCHEDULING AGREEMENT WOULD BE A SCHEDULE THAT ALLOWS THEM TO BE DONE DURING OPERATING HOURS. WHEN TEMPORARILY OFFLINE ZONE BASED, THAT NO MORE THAN A THIRD OF THE CHILD CARE SPACE CAN BE TAKEN OFFLINE AT A TIME, AND THAT WE'RE SCHEDULING WEEKEND AND EVENING WORK SO THAT WE DON'T HAVE DUST AROUND KIDS AND WE DON'T DISPLACE THE KIDS WHILE THE WORK IS DONE. SO THOSE THAT CONTRACT WOULD BE WITH WHOEVER'S DOING THE RENOVATIONS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE NOT KILLING THEIR BUSINESS WHILE WE'RE TRYING TO FIX THEIR BUSINESS. NEXT SLIDE. AND THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT IF WE HAD FIVE FAMILY DAYCARES BETWEEN UP TO 50,000, WE'D HAVE PROBABLY A 280 700 $0 ALLOCATION THERE. BUT, YOU KNOW, WE COULD DO THAT WITH TWO DAYCARES IN THE FIRST 
          [01:10:05]
YEAR. WE COULD DO THAT WITH FIVE DAYCARES IN THE FIRST YEAR. OKAY, MR. BENDER, GO AHEAD. 
          THOUGH. I WOULD AGREE THAT THERE'S A SIGNIFICANT NEED CHILDCARE WISE IN THE CITY. IT DOES FEEL LIKE THIS IS A BIT OF AN OUTLIER FROM THE STANDPOINT OF WHAT WE'RE LOOKING TO DO, FOCUS WISE ON THIS, THE HOUSING FUND SIDE OF THINGS. I DO KNOW THAT I BELIEVE WITH ALLENTOWN WORKS, THAT'S ALSO A COMPONENT OF THIS IS THE CHILDCARE. IF I'M CORRECT, THE INVESTMENT IN THE PROVIDER IS FUNDABLE THROUGH FAMILY WORK, THROUGH ALLENTOWN WORKS, THE INDIVIDUALS OPERATING DAYCARE AND THE PROGRAMING. WE LOOKED AT THIS AND KAREN LOOKED AT THIS AS A MAJOR NEED. AND THE REASON WE HAVE IT CONNECTED TO HOUSING IS THAT ONE OF THE REASONS THAT PEOPLE HAVE UNSTABLE HOUSING IS BECAUSE OF THE HIGH COST OF QUALITY CHILDCARE. SO THE REASON WE CONNECTED THIS TOGETHER WAS BECAUSE IF WE CAN CREATE BETTER, SAFER PLACES FOR THESE DAYCARES, NOT ONLY CAN PEOPLE GO TO WORK IN THE CITY AND OUT OF THE CITY AND HOPEFULLY RAISE THEIR INCOME AND QUALIFY TO STAY STABLE IN THEIR HOUSING, BUT ALSO BECAUSE OUR DAYCARE PROVIDERS ARE SOME OF THE LOWEST PAID PROFESSIONALS IN THE COMMUNITY, AND MANY OF THEM ARE OPERATING OUT OF THEIR HOME AND TRYING TO KEEP THEIR HOME. 
          SO IN ORDER TO KEEP THEIR HOME, THEY HAVE TO BECOME KEYSTONE STARS ELIGIBLE TO GET REIMBURSEMENT BECAUSE THEY'RE SEEING KIDS THAT ARE 300% OF THE POVERTY GUIDELINES. THE PARENTS AREN'T PAYING A LOT TO PUT THEIR CHILD THERE. IF WE DON'T INVEST IN THE INFRASTRUCTURE AT ALL, THEY DON'T HAVE A PLACE TO PUT THEIR KIDS, SO THEY'RE NOT GOING TO WORK. AND THE CHILDCARE PROVIDER IS LOSING THEIR HOUSING. SO AGAIN, THEY WOULD HAVE TO DEMONSTRATE AN ABSOLUTELY CRITICAL NEED. THEY'RE GOING TO LOSE THEIR HOUSE, OR THEY'RE GOING TO LOSE THE ABILITY TO QUALIFY FOR KEYSTONE STARS. AND THAT WAS THE REASON WE THREW THIS IN HERE. IT CERTAINLY IS AN ADD ON. IT CERTAINLY IS ADJACENT, CERTAINLY MIGHT BE SOMETHING YOU RULE OUT, BUT INVESTMENT IN THOSE HOMES IS STILL INVESTMENT IN THOSE HOMES. AND WE LOOKED AT IT ALMOST LIKE AN OWNER OCCUPIED BUSINESS REHAB VERSUS A CHILDCARE INVESTMENT. OKAY, MR. PONGO, GO AHEAD. SO I CAN DEFINITELY SEE THE INTERSECTION. 
          I JUST SPEAKING FROM EXPERIENCE, I KNOW MANY PEOPLE WHO OWN DAYCARES IN THE CITY OF ALLENTOWN THAT ARE IN PHYSICAL HOMES. SO, I MEAN, THERE MAY BE A CHANCE WHERE WE HAVE SOMEONE WHO WANTS TO UPGRADE THEIR HOMES, MAYBE FOR THE PURPOSES OF THE DAYCARE, BUT IN REALITY, THEY QUALIFY UNDER ONE OF OUR OTHER HOME PROGRAMS, LIKE OWNER OCCUPIED REHAB PROGRAMS. I THINK IT'S AN INTERESTING CONCEPT THAT THE 0% INTEREST LOAN, I THINK THIS ONE'S DEFINITELY ONE OF THE ONES THAT HAS A LOT OF LAYERS TO IT AND KIND OF COMPLICATES THE PROGRAM A BIT. AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, I SEE SOME VALUE TO HAVING THAT. I SAW THE ONE AT LIKE A POTENTIALLY A FORGIVABLE LOAN. I THINK I'D BE A LITTLE BIT MORE HESITANT TO GO THE FORGIVABLE LOAN ROUTE. I UNDERSTAND THE NEED, BUT I THINK THIS IS ESPECIALLY ONE THAT HAS LESS IMPACT ON HOUSING OVERALL, BUT FULLY UNDERSTAND THE INTERSECTION THERE. MY OTHER QUESTION IS JUST THE RECOMPETE PROGRAM I UNDERSTAND PLAYS A PART IN THIS, AND I'M CURIOUS IF THAT PROGRAM WILL HELP KIND OF CREATE THE PARAMETERS FOR SOMETHING LIKE THIS TO BE ADMINISTERED, BECAUSE I CAN IMAGINE SOME DAYCARES MIGHT NOT HAVE THE INFORMATION TO COME CONFIRM WHETHER THEIR STUDENTS ARE 300% OF POVERTY GUIDELINES. RIGHT. 
          WE WOULD. YEAH. AND THIS IS WE ENVISION SOME OF THE PROPERTY OWNERS APPLYING FOR OWNER OCCUPIED REHAB TO BE A CHILD CARE. AND TO SAY, I DON'T I'M 80% AM I? AND I'M RUNNING A CHILD CARE AND IN OUR OWNER OCCUPIED. IF YOU LOOKED AT ALL THE CRITERIA, IT WASN'T TO CREATE A PLAY SPACE. IT WASN'T TO CREATE SOMETHING FOR CHILDREN, IT WASN'T TO FENCE IN A YARD, WHICH IS A CRITICAL COMPONENT TO A CHILD CARE. SO WE DIDN'T KNOW WHAT TO DO WITH THEM IN THE OWNER OCCUPIED REHAB PART, BECAUSE WHAT THEY NEED IS REALLY TO HELP THEIR BUSINESS. SO WE WEREN'T GOING TO AUTHORIZE ANY OF THAT KIND OF REPAIR UNLESS THEY WERE A PART OF RECOMPETE TO ACTUALLY START TO EARN A VIABLE WAGE THROUGH A REINVESTMENT BY THE STATE. BUT THE OTHER PIECE TO THIS IS THAT WE KNOW THAT DISPROPORTIONATELY, OUR BLACK AND BROWN MINORITY CHILDREN ARE OFTEN IN THESE UNDERFUNDED, UNDER-SUPPORTED, UNDER ENRICHED FAMILY BASED DAYCARES, WHERE THEY'RE KIND OF IN FRONT OF A TV, WATCHING A VIDEO, AND THEN WHEN THEY GO TO SCHOOL, THEY'RE WAY BEHIND. PLUS, THE INDIVIDUAL IS STRUGGLING TO MAKE ENDS MEET IN A SUBSTANDARD HOUSE, WHICH IS WHY THEY BARELY PASS INSPECTION. SO WE THOUGHT IF THEY WERE CRITICAL ENOUGH TO BE LOSING THEIR INFRASTRUCTURE, INSTEAD OF US SAYING, AS OWNER OCCUPIED, YES, WE'LL HELP YOU WITH THE BATHROOM. THAT DOESN'T WORK AND WILL HELP YOU WITH THE 
          [01:15:02]
ROOF. THIS WOULD SAY WE'LL ALSO FENCE IN THE YARD OR FIX THE BATHROOM, BUT CERTAINLY IF IT'S AN OUTLIER, IT'S SOMETHING WE MAY NOT CONSIDER UNTIL LATER IN THE PROGRAM OR ON A CASE BY CASE BASIS THROUGH OWNER OCCUPIED REHAB. IF IT'S AN OWNER OCCUPIED DAYCARE. OKAY, KAREN HAS A COMMITMENT. SHE HAS A VISITING FAMILY MEMBER FROM OUT OF TOWN, AND WE ASKED HER TO BE AVAILABLE UNTIL 730. DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANY LAST MINUTE QUESTION FOR KAREN SO THAT WE CAN. LET HER LEAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR MISS BLACK? IF WE THINK ABOUT OTHER QUESTIONS, WE CAN ALSO. YEAH, YOU CAN SEND THEM THROUGH. I THOUGHT, WHY DON'T WE DO THAT? OKAY. I WAS GOING TO SAY, I KNOW YOU MENTIONED AT THE START SHE SAID SHE WOULD BE AVAILABLE FOR ANYTHING. SHE'S WONDERFUL. AND I SAY THAT PUBLICLY. SHE'S BEEN AVAILABLE TO US AS WE THOUGHT THROUGH ALL OF THIS. AND KAREN, WE THANK YOU TREMENDOUSLY FOR THAT. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU FOR ATTENDING MISS BLACK. TAKE CARE. APPRECIATE IT EVERYONE. HAVE A WONDERFUL NIGHT. THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU. I THINK YOU HAD A QUESTION. YES. SO WITH THE RECOMPETE FROM THE PREVIOUS PRESENTATION, THERE ARE CURRENT CHILD CARE PROVIDERS THAT ARE ALREADY PARTNERS, I THINK RESURRECTED. AND THERE WERE SOME OTHER ONES. WHAT ARE THE OTHER ONES? TREVOR, YOU WANT TO TALK ABOUT CHILDCARE, RESURRECTED LIFE COMMUNITY SERVICES FOR CHILDREN. 
          THE LEHIGH VALLEY CHILDREN'S CENTER ARE OUR LARGEST PARTNERS RIGHT NOW. AND THEN WE'RE IN THE PROCESS OF RECRUITING TEN HOME BASED PROVIDERS TO HAVE THAT COHORT ASSEMBLED BY THE END OF THIS YEAR. OKAY. WHAT WHAT ARE THE REQUIREMENTS? YEAH. SO LIKE, THANK YOU FOR JUMPING INTO THAT BECAUSE I'M LIKE, I THOUGHT THAT THOSE PARTNERS WERE THE CHILD CARE COMPONENT OF, OF RECOMPETE. BUT NOW WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, WE'RE ALSO GOING TO TRY TO GET TEN HOME BASE. SO THERE, THERE ARE A TOTAL OF LIKE 120 PROVIDERS THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE CITY OF ALLENTOWN. 
          HOW WE STARTED OUR STRATEGY WAS WORKING WITH THE COMMUNITY SERVICES FOR CHILDREN IS CALLED THE EARLY LEARNING RESOURCE CENTER. SO THEY'RE ALMOST LIKE THE CHILD CARE QUARTERBACK FOR ALLENTOWN. SO IF WE GOT THEM ON BOARD THROUGH THEM, WE HAVE ACCESS WITH THE KEYSTONE STARS COACHING TO NOW BRING THOSE RESOURCES TO OUR FAMILY BASED PROVIDERS. SO THAT'S ALL THAT'S ALL SET UP BASED ON WHAT MANUELA HAD SHARED LAST WEEK. SO NOW WE'RE IN THE PROCESS OF TAKING THOSE RESOURCES TO ASSEMBLE OUR COHORTS OF THOSE HOME BASED PROVIDERS. SO OF THOSE 122 THAT I MENTIONED, 70% ARE HOME BASED PROVIDERS. SO OUR WORK IS LIKE VERY MUCH CUT OUT FOR US. SO WE HAVE TO LIKE START ASSEMBLING THESE COHORTS LIKE STRATEGICALLY. SO WE'RE STARTING WITH TEN AT A TIME TO THEN HOPEFULLY BY THE END OF THIS PROGRAM, HAVE A COHORT OF AT LEAST 40 OF THOSE OVER 75 HOME BASED PROVIDERS LIKE IMPACTED THROUGH THIS GRANT. 
          THOSE 40 HAVE TO BE WILLING TO COMMIT TO THE EDUCATIONAL COMPONENT AND ALL OF THE REQUIREMENTS THAT ALLOW YOU TO GET INTO KEYSTONE STARS AND MOVE THROUGH. YOU HAVE TO HAVE AN EMERGENCY RECORD ON EACH OF THE CHILDREN. YOU HAVE TO HAVE A CURRICULUM THAT YOUR YOUR TEACHING THOSE CHILDREN INSTEAD OF JUST A TELEVISION AND A, AND A VIDEO. YOU HAVE TO COMMIT TO HAVING YOUR, YOUR IN-HOUSE STAFF KNOW PEDIATRIC CPR. YOU HAVE TO HAVE AN EMERGENCY PLAN. 
          I MEAN, THERE'S A WHOLE SET OF CRITERIA THAT TEAM COMMUNITY SERVICES AND RESURRECTED IS GOING TO TAKE THAT COHORT THROUGH ALL THAT PROCESS AND GET THEM IN THE KEYSTONE STARS DIRECTION, THEN TAKE THE NEXT TEN, THE NEXT TEN, THE NEXT TEN. AND THEN WHAT AND WHAT WE'RE HEARING FROM THESE CONVERSATIONS OVER THE PAST YEAR AND A HALF IS THE MAJORITY OF THE FOLKS LIVING WITHIN OUR PRIORITY NEIGHBORHOODS THROUGH RECOMPETE AND JUST OUTSIDE OF THEM, A MAJORITY OF THOSE FAMILIES ARE SENDING THEIR CHILDREN TO THE FAMILY BASED DAYCARE PROVIDERS. AND SO IF, AS VICKI'S MENTIONING, THESE PROVIDERS HAVE THE LOWEST QUALITY INFRASTRUCTURE, LOWEST QUALITY, LIKE FURNITURE, FIXTURES AND APPLIANCES WITHIN THEIR HOUSE, THEY ALSO HAVE THE LOWEST KEYSTONE STARS RATING. SO THERE'S THIS IS LIKE, BY STATE STANDARDS, THE LOWEST QUALITY CARE WITHIN THE CITY. AND SO IF WE HAVE IDENTIFIED THIS AS LIKE A NEED, WE ARE TAKING OUR LIKE PROGRAMING RESOURCES THROUGH ALLENTOWN WORKS, INVESTING THAT IN THESE PROVIDERS. AND WE WOULD LIKE TO PROPOSE TAKING SOME OF THESE CAPITAL RESOURCES THROUGH THE HOUSING FUND. SO WE'RE HAVING LIKE A FULL WRAPAROUND APPROACH TO THE TO THE 70% OF CHILD CARE PROVIDERS WITHIN OUR CITY. SO WE'RE IMPROVING THE HOME ON THE BLOCK, IMPROVING THE INSIDE OF THAT HOME, AND IMPROVING THE QUALITY OF CARE THAT MOST OF ALLENTOWN FAMILIES ARE SENDING THEIR KIDS TO. OKAY. AND SO THEN THAT HOME WOULD BE IMPROVED FOR THE CURRENT NEED OF A CHILD CARE FACILITY. BUT THEN WHEN THEY SELL THAT HOME, 
          [01:20:03]
WHO'S GOING TO BUY IT? WELL, THAT'S THE THING. LIKE IF IT HAS A FENCE IN THE BACKYARD, IF IT HAS A HANDICAPPED RAMP RAMP IN THE FRONT YARD, IT'S AN ATTRACTIVE HOME IF THEY DECIDE TO SELL IT. MANY FAMILIES HAVE A PET AND THEY WANT A FENCE OR A CHILD AND THEY WANT A FENCE. 
          THOSE ARE THE KINDS OF THINGS THAT WE WOULD ONLY APPROVE AS A. AS AN IMPROVEMENT. BUT FOR JUST AN EXAMPLE, IF IT'S A CARPETED HOME AND THEY'VE GOT A DAYCARE AND THEY NEED LINOLEUM BECAUSE THE CARPETING IS GETTING FILTHY, AND THAT'S NOT GOING TO PASS MUSTER WITH THE STATE. AND THEY DON'T HAVE MONEY TO PUT IN A TO PUT IN LINOLEUM, THEY'RE NOT GOING TO QUALIFY WITH THE STATE TO PASS AND BECOME BETTER IN KEYSTONE STARS. SO IT'S THOSE KINDS OF THINGS. BUT AGAIN, NOT TO DWELL ON THIS. THIS IS SOMETHING THAT'S AN ANCILLARY CONNECTION THAT WE USED KAREN'S RECOMMENDATIONS OF HOW WHAT IS SHE SEEING NATIONWIDE AS WHAT PEOPLE ARE DOING WITH HOUSING INVESTMENT? AND SHE'S SAYING THAT YOU GET A DOUBLE WIN WHEN YOU INVEST IN A CHILD CARE, BECAUSE THE CHILD CARE PROVIDER IS USUALLY SO FINANCIALLY UNSTABLE. IT MAKES THE HOME IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD UNSTABLE AND THAT YOU'RE INCREASING THEIR INCOME WITH RECOMPETE, WHY WOULD YOU NOT IMPROVE THEIR PROPERTY SO THAT PEOPLE WANT TO GO THERE? SO THAT'S BASICALLY WHAT THE CONNECTION WAS. THESE PEOPLE LIVE IN THESE FAMILY BASED DAYCARES, SO IT'S ESSENTIALLY OWNER OCCUPIED REHAB THAT HAPPENS TO BE A DAYCARE. OKAY. AND OKAY. AND ALSO A REVENUE GENERATOR. SO I PROBABLY LEAN, I WOULD LEAN AGAINST THE FORGIVABLE LOANS AND JUST IF WE'RE GOING TO, AND THAT'S WHAT WE WOULD SIT DOWN AND WORK OUT IF WE'RE INCREASING THE REVENUES, I THINK, AND I THINK ONE THING WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT, NOT MAYBE HERE, BUT AS WE FLUSH OUT THE DETAILS, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT A SENIOR WHO WE'RE HELPING FIX A ROOF TO KEEP HIM OR HER IN THEIR HOME BECAUSE THEY'RE ON A FIXED INCOME, THEIR HOME IS PROBABLY PAID OFF. SO WE WOULD TAKE FIRST POSITION. BUT IN SOME OF THESE OTHER SCENARIOS, I WOULD WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT IF WE TAKE A SECOND POSITION, THAT IT'S A POSITION THAT WE'RE PROTECTED, AS YOU KNOW. SO IF THE HOME IS WORTH 250,000 AND THEIR MORTGAGE IS 2.35, LIKE, I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S A POSITION WE WANT TO BE IN BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY THE BANK IS GOING TO GOBBLE THAT UP. SO WE JUST HAVE TO REALLY MAKE SURE WE JUST WE KNOW WHERE WE STAND AS A SECOND LIEN HOLDER IN THESE IN THESE SCENARIOS. AGAIN, THOSE ARE DETAILS. BUT JUST AND THAT'S WHY THIS WASN'T EASY TO COME TO YOU AND SAY, WE WANT TO SPEND $600,000 ON THIS AND 1.2 MILLION ON THIS. ALL OF THOSE VARIABLES WILL DETERMINE THE AMOUNTS THAT SEEM TO MAKE THE MOST AMOUNT OF SENSE. BUT AT LEAST WITH KAREN'S HELP, WE WERE ABLE TO FLUSH OUT THE ABOUT A THOUSAND, ABOUT $100,000 PER HOME THAT WE NEED TO WORK WITH. WITH THE 80% AM I. 
          AND I THINK THE OTHER IMPORTANT THING WE'VE STRUCTURED THESE AS PILOTS INITIATIVE INITIALLY, BECAUSE PART OF IT IS TO SEE HOW LONG IT TAKES US TO GET A HOME, GET IT REHABBED, GET IT SOLD TO AN INCOME QUALIFIED BUYER. LIKE WE'LL LEARN A LOT BY DOING IT THAT WE CAN IMPROVE IT, PIVOT WHERE NEEDED. BUT, YOU KNOW, SO I WOULD LOOK AT ALL OF THIS AS PILOTS RIGHT NOW THAT EVENTUALLY COULD TURN INTO MORE PERMANENT PROGRAMS. OKAY. AND IS THAT THE END OF THE PRESENTATION? THAT'S THE END OF THE PRESENTATION. THOSE WERE THE MAJOR RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THE HOUSING STUDY AND THE DIVE THAT WE TRIED TO DO IN THEM TO GIVE A JUMPING OFF POINT, SO THAT WHAT WE CAN DO IS SIT DOWN ONE BY ONE AND WHITTLE THROUGH EACH OF THOSE CRITERIA AND COME UP WITH WHAT WE THINK IS THE MOST AFFORDABLE AND SUSTAINABLE OPTIONS. OKAY. THANK YOU. AND JUST LOOKING BACK AT THE ORIGINAL HOUSING STUDY THAT WE RECEIVED, THE WELCOME, THE WELCOME HOME, ALLENTOWN, THERE WAS A PROVISION IN THERE FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING CONSTRUCTION. 
          SO I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING WE NEED TO HAVE A CONVERSATION ABOUT. IF WE'RE IF THERE IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO WITH THE RIGHT, YOU KNOW, THE RIGHT SCENARIOS TO HELP A DEVELOPER GET AFFORDABLE HOUSING TO THE FINISH LINE, WHETHER IT'S WITH GAF FUND LOAN PROGRAMS, OR IF YOU WANT TO SPEAK TO THAT. I THINK THE CHALLENGE WITH THAT, THE AMOUNT OF MONEY THESE LARGER PROJECTS NEED, YOU COULD SPEND EASILY 50% OF YOUR BUDGET IN A GIVEN YEAR ON ONE PROJECT. 
          [01:25:02]
SO I THINK THE APPROACH WE'VE TAKEN IS WE KNOW THE OWNER OCCUPIED HOUSING REHAB AND ENCOURAGING MORE HOMEOWNERSHIP WITHIN THE CITY IS NEEDED TO GET THOSE PROGRAMS UP AND RUNNING AND STRUCTURED. WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO BE ABLE TO LOOK AT IS HOUSING PRODUCTION FUND IN THE FUTURE. BUT THE WAY YOU GET TO. THE AMOUNT OF FUNDING THAT YOU NEED, LIKE YOU'RE PROBABLY TALKING ABOUT LOOKING AT BONDING AND MAYBE USING A PORTION OF THE HOUSING TRUST FUND TO PAY DEBT SERVICE SO THAT YOU CAN GET A BIG ENOUGH POT OF FUNDS THAT YOU CAN DO MULTIPLE LARGE SCALE PRODUCTION. AND WE JUST WEREN'T SURE IN THE FIRST YEAR WITH THIS AMOUNT OF MONEY, WHETHER THAT WAS SOMETHING WE COULD HANDLE OUT OF THE GATE. BUT WE HAVE DEVELOPERS MORE THAN WILLING TO BUILD AFFORDABLE HOUSING. THEY JUST CAN'T MAKE THE NUMBERS WORK USING ANY OF THE CURRENT FUNDING WE HAVE, BECAUSE ALL OF THE CURRENT FUNDING WE HAVE TRIGGERS THE INCREASE IN PREVAILING WAGE. SO WE'RE STUCK. AND BEING STUCK IS MADDENING BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT WHAT YOU WANT IS MORE AFFORDABLE HOUSING. IT'S WHAT WE WANT, AND WE'RE RUNNING OUT OF CREATIVE WAYS TO DO THIS. WHEN WE JUST SIMPLY BETWEEN THE BHABHA AND THE TARIFF AND THE COST OF MATERIALS. NOW, IF OUR MONEY PROVIDES NO INCENTIVE, WE'RE JUST STUCK. AND, YOU KNOW, LIKE I SAID, THIS, THE ONE THAT MR. COLLESANO WROTE HIS LETTER ABOUT WAS HEARTBREAKING. IT WAS A GREAT GRANT. WE WROTE A WONDERFUL GRANT. WE GOT FUNDED. 
          IT WOULD HAVE BEEN A PRIMARY BUILDING ON HAMILTON STREET THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN MIXED. 
          AFFORDABLE AND MARKET RATE HOUSING. AND, YOU KNOW, WHEN THEY SAID THE WHOLE BUILDING IS PREVAILING WAGE, IT MORE THAN DOUBLED THE COST OF THE PROJECT AND HE JUST CAN'T MAKE THE ENDS MEET. SO WE HAVE TO COME UP WITH SOME OTHER LONG TERM SOLUTION BECAUSE IT'S JUST NOT WORKING. OKAY. ANY OTHER COMMENTS FROM THE DAIS ON THIS? GO AHEAD, MR. PONGO. ABSOLUTELY. 
          THANK YOU. AND I APPRECIATE THAT BREAKDOWN BECAUSE I THINK IT'S SO IMPORTANT. YOU KNOW, CONSTRUCTION IS EXPENSIVE, AND I THINK WE HAVE TO LOOK AT OPPORTUNITY COSTS HERE. AND OBVIOUSLY, YOU KNOW, IF IF WE'RE SAYING A PROJECTED $1.8 MILLION FOR THE HOUSING FUND, IF THAT WAS PUT INTO A FULL DEVELOPMENT OF A LARGE BUILDING, I DON'T KNOW. I MEAN, JUST THROWING AROUND NUMBERS OUT THERE COULD MEAN IMPACTING MAYBE 15 TO 20 UNITS. AND ARE THOSE NEW RESIDENTS, EXISTING RESIDENTS? I THINK, YOU KNOW, I ONE THING I WOULD LIKE TO SEE WITH OUR BODY IS LOOKING AT EACH OF THESE PROGRAMS AND TRYING TO START TO QUANTIFY, AND WHICH I THINK THE PRESENTATION DID, ROUGHLY HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE GOING TO BE IMPACTED BY EACH OF THESE PROJECTS AND THESE BUDGETS? YOU KNOW, I THINK YOU GUYS KIND OF PORTIONED IT IN A WAY THAT YOU COULD ALMOST TRY TO DO ALL OF THEM, OR AT LEAST MAYBE LIKE 60 TO 80% OF THE CAPACITY OF EACH ONE OF THOSE PROGRAMS WITH WHAT WE'RE PROJECTING, I THINK FOR THIS YEAR. AND THAT'S NOT TO SAY WE HAVE TO DO ALL OF THEM. BUT IF, LET'S SAY LIKE OUR FIRST PROGRAM IS SOMETHING THAT WE'LL SEE THE GREATEST IMPACT AND WE WANT TO SPEND MORE ON THAT, WE CAN ALWAYS REVIEW THAT. BUT I THINK WE SHOULD TAKE THE APPROACH OF LOOKING AT IT AS HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE GOING TO BE IMPACTED BY THIS. AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, THE MORE WE CAN REACH TO DIFFERENT RESIDENTS IN THE CITY, I THINK THAT'S PROBABLY GOING TO BE THE BEST IMPACT WE CAN HAVE. AND THE WAY THAT THE NEWS SPREADS AND THE WAY THAT THE POSITIVE, YOU KNOW, PROGRESS THAT WE'RE MAKING GOES. AND THAT'S ONE THING. I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE CLEAR, LIKE IT IS GOING TO TAKE US TIME TO SCALE THESE PROGRAMS AND GET THEM. BUT LIKE, ONCE WE AGREE ON THE, THIS IS WHAT WE'RE GOING TO START ON, LIKE IT'S UNLIKELY WE'RE GOING TO DO 40 HOMES IN 2027. LIKE IT WILL TAKE US A LITTLE BIT TO BUILD THAT INFRASTRUCTURE. BUT WE'RE MOVING TOWARDS THAT AND KNOWING THAT WE HAVE A STABLE SOURCE OF FUNDING TO CONTINUE TO DO THAT IS GOING TO BE REALLY HELPFUL. OKAY, SO NOW I'M GOING TO OPEN IT UP TO CURTSY THE FLOOR. ANY MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WHO WOULD LIKE TO GIVE US FEEDBACK OR QUESTIONS REGARDING THE HOUSING PRESENTATION? WE'VE JUST JUST SAT THROUGH? SO ANY MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WHO WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK COME ON UP, PLEASE, MISS. HI, EVERYBODY. I'M ALAN JENNINGS. I'VE LIVED IN THE CITY, MY ADULT LIFE. I WANT TO SAY, FIRST OF ALL, THAT I THINK THAT WE CAN MAKE THE ARGUMENT THAT THIS IS THE BEST COMMUNITY AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND PLANNING STAFF THIS CITY HAS HAD SINCE I'VE BEEN DOING THIS WORK IN 40 YEARS, I THINK IS IS OUTSTANDING WORK, AND THEY 
          [01:30:04]
DESERVE OUR THANKS AND CREDIT FOR THE HARD WORK THEY DID AND CREATIVE THINKING THAT THEY DID. 
          I ALSO WANT TO GIVE YOU A SPECIAL NOD OF THANKS, BECAUSE I THINK THIS THE SCALE OF WHAT YOU'VE GOT GOING HERE HAS THE POTENTIAL TO HAVE THE IMPACT ON THE NEIGHBORHOODS THAT THE NIZ HAS HAD ON THE DOWNTOWN CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT. AND I THINK THAT'S SAYING A LOT. SO GOOD WORK TO THE CITY COUNCIL. I WOULD JUST HAVE A FEW ADDITIONAL COMMENTS. I THINK YOU OUGHT TO THINK ABOUT MATCHING HOMEOWNER PARTICIPATION. YOU KNOW, SO ON THE ON THE, THE OWNER OCCUPIED REHAB PROGRAM THAT IF THEY CAN MUSTER, YOU KNOW, YOU'VE GOT IT WITH JUST STRAIGHT UP GRANTS, IF THEY COULD MUSTER MATCHING FUNDS AND YOU COULD INCENTIVIZE THE USE OF THOSE MATCHING FUNDS. I MEAN, IT MIGHT BE THE PARENTS IN THE SUBURBS OR THEIR, YOU KNOW, THEIR RICH AUNT OR WHATEVER THE CASE MAY BE. BUT TO BE ABLE TO MULTIPLY THOSE, THOSE DOLLARS WITH MATCHING BY USING CITY FUNDS AS MATCHING FUNDS, I THINK THAT WOULD BE WELL SPENT INVESTMENT. I WANT TO STIR UP A LITTLE BIT OF TROUBLE. I WOULD WANT TO RAISE THE QUESTION OF WHETHER YOU DON'T TALK ABOUT FACADES MUCH. AND FACADES HAVE TREMENDOUS CURB APPEAL AND HAVE AN IMPACT ON SURROUNDING PROPERTIES AND AND TAX BASE AND SO ON. AND I DON'T I DON'T I DON'T EVEN THINK I HEARD THE WORD USED AT ALL. AND SO I WONDERED IF YOU HAD ANY THOUGHT ABOUT WHETHER MAYBE THE CITY COULD USE THE MATCHING FUNDS TO ENCOURAGE INVESTMENT IN FACADE, BUT I'D ALSO CAUTION, AND THIS GETS INTO SOME SERIOUS ETHNIC DISAGREEMENT. BUT I THINK WHEN YOU'VE GOT ALL DOWNTOWN HOUSES AND YOU GOT HOUSES THAT GET PAINTED BRIGHT COLORS THAT DON'T MATCH THE THE HISTORIC ORDINANCE, I THINK YOU I THINK TYPICALLY THEY DON'T, BUT I THINK YOU SHOULD CONSIDER REGULATING PAINT COVER COLOR WHEN IT COMES TO FACADES. SO MAYBE YOU HAVE A WHOLE BLOCK OF PEOPLE WHO AGREE THAT WE OUGHT TO MAKE A COLOR CHANGES. I MEAN, I'VE BEEN IN MANY SPANISH CITIES AND IT LOOKS BEAUTIFUL WHEN YOU'VE GOT TURQUOISE AND CANARY AND APRICOT AND PEACH AND ALL THAT MIXED TOGETHER. 
          WHEN YOU PUT IT IN WITH A WITH A PRESERVED OLDER BRICK HOME, I THINK YOU END UP WITH SOME ANGRY NEIGHBORS. AND SO I THINK YOU OUGHT TO THINK ABOUT THE, THE POLITICS OF, OF PAINT COLOR, BUT I THINK PAINT COLOR IS AN IMPORTANT ISSUE. I DIDN'T HEAR THE USE OF THE WORDS LEAN IN THE FIVE YEAR OCCUPANCY REQUIREMENTS. DID YOU DID YOU SAY THAT? YES. OKAY. I DIDN'T THINK I DIDN'T HEAR THAT. I WOULD ALSO SUGGEST THAT YOU CONSIDER IDENTIFYING PRIORITY BLOCKS AROUND THE CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT. THERE'S THERE'S A LOT OF DIFFICULTY GETTING HOME OWNERSHIP AROUND THE CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT. I THINK IF YOU INVEST A WHOLE BUNCH OF MONEY IN ONE BLOCK, IT'LL CREATE A, YOU KNOW, ENOUGH OF AN INCENTIVE FOR PEOPLE TO, TO BE MORE OF A RISK TAKER AND, AND MAKE THE INVESTMENT THAT YOU WANT AND HOMEOWNERS TO MAKE ON THE, THE ISSUE OF HAVING OUTSTANDING TAXES AND SO ON. I WOULD ALSO, I HATE TO STIR UP THIS POT TOO, BUT I WOULD ALSO CONSIDER SCOFFLAWS ON PARKING TICKETS. I MEAN, IT'S ONE THING TO HAVE A FEW PARKING TICKETS, BUT THERE ARE BUNCHES OF PEOPLE HAVE, YOU KNOW, HUNDREDS OF DOLLARS OF PARKING TICKETS. THAT GETS TO THE LEVEL OF BEING WORTHY OF BEING A FACTOR IN CONSIDERING WHETHER OR NOT THEY SHOULD BE CONSIDERED ELIGIBLE FOR THE PROGRAM. AND I ALSO JUST WANT TO MAKE ONE LAST POINT. AND THERE WAS CONSIDERABLE TALK ABOUT MORTGAGE LENDING. I WANT YOU TO KNOW, I MEAN, WE LIBERALS LIKE TO TALK ABOUT ABOUT REDLINING. IT'S IT'S LIKE GENTRIFICATION. IT'S ONE OF THOSE CATCHY PHRASES THAT WE LIKE TO USE. THERE IS NO THERE HAVE BEEN THERE HAS BEEN CLEAR EVIDENCE THAT'S BEEN SHOWN. 
          HOME MORTGAGE DISCLOSURE ACT IS FEDERALLY COLLECTED DATA BY BANK REGULATORS. THAT SHOWS THAT BACK IN THE 90S, PEOPLE OF COLOR WERE FIVE TIMES MORE LIKELY TO BE REJECTED FOR MORTGAGE THAN THEIR WHITE COUNTERPARTS. TODAY, AFRICAN AMERICANS HAVE GOTTEN TO PARITY IN MORTGAGE LENDING, AND LATINOS ARE ACTUALLY GETTING HIGHER APPROVAL RATES THAN WHITE PEOPLE. SO WE CAN GET OVER THE USE OF THE WORD REDLINING. IT JUST DOESN'T APPLY IN THIS MARKET. AND IT'S NOT IT'S NOT TYPICAL. IT'S NOT IN ALL MARKETS, BUT IN THIS MARKET IN PARTICULAR, BECAUSE THE WORK WE'VE DONE WITH BANKS AND, AND, AND SO ON, WE SHOULD JUST GET THAT ISSUE OUT OF OUR HEADS AND WORK ON MORE PRESSING ISSUES. OKAY, SO THAT'S ALL I HAVE TO SAY. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. GOOD WORK. THANK YOU. ANY OTHER MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC AND I'LL EXTEND COURTESY OF FLORA FOR ANYONE ELSE. WHAT'S THAT? IF ANYONE ELSE WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK, I'LL EXTEND THE TIME. OKAY. SO THANK YOU AGAIN FOR THE HOUSING FUND PRESENTATION. 
          [01:35:04]
I KNOW WE HAVE ANOTHER ITEM ON THE AGENDA FOR DISCUSSION. MISS. MY COLLEAGUE MISS GERLACH WANTED TO BRING UP A SOME LEGISLATION THAT YOU'VE BEEN WORKING ON. YES. THANK YOU. SO NOW IT WOULD BE LIKE A COUPLE MONTHS AGO AT THIS POINT, DOCTOR MODA, MYSELF AND GENESIS MET WITH AND JEREMY. JEREMY. WE HAD A MEMBER AT THE END. WE HAD A WONDERFUL CONVERSATION. YES. 
          SO WE MET WITH COUNCILPERSON FRANK PETTIBONE. HE'S FROM EASTON, AND THEY PASSED A WORKFORCE HOUSING PIECE OF LEGISLATION RECENTLY. WELL, SO THE ORIGINAL PIECE OF LEGISLATION WAS PASSED A WHILE AGO, BUT THEN THEY RECENTLY UPDATED IT TO MAKE IT TO MAKE IT BETTER, WHICH IS WHAT WE HAVE. I DON'T KNOW IF MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC HAVE IT IN THE BACK. NO, WE HAVE NO PAPERS ON THERE. OKAY. SO WE HAVE ON OUR IPADS THE MOST UPDATED. YOU'LL SEE THE RED LANGUAGE. THAT'S WHAT WAS ADDED. THOSE ARE THE AMENDMENTS. IT PASSED. AND I KNOW ALLENTOWN, YOU KNOW, WE TEND TO TALK ABOUT HOW UNIQUE AND HOW DIFFERENT WE ARE. BUT I DO FEEL LIKE THERE'S A LOT OF SIMILARITIES BETWEEN US AND EASTON, AND WE, A COUPLE OF US REQUESTED THIS ORDINANCE TO GO THROUGH THE LSR PROCESS. I READ THE RESPONSE OF THE LSR FROM OUR FROM OUR COUNCIL. I DIDN'T SEE ANY RED FLAGS, SO I FIGURED TONIGHT WOULD JUST BE A TIME JUST TO DISCUSS THIS. THIS ORDINANCE. IF YOU SEE ANY RED FLAGS, ANY AREAS THAT YOU'RE EXCITED ABOUT, ANY AREAS OF CONCERN, SO THAT WHEN THIS ORDINANCE IS INTRODUCED, I INTEND TO HAVE IT INTRODUCED THE 1ST SEPTEMBER, THE FIRST WEDNESDAY OF SEPTEMBER, THAT WE HAVE ANY KIND OF CONCERNS WORKED OUT. SO HOPEFULLY YOU HAD A CHANCE TO READ THROUGH THE ORDINANCE. BUT ESSENTIALLY WHAT THIS ORDINANCE DOES IS THAT I'LL READ THE PURPOSE. THE PURPOSE OF THIS, OF THIS ORDINANCE WOULD BE TO PROMOTE THE DEVELOPMENT OF WORKFORCE HOUSING IN THE CITY OF ALLENTOWN BY REQUIRING CERTAIN MULTIFAMILY HOUSING PROJECTS, BENEFITING FROM PUBLIC FUNDING OR TAX INCENTIVES TO INCLUDE HOUSING UNITS, AFFORDABLE TO MODERATE AND TO MODERATE INCOMES. AND THEY USE AM I IN THIS ORDINANCE? IT RANGES FROM 75% TO 95%. THERE IS A FEE IN LIEU OF OPTION, WHICH IS, YOU KNOW, KIND OF TIES IN WITH OUR PREVIOUS CONVERSATION ABOUT THE HOUSING FUND UP TO THIRD. WELL, EASTON HAS IT SET, AND THIS IS THE CONVERSATIONS WE NEED TO HAVE. THEY HAVE THEIRS AT 3000 PER UNIT. SO IF A DEVELOPER CHOOSES TO NOT INCLUDE WORKFORCE UNIT, SHE OR HE MAY PUT 30,000 PAY $30,000 PER UNIT INTO THE. IN OUR CASE, MAYBE THE. THE HOUSING FUND, 25% OF THE UNITS WOULD NEED TO BE WORKFORCE. TRYING TO THINK ANY OTHER BIG ITEMS FROM THIS. I THINK THAT THAT IS A PRETTY MUCH A SUMMARY. OH, IT WOULD HAVE TO BE MORE THAN TEN UNITS. SO LIKE IF IT'S A SMALLER PROJECT, LIKE 3 OR 4, THIS WOULDN'T KICK IN. SO YEAH, SO THAT'S OVERALL LIKE THE MAIN KIND OF MAIN AREAS OF THIS ORDINANCE. HOPEFULLY AGAIN, YOU GOT A CHANCE TO READ IT. SO IF THERE'S ANY QUESTIONS OR FEEDBACK, JUST SO THAT WHEN I PUT THIS TO MIC, THAT IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT COUNCIL CAN AT LEAST GET BEHIND ON, CAN YOU TURN THE MIC AROUND? I BELIEVE THAT IS WORKING VERY WELL. ACCORDING TO VICE MAYOR PENTATHLON, AND I THINK THAT IT WILL BE REALLY GREAT IF WE CAN IMPLEMENT IT HERE. THANK YOU. CAN I CAN I ASK A QUESTION WHERE I'M STRUGGLING TO UNDERSTAND, AND THIS MAY JUST BE THAT I'M THICK HERE IN THE CITY. IF THEY USE GOVERNMENT MONEY, THE ONLY GOVERNMENT MONEY WE HAVE HAS TO BE USED ON ALL AFFORDABLE UNITS. NOW, HOUSING TRUST FUND, WE NEVER WE NEVER SAID THAT. BUT IF YOU USE STATE OR FEDERAL FUNDS, THEY HAVE TO BE USED ON AFFORDABLE UNITS AND THEY HAVE TO FILE. 
          THEY HAVE TO FOLLOW THE HUD GUIDELINES. SO I WOULD SEE THIS ONLY AS PUTTING A PERCENTAGE 
          [01:40:06]
THERE OF 25%, WHERE WITH HUD IT HAS TO BE USED. THEY ALL HAVE TO BE AFFORDABLE OR THEY HAVE TO BE. THE PUBLIC MONEY IS ONLY USED ON THE AFFORDABLE UNITS. SO IF I'M BUILDING 20 UNITS AND I'M GOING TO USE HUD MONEY, I'M GOING TO ONLY BE ABLE TO USE THOSE HUD MONEY, THAT HUD MONEY ON THE FOUR UNITS THAT ARE AFFORDABLE. I CAN NEVER USE PUBLIC MONEY ON MARKET RATE HOUSES LIKE THAT. THAT'S NOT ALLOWED. I DON'T OTHER THAN THE PAYMENT TO GET OUT OF BUILDING AFFORDABLE UNITS. IF WE GAVE THEM HOUSING TRUST FUND MONEY, IT SEEMS LIKE IT OPENS THE DOOR FOR THEM TO GET OUT OF BUILDING AFFORDABLE HOUSING TO ME, BECAUSE ASSUMING THAT WE'RE ONLY GOING TO USE HOUSING TRUST FUND MONEY ON AFFORDABILITY, WHY WOULD WE LET THEM PAY TO GET OUT OF THAT AFFORDABILITY? WOULD YOU FOLLOW ME? LIKE IF THE HUD MONEY IS FORCING AFFORDABILITY AND WE CAN ONLY USE IT ON AFFORDABILITY AND OUR HOUSING TRUST FUND MONEY, WE'RE ONLY GOING TO USE ON 80%. AM I OR LOW INCOME HOUSING, THEN ISN'T THIS GIVING THEM AN OPTION TO PAY $30,000 AND GET OUT OF BUILDING AFFORDABLE HOUSING TRUST FUND MONEY, INSTEAD OF REQUIRING THEM TO BUILD AFFORDABLE? ARE YOU FOLLOWING WHAT I'M SAYING? I CAN, I AM, I GUESS MY QUESTION WOULD BE IF. SO, THIS LEGISLATION SEEMS TO SET. LIKE COUNCILPERSON GERLACH MENTIONED, THAT 25% THRESHOLD. IF THE HUD REQUIREMENT WAS 10% OR WHATEVER, RIGHT. OR CHANGE, IT WOULD CHANGE BECAUSE WE'VE ALWAYS SAID 20%. AND IN OUR ZONING, YOU CAN'T GET THE ZONING INCENTIVES UNLESS 20%. SO YOU WOULD BE INCREASING BY 5% BECAUSE ZONING, YOU CAN'T GET THE EXTRA HEIGHT AND YOU CAN'T GET THE RELIEVED PARKING, AND YOU CAN'T GET THE SMALLER UNIT UNLESS 20% OF YOUR PROJECT IS AFFORDABLE. SO YOU CAN USE THAT WITH ZONING. BUT I'M JUST WONDERING WHY THEY WOULDN'T JUST PAY THEIR WAY OUT. AND, AND THAT WOULD BE MY POINT. AVERAGE COST TO BUILD AFFORDABLE HOUSING RIGHT NOW. 
          LIKE IF IT'S A PUBLICLY SUBSIDIZED, PROBABLY LOOKING AT $300,000 A UNIT, NOT LIKE THAT'S ONE APARTMENT. I WOULD PAY $30,000 TO GET OUT, TO GET OUT IF I DIDN'T HAVE TO. SO I LIKE THAT'S WHAT I'M WORRIED ABOUT. I GUESS I'M STRUGGLING TO SEE WHERE OR WHAT. LIKE IF YOU COULD IDENTIFY WHAT SPECIFIC GRANT PROGRAMS THAT YOU'RE WORRIED ABOUT OR THAT THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL TO ME. OH, I'LL WAIT TO. OKAY. SO I THINK WHO WILL BE MOST HELPFUL FOR THOSE QUESTIONS IS WHEN WE HAVE THE C, E, D MEETING, UNFORTUNATELY, EASTON MEETS THE SAME NIGHT AS WE DO RIGHT NOW. SO I'M GOING TO MAKE SURE THAT THE COMMITTEE MEETING IS SCHEDULED ON A NIGHT IN WHICH MR. PETTIBONE AND I BELIEVE HIS NAME IS MICHAEL BRETT, THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF HOME. EASTON CAN ATTEND BECAUSE THEY WILL BE ABLE TO ANSWER THAT. I DON'T EVEN WANT TO PRETEND TO, I THINK. YEAH, BECAUSE THEY'RE ADMINISTERING. EASTON HAS USED LERTA ON NON AFFORDABLE PROJECTS. THEY USE LERTA ON BUILDING AN APARTMENT COMPLEX OR BUILDING WHATEVER. SO IF THAT'S THE CASE, I CAN SEE WHERE THIS WOULD BE TRIGGERED. 
          WE WERE MAKING THE ASSUMPTION THAT ANYTHING WE DID HOUSING TRUST FUND OR EVEN LERTA WOULD BE BASED ON AFFORDABLE HOUSING. AND THAT'S WHERE IT SCARES ME BECAUSE IF THEY CAN BUY THEIR WAY OUT MUCH MORE CHEAPER THAN BUILDING AFFORDABLE, WHY WOULD THEY NOT? NOW THE PLUS SIZE PLUS SIDE IS WE'D LOSE THEIR REQUIRED UNITS, BUT WE'D GAIN $30,000 INTO THE HOUSING TRUST FUND FOR EACH UNIT. BUT IF WE REALLY WANTED TO INCENTIVIZE THEM, I DON'T KNOW WHY WE'D GIVE THEM THE BUYOUT. SO THAT IS ONE QUESTION I'D LOVE TO HEAR. YOU KNOW, EASTON'S FOLKS ANSWER FOR ME BECAUSE I'D HATE TO SEE US ENACT LEGISLATION THAT ACTUALLY GIVES THEM A WAY OUT OF BUILDING AFFORDABLE HOUSING. I UNDERSTAND WHERE YOU'RE COMING FROM. I THINK THAT CAN YOU TURN YOUR MICROPHONE ON? YES. MY APOLOGIES. I THINK THAT IT WILL BE YEAH, IT WILL BE BENEFICIAL FOR US TO HAVE MEET AGAIN WHEN EASTON IS NOT IN SESSION. YEAH. 
          SO I MEAN, JUST SCHEDULE WISE I THINK. SO IF WE GET THIS INTRODUCED THE FIRST WEDNESDAY OF SEPTEMBER, THEY MEET. I BELIEVE IT'S I BELIEVE THE SECOND AND FOURTH WEDNESDAY. SO 
          [01:45:08]
I WAS THINKING THEY'D BE ABLE TO COME IN ON THE THIRD WEDNESDAY. SO IF WE HAD A COMMITTEE MEETING BEFORE COUNCIL, THEY'D BE ABLE TO COME IN AND ENGAGE WITH US. OKAY. 
          YEAH, I'M HAPPY TO HAVE THEM, I THINK. I THINK THAT'D BE GREAT. OKAY. YEAH. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS REGARDING, I GUESS, ANYTHING ELSE REGARDING THAT LEGISLATION OR. NO, I MEAN, JUST IT'S THE POINT OF TONIGHT IS JUST TO LET YOU KNOW IT'S COMING, READ OVER IT. AND DEFINITELY. AND IF I CAN GET AN ANSWER EVEN BEFORE THE FIRST WEEK OF SEPTEMBER TO THAT CONCERN, I'LL BRING THAT DEFINITELY. SO THAT CAN ALSO FEED INTO OUR DISCUSSION ABOUT LERTA AND HOUSING TRUST FUND THAT WE'RE MAKING THE ASSUMPTION WE'RE GOING ALL AFFORDABLE WITH THIS HOUSING PLAN. IF WE ARE CONSIDERING THINGS LIKE LERTA FOR NON AFFORDABLE HOUSING OR USING HOUSING TRUST FUND MONEY TO BUILD HOUSING THAT'S NOT AFFORDABLE, THAT'S MARKET RATE. THAT'S A WHOLE DIFFERENT THAT'S A WHOLE DIFFERENT BALL OF WAX. 
          WE WEREN'T COMING AT IT FROM THAT PERSPECTIVE. GO AHEAD, MR. VENDOR. JUST SO I'M UNDERSTANDING THE TIMELINE OF THINGS NOT SPECIFICALLY RELATED TO LEGISLATION, BUT BACKING UP TO THE FIRST TOPIC WAS. SO THERE WERE FOUR POINTS THAT WERE PRESENTED. WHAT ARE THE NEXT STEPS LIKE? WHAT IS WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE FROM A PERSPECTIVE? FROM HOW I THOUGHT THIS WOULD GO IS THAT COUNCIL WOULD HAVE DISCUSSION OR THOUGHT OF WHICH OF THOSE 5 OR 4 THAT WE SPOKE ABOUT. AND THEN WE ARE WILLING TO I DON'T KNOW IF YOU WANT TO ASSIGN ONE COUNCIL PERSON TO EACH ONE, OR IF YOU WANT TO DO IT AS D, C, E, D OR HOW YOU WANT TO DO IT, BUT THAT WE FLUSH OUT EACH OF THOSE WITH A SET OF PARAMETERS THAT COUNCIL CAN ACCEPT AND A DOLLAR AMOUNT THAT WE WANT TO JUST USE AS OUR JUMPING OFF POINT, THAT IF WE'RE GOING TO SAY FORGIVABLE, NON FORGIVABLE, THREE YEARS, FIVE YEARS, TEN YEARS, ARE WE SAYING FIRST RESPONDERS, ARE WE SAYING DISABLED? ARE WE SAYING VETERANS PUT THAT TOGETHER IN A DRAFT FORM IN THESE LITTLE WORK GROUPS AND THEN SUBMIT IT TO ALL OF COUNCIL FOR FEEDBACK AND THEN COME TO THE THE PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT. I DON'T SEE THAT TAKING VERY LONG. IF THERE'S FOUR TOPICS AND WE DECIDE WE'RE ONLY GOING WITH THREE OF THEM. I MEAN, IN TERMS OF USING THE MONEY, LAUDA'S ON THE SIDE. LERTA IS NOT PART OF THAT. SO USING THE MONEY WOULD BE THE OWNER OCCUPIED REHAB, THE HOME BUYERS PROGRAM FOR HOLDING ON THE DAYCARE THING OR WHAT WE'RE DOING WITH THE DAYCARE THING. WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO FLESH OUT SOME OF THOSE PARAMETERS. AND THEN WE WOULD COME BACK TO YOU WITH A BUDGET AND ALL OF THOSE SCORING MECHANISMS, AND HAVE TO WRITE AN RFP FOR PARTNERS AND GET THE BALL ROLLING. OKAY, LET ME COME UP WITH A PLAN AND I'LL SHARE IT WITH EVERYONE, AND WE'LL COME WE'LL FIND A WAY TO COLLABORATE WITH WITH HER DEPARTMENT TO GET THIS TO THE FINISH AND KAREN'S REPORT CAN BE OUR JUMPING OFF. LIKE WE CAN AX OUT THE FIVE AND WRITE A SEVEN IF ANYBODY JUST WANTED TO GO WITH IT AS WRITTEN BY KAREN, THEN WE COULD DO THAT AS WELL. AND THIS ISN'T URGENT BECAUSE WE'RE STILL WE'RE STILL ACCRUING REVENUE. SO, I MEAN, WE'RE ONLY HALFWAY THROUGH THE YEAR, YOU KNOW, WE'RE AT 1,080,000 TO, TO REALLY MEET OUR GOALS, WE NEED TO HIT, YOU KNOW, THE END OF THE YEAR REVENUE. SO WE HAVE SOME I'M NOT SAYING WE HAVE SIX, FOUR MONTHS, BUT WE HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF TIME TO WORK OUT SOME OF THESE DETAILS AND THEN GET THE BALL ROLLING FOR 20. ARE WE THINKING 2027? ABSOLUTELY. OKAY. AND I ALSO THINK THAT WE ALREADY HAVE I MEAN, WE ARE WE KNOW THE INFORMATION, THE INFORMATION IS THERE. AND WE JUST HAVE TO, YOU KNOW, READ IT AGAIN AND DIGEST IT A LITTLE BIT MORE. AND I THINK THAT WE SHOULD ALL PUT HAVE AN INPUT ON THIS. I'LL CREATE A PLAN THAT EVERYONE HAS AS AN OPPORTUNITY TO, TO. YEAH, BECAUSE I WAS, I WAS WONDERING IF LIKE, IF THAT ALSO IN GETTING THAT DATA NOW, IF THERE'S OTHER IDEAS THAT MAYBE WE COULD PUT PUT FORTH AND MAYBE THAT GOES TO A COMMITTEE OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT FOR MORE DISCUSSION, I'M JUST, I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THERE'S A, A TRAJECTORY THAT WE'RE GOING TOWARDS IN THIS. I MEAN, I'M MY, MY, MY GOAL IS SPRING 2020. I MEAN, SPRING 2027 IS GETTING THIS MOVING. SO WE HAVE TO, YOU KNOW, CLEAN UP SOME OF THESE DETAILS, MAKE SURE WE HAVE IT ALL IRONED OUT SO THAT WE CAN HIT THE GROUND RUNNING IN 2027. THE EARLIER THE BETTER. I THINK THIS IS THIS IS AWESOME. I THINK THAT THIS IS GREAT. THIS IS, YOU KNOW, THE BEGINNING OF SOMETHING AMAZING THAT A LOT OF THE PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY ARE GOING TO BE ABLE TO BENEFIT. I MEAN, BEING FIRST TIME HOME OWNER IS, IS, IS A BLESSING. 
          [01:50:01]
YOU KNOW, IT'S A BLESSING WHEN YOU DO IT RIGHT. BUT IT'S ALSO A NIGHTMARE WHEN WHEN YOU DON'T KNOW EVERYTHING THAT IT ENTAILS. YOU KNOW, A LOT OF EDUCATION HAVE TO GO ALONG WITH THIS, YOU KNOW, INVOLVED WITH THIS. WE ALSO AREN'T GOING TO STOP ANY OF OUR CURRENT. I MEAN, WE HAVE THE CURRENT WHOLE HOME PROGRAM. WE APPLIED FOR THE SENIOR REPAIR PROGRAM. WE APPLIED FOR A SECOND ROUND OF THE OWNER OCCUPIED. WE HAVE THE GRANT APPLICATION IN WITH RAQQA TO START THREE HOMES. IF WE GET THAT GRANT, WE'RE GOING TO START TO MOVE ON THOSE HOMES. 
          SO WE'RE NOT GOING TO STOP OR BACK OFF ON ANY OF THOSE. THESE WERE JUST THE SUGGESTIONS FOR THE HOUSING TRUST FUND MONEY. BUT WE'RE GOING TO KEEP GOING WITH ALL THE OTHER PARAMETERS. 
          AND IF COUNCIL HAS ADDITIONAL THINGS THAT YOU WANT TO SEE AS PART OF THE HOUSING TRUST FUND, PLEASE LIKE TALK TO US. LIKE I WOULD HAVE LOVED TO HAVE GONE WITH YOU TO EASTON. I WOULD HAVE LOVED TO HAVE BEEN PART OF THAT CONVERSATION. BUT BUT THAT WAS OUT OF THE BLUE, LET'S BE HONEST. I MEAN, I WAS WE'RE IN, WE'RE IN FOR WHATEVER CREATIVITY YOU GUYS HAVE. IF I CAN SUGGEST THAT WHATEVER MECHANISM IS USED TO PUT FORTH THOSE SUGGESTIONS, IF THERE IS A WAY TO LIKE MAKE IT QUANTIFIABLE. SO IT'S JUST NOT LIKE 20 IDEAS GOING TO MISS KISTLER, BUT MAYBE IT'S GOING TOWARDS YOU AND THEN YOU'RE TALLYING THEM. IF YOU KEEP SEEING, YOU KNOW, WE CAN FIND COMMON THREADS. YEAH. AND START TO FIND CONSENSUS. I THINK THAT'S WHY I WAS WONDERING IF THIS COULD GO TO LIKE A COMMITTEE AND THEN WE CAN, BECAUSE I WOULD ALSO LIKE MY ENCOURAGEMENT IN THIS WHOLE PROCESS IS WE FIND A THING WE'RE GOING TO GO TOWARDS RATHER THAN MULTIPLE TO, TO TRY TO TRY AND BE TARGETED AND SEE WHAT THE SUCCESS IS. MAYBE IN FOUR YEARS FROM NOW WE REVISIT. BUT IF I THINK IF WE DO TOO MANY THINGS SIMULTANEOUSLY, IT'S GOING TO BECOME CHALLENGING. AND I AGREE WITH YOU. I AGREE WITH THE COMMITTEE APPROACH BECAUSE IT SHOULDN'T JUST BE ME. SO SO YEAH, I'LL PUT I'LL PUT TOGETHER A PLAN AND WE'LL FIGURE IT OUT. I WAS GOING TO SAY, I'D LOVE TO JUST I'M A NUMBERS GUY. SO I COULD JUST BASED OFF OF WHAT WE HAVE TODAY, JUST PUT TOGETHER SOME SCENARIOS AND SOMETHING THAT WE COULD LOOK AT AND REVIEW AT A COMMITTEE MEETING. SO, I MEAN, OBVIOUSLY, FEEL FREE TO REVIEW HOW YOU WANT TO DO THAT. BUT I THINK AND AGAIN, I'VE BEEN TALKING TO MR. PRINCIPAL FROM EASTON FOR QUITE SOME TIME ABOUT THIS LEGISLATION, AND I'M SO HAPPY THAT MISS GERLACH, YOU KNOW, GOT ALL OF US TOGETHER. AND, YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT THIS IS A GOOD BEGINNING. SO I, I THINK THAT WE SHOULD ALL PUT OUR $0.02 INTO THIS. OKAY. 
          SOUNDS GOOD. WE'RE GOOD TO GO. THANK YOU. I'LL ADJOURN THIS MEETING. THANK YOU FOR THE
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.