Cassey Lottman, candidate for City Council in northwest Lincoln's District 4, has released her ideas for creating more affordable housing in the city.
city zoning laws need to be changed in order to get more market-rate apartments. She points out the City Council and mayor have rejected an apartment complex plan for south Lincoln, near 27th Street and Pine Lake Road, because neighbors object to the height of the complex, which is taller than original zoning allows.
“At a time when we need to be driving down the cost of housing by boosting supply, that’s just unacceptable,†she said of the action against that development.
Lottman says the city needs to reduce the stigma of federal housing vouchers (Section 8) among landlords, smooth out the administrative issues that keep landlords from accepting the vouchers or look at an ordinance forbidding housing discrimination based on the source of income.
People are also reading…
Currently, Lincoln residents with housing vouchers cannot always find a place to live because many landlords don’t accept them, Lottman said.
The vouchers subsidize the cost of rental housing for low-income families.Ìý
Lottman also believes the city should redistribute some of its federal funds now aimed at home ownership to rental assistance.
She also would like to reform tax-increment financing, targeting more money at market-rate apartments or apartments for people with moderate or low incomes and less at luxury condos.
TIF provides funding to a developer, usually through a bond, that is repaid through property tax payments on the new development over 15 years, diverting property tax revenue from local governments.Ìý
The primary election is April 9.