City Council to Vote on SPA Housing Ordinance at June 6th Meeting

Show your support for affordable housing in Saratoga — The time to act is now!

MAY 29, 2017 – After a lengthy period of stakeholder discussion and public comment, we are pleased to report that the City Council appears ready to vote on the Saratoga Places for All (SPA) Housing Ordinance at its June 6th meeting. The goal of this zoning amendment is to create more diverse and affordable housing options for middle-income people who live or work in Saratoga Springs. Increasing access to affordable housing is critical to ensuring sustainable growth and the long-term vitality of our City. To learn more about the details of this ordinance, please see the resources on our SPA Housing webpage.

Over the past several weeks, the City Council has held a workshop and several more detailed discussions about the draft ordinance. Public Safety Commissioner Chris Mathiesen, sponsor of the Ordinance, has developed a set of proposed amendments – most of them minor – in response to input and feedback he’s received. The most substantive proposed amendment would reduce the minimum affordability period for units available for purchase from “in perpetuity” to 30 years. Thirty years is also the affordability duration for rental units. We are disappointed in this amendment, but we don’t feel that it merits a further delay of the vote.

The SPA Housing Ordinance would represent a significant step forward in increasing housing opportunity and diversity within our community. The ordinance still has opponents who claim it is sufficient for the City to focus on a few site-specific workforce housing developments. While we applaud these proposed projects, they are often dependent upon uncertain Federal or State funding, and they do not make all the community neighborhoods truly inclusive. We need a multi-faceted approach to affordable housing, which is why the SPA Housing Ordinance is so critical.

We are asking our supporters to urge the City Council to adopt the ordinance, and to attend the City Council meeting on June 6th at 7:00 p.m. to witness this historic vote.

Please spread the word: encourage your friends and fellow Saratogians to come and show their support for affordable housing in Saratoga Springs! If you are unable to attend the meeting, voice your support by calling or emailing members of the City Council:

518-587-3550
joanne.yepsen@saratoga-springs.org
michele.madigan@saratoga-springs.org
john.franck@saratoga-springs.org
christian.mathiesen@saratoga-springs.org
skip.scirocco@saratoga-springs.org