Proposed law postpones, but does not undo “Workforce Housing”

I guess a 6 month stay is the best we can hope for right now.

Given what we now know about how workforce housing came into being, I hope that we are beyond calling workforce housing sceptics racists.

House press release under the fold.

Stay on workforce housing ordinance introduced

Legislators call for six-month stay on New Castle County Council law

DOVER – Faced with growing concerns about increased density and the financial burden it could place on Delaware taxpayers, several House members have introduced legislation that would establish a six-month stay on New Castle County Council’s workforce housing ordinance.

“Many people are concerned that the county law will create traffic congestion, school crowding, sewer issues and other high-density problems throughout the county,” said Rep. Earl Jaques Jr., D-Glasgow, the prime sponsor of House Bill 29. “In a year in which we don’t have a lot of money to address those needs, this is a huge issue.”

New Castle County Council approved the workforce housing ordinance in February 2008. Under the law, developers can increase a neighborhood’s density by 50 percent to 100 percent if they set aside 20 percent of the homes in the subdivision as affordable housing for low- to moderate-income buyers, defined as people earning $47,000 to $89,000 a year. The law was enacted to address New Castle County’s shortage of affordable homes. Last month, county council approved a stay on the ordinance until Jan. 31.

House Bill 29, which is prime co-sponsored by House Majority Whip Rep. Valerie J. Longhurst, D-Bear, and co-sponsored by Rep. Quinn Johnson, D-Middletown, would establish a six-month stay on the law to allow the General Assembly to study and address issues created by the ordinance. Rep. Longhurst noted that the infrastructure problems created by the increased density are magnified due to the state’s more than $600 million revenue shortfall.

“We are dealing with unprecedented economic challenges and a revenue shortfall larger than anyone has seen,” Rep. Longhurst said. “There simply isn’t enough money to maintain everything we have and still accommodate the infrastructure demands placed on us through the higher-density workforce housing developments. More homes mean more cars driving on the roads and more children attending schools. It falls on the state to upgrade the roads and pick up a large part of the cost to build new schools.”

But legislators also are cognizant of the need to provide affordable housing for residents.

“At the same time, affordable housing is a critical issue that is important in this economy,” Rep. Jaques said. “When my wife and I got married 39 years ago, we wouldn’t have been able to afford the types of homes being built in the county right now. Having affordable housing options is important to those families just starting out. But it should not come at the expense of schools, traffic and emergency services. The density issues raised as a result of this ordinance are very legitimate and need to be addressed.”