Two housing groups believe they know the steps local government must take to begin fixing the county/s ever-growing affordable housing crisis.

To that end, the County Housing Trust Fund and Home Builders Association of the Central Coast recently issued a joint position paper outlining the causes and proposing solutions to housing problems that they hope government will adopt.

Both groups agree there/s not one solution to the lack of homes being built in the county that the workforce and new families can afford, but they believe if local leaders back their proposals, the housing will be built.

&#8220… if the provisions of this document are implemented, it will go a long, long way to provide a better mix of housing than is being provided now,C said Jerry Bunin, government affairs director for the Home Builders Association of the Central Coast.

The two housing groups also believe that &#8220well-intentioned but misdirected government land use policiesC have hurt the quality of life, health and long-term sustainablity in the county, making affordable housing difficult to build.

&#8220There/s no single action we can take that will suddenly fix the housing affordability crisis we face, but we can and must start changing land use and housing policy now in order to start making things better,C said Jerry Rioux, Housing Trust Fund executive officer.

The joint position paper 7 San Luis Obispo County/s Housing Crisis and Inclusionary Housing Principles 7 is also a response to the county/s proposed inclusionary housing ordinance that/s been two years in the making.

County planning staff will begin the public hearing process in late September on the proposed ordinance that, if adopted, would require developers to include a percentage of affordable housing units in their projects or pay in-lieu fees to help develop affordable housing elsewhere.

Planning staff believes inclusionary housing is one tool the county can use to increase the stock of affordable housing that currently doesn/t exist but know it/s not enough to fix the problem.

The two housing groups believe their joint position paper can also become a planning tool for local governments like the Board of Supervisors when making land-use policy decisions.

&#8220We need a new paradigm,C said Tom Jones, Housing Trust Fund board member. &#8220(With this document), we want to influence county policy and educate the community about the larger issues surrounding housing.C

To find out more

For more information about the joint position paper on

affordable housing, call the San Luis Obispo County Housing Trust Fund at 543-5790 or Jerry Bunin at 546-0418, Ext. 22.

April Charlton can be reached at 489-4206, Ext. 5016, or acharlton@santamariatimes.com.

July 26, 2007