Michael Winkler's Position Papers

Affordable Housing

Affordable housing has become a very serious problem in Arcata in the past five years. It is especially difficult for young people to buy houses they can afford. The average price of a home has gone from $125,000 to over $300,000. Many factors affect the price of housing, but there are local steps we can take to mitigate those factors.

I have been a member of the Planning Commission for the past 7 1/2 years. There are a number of actions that we on the Planning Commission have been doing to provide more housing opportunities for residents of Arcata and mitigate the impact of state and national factors. In each major development, we require affordable units both for purchase and rental. Some examples of this are: the Sorenson/Janes Creek Meadow project near Spear and West End Road; Phase II of the Windsong complex in the southwest corner of Arcata; and Plum Village, northwest of Alliance Road.

We have required that new commercial and industrial buildings include apartments, such as the building across from the Hotel Arcata on H Street and a new office building in Valley West. We also reviewed larger low-income housing projects.

In spite of the expensive housing market in Arcata, I will continue to work to provide housing opportunities for people of all incomes.

Housing

One of the most basic human needs
Difficult for Arcata citizens to find affordable housing
Difficult for new families to buy first home
Explosion in housing prices
Prices have more than doubled
Major rent increases
Subsidized housing in high demand with long waiting lists and stringent requirements
Hard to come up with 1st and last month's rent and security deposit
Problems with prompt return of security deposits
Much housing unsafe and substandard
Hard for homeless to get back into system and find permanent housing
Special needs of expanding senior population
Expansion of HSU threatens existing housing

What I have supported for past 7 years as an Arcata Planning Commission member

Require significant number of units in all new housing developments be available for sale and rental to moderate and low income citizens
Encourage construction of secondary units ("mother-in-law units") on existing property and in new construction
Require new buildings in Arcata Plaza and throughout city include residential units
Zone for smaller lots to allow construction of more residential units per acre to meet needs of smaller families and moderate income citizens
Redevelop degraded industrial areas for mixed use including light industrial, commercial and residential
Encourage development of artists' live/work studios
Develop program to inspect and upgrade substandard housing
Support Arcata first-time home buyers program
Support transitional housing, such as Arcata House, as step to get homeless into permanent housing
Support senior housing in walking distance of downtown and near public transportation
Keep HSU within existing boundaries