Lack of availability of affordable housing and city economics during Williamsburg’s City Council’s mid-term discussion of the goals, initiatives and outcomes (GIOs) established last year for 2013-2014.
In November, Williamsburg City Council adopted GIOs that help form the city’s vision for things like education, transportation and public safety. On Monday, about mid-way through the council’s election cycle, council members looked at the GIOs to determine if they needed to make any tweaks.
Most of the city’s initiatives and goals were on target or completed for the year and did not require much discussion. However, when the city reviewed one of its goals – to keep at least 50 percent of for-sale housing priced under $250,000 – it sparked a conversation.
After City Manager Jack Tuttle pointed out that 55 percent of houses in the city are priced below that mark, Mayor Clyde Haulman said it made him wonder about a number from a 2012 National Citizens Survey of the city.
The survey asks residents to rate aspects of the city as poor, fair, good, excellent or “don’t know.” Only 38 percent of participating city residents rated affordable quality housing in the city as “good or excellent.”
“I’m perplexed by that,” Haulman said at the meeting, pointing out the number of houses below $250,000. Tuttle said the number made sense to him when the portion of residents living in apartments, also 55 percent, came into play.
“It doesn’t surprise me at all,” Tuttle said. “In fact, you might even be surprised that 38 percent of the people [responded that way.]”
Freiling suggested that maybe the wording of the goal should be changed to reflect the conversation and Pons asked how the city “maintains” the goal in the first place. Tuttle said that, instead of a goal, it is more of an observation that could be affected by city decisions – even though the city may not have direct control over the number.
Councilman Scott Foster said the city does have some control. He said the council has the power to continue approving projects like the development on Quarterpath Road – a pocket of houses in the $199,000 price range off Route 60.
“I think we do need some moderately priced housing that working class and young professionals are able to afford,” Foster said.
Councilman Doug Pons, with Councilwoman Judith Knudson agreeing, pointed out the goal to keep 55 percent of for-sale housing below the $250,000 mark conflicted with the goal to raise property assessment values by 2 percent. Tuttle said that yes, it might need some clarifying.
“We really do have to go back and ask ourselves: Is that the right goal? Do we really know what we’re doing? Can we really have it both ways?” Tuttle said.
Also touched on at Monday’s meeting was city economics. The city’s Director of Human Services Peter Walentisch said a good indicator of the economic landscape is the number of people participating in Medicaid and the food assistance program SNAP.
The city hoped to reduce the number of people participating in each program to 450. Instead, 589 people are using SNAP benefits and 539 participate in Medicaid.
“Those are the highest numbers the city has ever had in its history,” Tuttle said. “Coming out of the recession, we’ve seen those numbers turn back.”
Walentisch said the numbers were not only an indicator of what’s happening in Williamsburg but what’s happening all over.
“Not only are we five years plus into a recession, but in a new reality. The new reality is the cost of living in almost every area has gone up,” he said. “In some cases [it rose] 20 to 25 percent. And wages have not kept pace with it.”
Even when the local economy starts improving – and it has slightly, Walentisch said, citizens of Williamsburg can’t expect to see the benefits right away.
Earlier in the meeting, Haulman suggested setting aside a future council meeting to discuss the area’s economy.
The council will next address the GIOs next year, when it will develop a list of goals for 2015 and 2016.
