Leon Cooke is a native New Yorker (Manhattan) who has lived with his wife, Patricia, in Raleigh for 27 years. He is retired from an IT position with application systems for an insurance company in Chicago. He’s active in social justice ministries in his church, active in the Congregations for Social Justice Housing Committee, often attends and comments at City Council meetings regarding ‘affordable’ housing issues and is a core team member of his church’s ONE Wake team.
Leon recently sent an email to the City Councilors referencing agenda items for the February 20, 2024 City Council Meeting. He has give us permission to publish it here:
Good afternoon,
I was looking over the agenda for tomorrow’s meeting and came across the Special Items section. It contains two items of interest regarding affordable housing. In both Z-36-23 and Z-50-23, the applicants offer affordable units consisting of 1% of residential units at 80% AMI for 10 years! For Z-36-23, this represents 9 or 10 units in a 20-story building with over 900 housing units. It is right on top of the Fuller Heights community off S. Saunders St. with 72% minority residents and 45% considered low-income in the area. Review the concerned comments of Planning Commission members. Is this your concept to provide affordability in Raleigh?
I would suggest that both these cases be moved to one of the Council’s committees to work with the developers to obtain better conditions to provide more affordable housing at a rate much lower than 80% and for more than 10 years. Think of the upheaval, disruption and overshadowing of this historically black community and others going through this process.
The density bonus does not seem to be enticing enough for developers to take advantage of it. I would also review why the city allows developers who opt to pay $40,000 per unit in lieu of providing affordable units to pay it over 5 years. That money is needed yesterday to provide for affordable housing.
Having developers throw us a bone and expect us to say Thank You is an insult. This is not a small step toward more affordability but a big foot over existing NOAH* communities.
I hope that you will take this information into consideration in your decision regarding these cases.
Peace,
Leon
*NOAH – Naturally Occurring Affordable Housing
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