21.20.040 Implementation Provisions.
The following requirements shall be met for all affordable housing units created through any of the provisions of RZC 21.20, Affordable Housing:
A. Affordable housing units that are provided under this section shall remain as affordable housing for a minimum of 50 years from the date of initial owner occupancy for ownership affordable housing units and for the life of the project for rental affordable housing units. At the sole discretion of the Administrator, a shorter affordability time period, not to be less than 30 years, may be approved by the City for ownership affordable housing units, in order to meet federal financial underwriting guidelines.
B. Prior to the issuance of any permit(s), the Administrator shall review and approve the location and unit mix of the affordable housing units consistent with the following standards:
1. The location of the affordable housing units shall be approved by the Administrator, with the intent that they generally be intermingled with all other dwelling units in the development.
2. The tenure (ownership or rental) of the affordable housing units shall be the same as the tenure for the rest of the housing units in the development.
3. The affordable housing units shall consist of a mix of number of bedrooms that is generally proportionate to the bedroom mix of units in the overall development.
4. The size of the affordable housing units, if smaller than the other units with the same number of bedrooms in the development, must be approved by the Administrator. In general the affordable housing units may be as small as 500 square feet for a studio unit, 600 square feet for a one bedroom unit, 800 square feet for a two bedroom unit, or 1,000 square feet for a three bedroom unit. However, the Administrator has the discretion not to approve proposals for smaller units based on the criteria that rooms within the units provide adequate space for their intended use.
5. The exterior materials and design of the affordable housing units must be comparable with the other dwelling units in the development, with similarity in building finishes, rooflines and landscaping. The interior finish and quality of construction of the affordable housing units shall at a minimum be comparable to entry level rental or ownership housing in the City.
C. Construction of the affordable housing units shall be concurrent with construction of market-rate dwelling units unless the requirements of this section are met through RZC 21.20.050, Alternative Compliance Methods. The Affordable Housing Agreement provided for in Section 21.20.080 shall include provisions describing the phasing of the construction of the affordable units relative to construction of the overall housing. This can allow for sequencing of construction of the affordable units to be interspersed with construction of the overall housing units.
D. The City reserves the right to establish in the Affordable Housing Agreement referred to in RZC 21.20.080, monitoring fees for the Affordable Housing Units, which can be adjusted over time to account for inflation. The purpose of any monitoring fee is for the review and processing of documents to maintain compliance with income and affordability restrictions of the Affordable Housing Agreement.