Our View: City leaders can support both housing and economic development
Our View: City leaders can support both housing and economic development Duluth News Tribune
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Investment in Affordable Housing and Economic Development in Duluth
In the past four years, the city of Duluth has dedicated an impressive $20.6 million in public funds to help create badly needed affordable housing. Seven projects have gotten money from the city with three more projects on the way.
How impressive has it been? The commitment is in excess even of the $19.2 million the City Council recommended for affordable housing in 2021, of the $58 million the city had received in COVID relief from the federal government’s American Rescue Plan Act, or ARPA.
Emphasizing Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
“We’ve done a great job, and we’re going to keep doing more,” City Councilor Arik Forsman said in an exclusive interview last week with the News Tribune Opinion page.
Because of that great job, the city doesn’t need to feel obligated to now spend all of $3.9 million remaining in ARPA funds also on affordable housing. It can recognize the city has other needs, too, not the least of which is jobs-creating, property taxes-lowering economic development. Adequate levels of affordable housing and economic development both are needed to benefit the community as a whole. City dollars need to go to both priorities, in appropriate and effective amounts.
Flexibility in Allocation of Funds
“We have to look at all of the different parts of our local economy. Housing is one, but so is economic development,” Forsman said. “They work hand in hand. Not only is it important to have a place where folks can call home at an affordable price, but we should also be looking at, ‘How do you create jobs that pay more in wages for folks?’ We could use some of those funds in a very targeted manner, to help with things like downtown, (to) protect our long-term tax base, and to keep property taxes affordable.”
- To ensure desired flexibility with how that remaining $3.9 million gets spent, the City Council can continue to reject dedicating it all just to affordable housing, like councilors did at their meeting on April 22.
- A resolution to send the entire amount to the Duluth Housing and Redevelopment Authority failed 4-4.
- A future resolution can be passed to send it to the Duluth Economic Development Authority instead so it can be spent on affordable housing and/or economic development.
DEDA had received only $500,000 of the city’s $58 million in ARPA money, a woefully inadequate allocation. As Forsman wrote in remarks prepared for the April 22 meeting, “DEDA has been an underutilized muscle in the city for too long.” To the Opinion page, he added, “I think we need to start working that economic-development muscle a little stronger than we have in the past.”
Flexibility with that remaining $3.9 million received an endorsement from Mayor Roger Reinert at his State of the City address last week. “This is cash that must be allocated by the end of the calendar year. Councilors, I ask that (it) be sent to DEDA,” the new mayor said April 25 at Denfeld High School.
Similarly, the city’s administration has advocated for the unspent funds to be sent to DEDA to bring about more affordable housing and/or to support economic development. Funds are unspent, in part, because affordable-housing projects, including at least two downtown, have failed to come to fruition.
Multiple Priorities for the City
While “we’ve funded a bunch of affordable housing,” as Forsman told the Opinion page, creating more has to remain a priority. Like elsewhere, it persists as a pressing need in Duluth. But it isn’t our only priority and need, and it shouldn’t be seen that way. A flexible approach that addresses multiple issues at once, and not just with these unspent ARPA funds, can be embraced by Duluth’s city leaders to benefit all city residents.
As Forsman said, “We can’t put all of our eggs in one basket. We have to think about how the city can grow and how we can leverage affordable housing and lifting people’s incomes at the same time. … If you have good-paying jobs, people can afford higher-priced housing. If you have an economy where there’s investment flowing, that’s naturally going to grow the tax base, and that helps keep property taxes lower.”
Conclusion
The city of Duluth has made significant investments in affordable housing over the past four years. However, it is important to recognize that economic development is also crucial for the overall well-being of the community. The remaining $3.9 million in ARPA funds should be allocated in a way that addresses both affordable housing and economic development. This flexible approach aligns with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and can benefit all residents of Duluth.
SDGs, Targets, and Indicators Analysis
1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?
- SDG 1: No Poverty
- SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth
- SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities
The article discusses the allocation of funds for affordable housing and economic development in the city of Duluth. This connects to SDG 1, which aims to eradicate poverty and ensure access to basic services for all. It also relates to SDG 8, which focuses on promoting inclusive and sustainable economic growth, employment, and decent work for all. Additionally, the article addresses SDG 11, which aims to make cities inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable.
2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?
- SDG 1.4: By 2030, ensure that all men and women, in particular, the poor and the vulnerable, have equal rights to economic resources, as well as access to basic services, ownership, and control over land and other forms of property.
- SDG 8.5: By 2030, achieve full and productive employment and decent work for all women and men, including for young people and persons with disabilities, and equal pay for work of equal value.
- SDG 11.1: By 2030, ensure access for all to adequate, safe, and affordable housing and basic services and upgrade slums.
Based on the article’s content, the specific targets that can be identified are SDG 1.4, which focuses on equal rights to economic resources and access to basic services, SDG 8.5, which aims for full and productive employment and decent work, and SDG 11.1, which aims to ensure access to adequate, safe, and affordable housing and basic services.
3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?
- Indicator for SDG 1.4: Proportion of the population living below the national poverty line, by sex and age group.
- Indicator for SDG 8.5: Employment-to-population ratio by sex, age group, and persons with disabilities.
- Indicator for SDG 11.1: Proportion of urban population living in slums, informal settlements, or inadequate housing.
The article does not explicitly mention indicators, but based on the identified targets, the following indicators can be used to measure progress: the proportion of the population living below the national poverty line (SDG 1.4), the employment-to-population ratio by sex, age group, and persons with disabilities (SDG 8.5), and the proportion of urban population living in slums, informal settlements, or inadequate housing (SDG 11.1).
4. Table: SDGs, Targets, and Indicators
| SDGs | Targets | Indicators |
|---|---|---|
| SDG 1: No Poverty | 1.4: By 2030, ensure that all men and women, in particular, the poor and the vulnerable, have equal rights to economic resources, as well as access to basic services, ownership, and control over land and other forms of property. | Proportion of the population living below the national poverty line, by sex and age group. |
| SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth | 8.5: By 2030, achieve full and productive employment and decent work for all women and men, including for young people and persons with disabilities, and equal pay for work of equal value. | Employment-to-population ratio by sex, age group, and persons with disabilities. |
| SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities | 11.1: By 2030, ensure access for all to adequate, safe, and affordable housing and basic services and upgrade slums. | Proportion of urban population living in slums, informal settlements, or inadequate housing. |
Copyright: Dive into this article, curated with care by SDG Investors Inc. Our advanced AI technology searches through vast amounts of data to spotlight how we are all moving forward with the Sustainable Development Goals. While we own the rights to this content, we invite you to share it to help spread knowledge and spark action on the SDGs.
Fuente: duluthnewstribune.com
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