Submitted by: At the Request of the City Administrator
Submitting Department: Community & Economic Development
Agenda Section: Action
Item Title:
title
Enterprise Community Partners Inc. - Rent Stabilization Ordinance Technical Analysis
end
Suggested Action:
recommendation
I move the City Council authorize the City Administrator to execute a contract for services with Enterprise Community Enterprise, Inc to provide the City with a Rent Stabilization Policy Study to inform the City’s Rent Stabilization Ordinance, for a cost not to exceed $40,000.
end
Summary Background:
In May 2021, the City Council unanimously adopted the City’s ‘Housing Action Plan’ a 10-year roadmap of policies, programs and actions intended to enable the preservation and creation of affordable housing opportunities within the City of Hyattsville. The Plan was developed with Enterprise Community Partners (ECP) and prioritized four (4) major areas for enabling affordable housing:
1. Creation of an Affordable Housing Fund;
2. Using public land for developing affordable housing units;
3. Rent control;
4. Tenant rights.
In January 2023, Staff met with Enterprise Community Partners (ECP) to discuss the City’s proposed Rent Stabilization Ordinance to discuss the ability of ECP to model the ordinance and provide the City with projected outcomes and recommendations for modifications, prior to drafting and adoption of the ordinance.
On April 3, 2023, the City Council approved HCC-324-FY23, approving the City Attorney to prepare an ordinance on regulating the annual rate of increase in rental prices in the City of Hyattsville.
Based upon the adoption of the direction of action adopted by City Council, the Staff consulted with the City Attorney’s office and concurred that the City would benefit from an assessment and modeling of the proposed Rent Stabilization ordinance. The scope of work and deliverables will include the following:
• Modeling projected outcomes of policy language;
• Stakeholder engagement;
• Develop operational model;
• Develop performance metrics and timeline review;
• Develop final report and presentation.
The work will be completed in 12-weeks, at a total cost not to exceed $40,000 and will provide City Staff, the City Attorney's Office and City Council with due diligence necessary to move forward in a prudent manner.
Next Steps:
No additional City Council action is required.
Fiscal Impact:
Funding for this activity is included in the FY2024 CED budget request.
City Administrator Comments:
Recommend approval.
Community Engagement:
The Enterprise team will conduct interviews and/or focus groups with up to 15 stakeholders, including, but not limited to, multifamily property owners of varying sizes, Hyattsville city officials, and Takoma Park city officials & program administrators. The primary purpose of stakeholder engagement is to understand the effects - intended and unintended - of rent stabilization policy models on the operation of multifamily rental properties and rental market broadly.
Strategic Goals:
Goal 4 - Foster Excellence in all City Operations
Legal Review Required?
N/A