For livable, affordable homes

Iowa City Council members are considering a policy to restrict new low-income and transitional rental housing projects in neighborhoods that are densely packed with the same.

It's a way to scatter affordable housing options and it's a good idea.

We agree with city planners that mixed-income neighborhoods with a variety of types of households are preferable to stratified or concentrated low-income neighborhoods.

And we're glad to see the proposed model addresses another pressing problem: the concentration of impoverished students at a handful of Iowa City elementary schools.

City leaders and residents have been talking for years about how to lessen the density of low-income housing in only a few areas of Iowa City, such as the city's southeast side.

Now, it seems city planners have figured out how to do so consistently and fairly - using crime statistics, average household income, elementary school and other data to create a formula they applied across the city.

From there, they've identified areas from which to block development of new low-income rental or transitional units built with the assistance of city funds, including Community Development Block Grant money.

The policy wouldn't change housing options for seniors or people with disabilities, nor would it limit the areas in which people could use Section 8 vouchers.

But it would affect a significant percentage of new low-income units, Planning and Community Development Director Jeff Davidson told us this week.

It also will help prevent affordable housing developers from wasting time on projects only to be rejected by city council members and could help protect the city from litigation.

But new construction isn't the only issue in Iowa City's more beleaguered neighborhoods.

When they adopt the new low-income development policy, council members also should be sure they continue to allow the use of federal CDBG funds to rehabilitate existing affordable housing stock even within those dense, low-income housing neighborhoods.

Council members were in disagreement recently about whether that's such a good idea.

But rehabilitation projects, like Southgate Development's new $6 million proposal to take over and clean up the Broadway Condominiums, 1956-60 Broadway St., have the potential to do as much or more to help neighborhoods as density rules.

Developing new low-income housing throughout the city is an important step in supporting strong, vibrant neighborhoods that are open and welcoming to all residents.

And it's equally important to make sure the housing options that already exist are livable as well as affordable.

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