§ 25-324. Goals, objectives, and policies.

Goal 1. Preserve and revitalize existing housing and neighborhoods.

Objective 1.1: Repair, maintain, or upgrade public infrastructure in support of revitalization of older neighborhoods.

Policy 1.1.1: Coordinate infrastructure development, upgrades and repairs to ensure neighborhood vitality and livability.

Policy 1.1.2: Use neighborhood infrastructure assessments as a basis for prioritizing infrastructure improvements.

Objective 1.2: Encourage and promote citizen efforts to revitalize residential neighborhoods.

Policy 1.2.1: Incorporate citizen-based implementation methods in small area plans developed through the comprehensive planning process.

Policy 1.2.2: Provide parish-based technical assistance and linkages to outside resources to neighborhood organizations in support of revitalization efforts.

Policy 1.2.3: Educate residents on the benefits of traditional neighborhood development.

Policy 1.2.4: Support neighborhood-based preservation programs such as graffiti abatement, abandoned automobile removal, tree planting, and trash and debris removal.

Objective 1.3: Discourage the conversion of stable residential neighborhoods to non-residential neighborhoods.

Policy 1.3.1: Prohibit wholesale commercial intrusions into stable residential neighborhoods through the comprehensive plan land use element and the unified development code.

Policy 1.3.2: Evaluate development and/or redevelopment proposals in stable residential neighborhoods on the basis of compatibility.

Objective 1.4: Ensure the compatibility of in-fill development in residential neighborhoods.

Policy 1.4.1: Apply design guidelines incorporated in the unified development code in conjunction with in-fill residential development which is dissimilar to surrounding development.

Policy 1.4.2: Evaluate neighborhood-serving commercial in-fill development proposals on the basis of business appropriateness; building materials and design; street, sidewalk and public transportation connections and circulation patterns; neighborhood safety; and site design. Generally, commercial uses should be allowed in residential areas only if they meet the following criteria:

• The use is primarily pedestrian-oriented.

• The use serves the needs of the immediate residential neighborhood.

• A mixed use and/or overlay district shall be developed to accommodate neighborhood-serving commercial in-fill development.

• The design of the building is in keeping with the established residential character of the area, and all signs are carefully regulated.

• Truck size and delivery hours are restricted.

Objective 1.5: Protect existing residential neighborhoods from illegal land use activities through code enforcement.

Policy 1.5.1: Provide prompt and effective code enforcement response to illegal land use activities.

Objective 1.6: Identify, protect, and preserve historically significant, National Register quality houses and educate the community about the heritage of such housing.

Policy 1.6.1: Encourage property owners to use preservation incentives to repair, restore, or rehabilitate historic housing resources in lieu of demolition, including federal tax credits for rehabilitation, Mills Act property tax abatement programs, and tax credits for facade donations.

Policy 1.6.2: Assist in federal environmental and Section 106 National Historic Preservation Act reviews for historically significant buildings.

Objective 1.7: Maintain the housing stock and eliminate blighted property through a program of inspection and code enforcement.

Policy 1.7.1: Pursue the adoption of building codes, such as the International Building Code, which embrace cost-effective, durable, and innovative building materials and techniques which may improve affordability; increase weather event resistance; facilitate retrofitting for the elderly and persons with disabilities; and incorporate special provisions for older and historic buildings. Review locally significant building constraints and address them via local amendments.

Policy 1.7.2: Ensure that existing housing is maintained in a decent, safe, and sanitary fashion through the enforcement of health, safety, building and zoning laws.

Objective 1.8: Reduce the stock of substandard housing via rehabilitation or redevelopment.

Policy 1.8.1: Support public, non-profit, and private housing rehabilitation and redevelopment efforts through a range of federal- and state-assisted programs, including rehabilitation loans and grants to lower income households.

Policy 1.8.2: Support self-help rehabilitation efforts through technical assistance in permitting, processing, financing applications, owner management of rehabilitation work, and a property improvement resource guide.

Goal 2. Promote a diverse range of housing opportunities, by type, size, density, cost, and location, consistent with demand and need.

Objective 2.1: Assist the private sector in responding to housing market demand and need.

Policy 2.1.1: Facilitate the development of mid- and high-rise condominium and other higher density residential opportunities as an alternative to single-family detached housing through its land use policies and by educating housing consumers on the benefits of higher density living opportunities.

Policy 2.1.2: Work with builders and developers to enable the latest, cost effective construction materials and techniques, such as industrialized wood and prefabricated, pre-stressed concrete, to be utilized in the production of housing.

Objective 2.2: Provide siting opportunities for a diverse range of housing, including, but not limited to, single-family, small-lot, townhouse, multi-family, mid- to high-rise, manufactured, group home, independent and assisted living, and nursing homes.

Policy 2.2.1: Ensure that the Future Land Use Map (FLUM) includes siting opportunities for the full range of development types.

Policy 2.2.2: Identify underutilized or vacant brownfield sites that are publicly or privately owned and potentially suitable for housing development. Work with for profit and non-profit housing developers and public agencies to acquire these sites for development.

Policy 2.2.3: Create and maintain a property inventory to facilitate the potential use of surplus or underutilized federal, state, and parish land for housing development.

Objective 2.3: Adopt a Unified Development Code (UDC) which embraces innovative, environmentally sensitive development options.

Policy 2.3.1: Adopt a UDC which incorporates specific language addressing innovative development options such as clustering, planned developments, traditional neighborhood development (TND), transit-oriented development, and attached single-family and zero lot line.

Policy 2.3.2: Ensure the UDC addresses the issues associated with co-housing, group housing, and shared housing.

Goal 3. Identify and eliminate or streamline regulatory barriers to the provision, maintenance and improvement of housing.

Objective 3.1: Adopt permitting processes which minimize time delays and costs while maintaining appropriate opportunities for public input.

Policy 3.1.1: Enable administrative approval of minor variances in development standards for housing.

Policy 3.1.2: Adopt clear, consistent, efficient, and well-publicized procedures for obtaining housing development permits.

Objective 3.2: Apply clear, uniform, development-appropriate infrastructure standards and review processes which support both private and public interests in the development of housing.

Policy 3.2.1: Develop infrastructure standards for housing and facilitate timely review processes involving the appropriate parish departments.

Objective 3.3: Adopt land use policies which contribute as little as possible to the cost of housing while maintaining plan integrity and the public welfare.

Policy 3.3.1: Support existing housing in commercial areas by accommodating conversions.

Policy 3.3.2: Adopt zoning which allows secondary units in buildings which are in close proximity to neighborhood commercial districts and public transit routes.

Policy 3.3.3: Allow residential structures exceeding currently allowable densities to be rebuilt to their previous size if destroyed by calamity.

Policy 3.3.4: Authorize mixed use development in commercial areas and devise incentives for the development of residential units, including, but not limited to, density bonuses, less stringent parking requirements, and setback modifications.

Policy 3.3.5: Identify and appropriately promote residential and mixed use development opportunities consistent with the comprehensive plan.

Policy 3.3.6: Encourage higher residential density in areas adjacent to business districts, in underutilized commercial and industrial areas proposed for conversion to housing, and in neighborhood commercial districts where higher density will not have harmful effects, especially if the higher density provides a significant number of units that are affordable to lower income households.

Policy 3.3.7: Set allowable densities and parking standards in residential areas at levels that promote overall housing objectives.

Policy 3.3.8: Review parking requirements in mixed use, transit served neighborhoods as a potential means to increase density and affordability.

Objective 3.4: Measure the effectiveness and efficiency of regulations and policies in addressing housing.

Policy 3.4.1: Encourage public input from all segments of the community in the formulation and evaluation of the comprehensive plan housing element.

Policy 3.4.2: Develop and implement statistical and qualitative methods of evaluating the performance of housing regulations, policies, and programs.

Goal 4. Increase the supply of housing which is affordable to low and moderate income households.

Objective 4.1: Assist private sector, non-profit, public housing provider, and regional and state public agency efforts to produce housing affordable to lower income households.

Policy 4.1.1: Provide support and information to non-profit and for-profit developers seeking to create low cost housing, including assistance in applications for Low Income Housing Tax Credits, Mortgage Revenue bonds, Affordable Housing Program funds, and other funding sources.

Policy 4.1.2: Pursue and leverage private, non-profit, and public funds to facilitate the production of housing which is affordable to lower income households.

Policy 4.1.3: Research and implement low cost housing development incentives.

Objective 4.2: Contract with for-profit and non-profit developers and other community-based organizations to assist in acquiring, rehabilitating, and re-selling vacant and HUD and VA repossessed properties.

Policy 4.2.1: Continue to make abandoned and/or foreclosed housing available to qualified buyers.

Policy 4.2.2: Support the acquisition and rehabilitation of multi-family and senior housing at risk of private market conversion due to the expiration of rental subsidy contracts or the prepayment of HUD-insured mortgages.

Objective 4.3: Support the use of State and Federal programs and innovative financing techniques in support of housing affordability, including trust funds and mortgage revenue bonds.

Policy 4.3.1: Advocate legislation and funding for programs that add to the stock of low cost housing and support legislative changes to state and federal housing grant programs to ensure that allocation criteria for the distribution of funds to local governments is based in part on housing needs as reflected in the comprehensive plan.

Policy 4.3.2: Participate in the HOME Consortium and prepare a Consolidated Plan to secure HOME and CDBG funding.

Policy 4.3.3: Use a portion of all available housing resources to promote home ownership opportunities for persons with disabilities and the elderly.

Policy 4.3.4: Support efforts to transfer federal and state housing resources, including subsidized mortgage funds, to local governments based on housing needs as expressed in the Consolidated Plan and the comprehensive plan housing element.

Policy 4.3.5: Pursue federal and state funding for services and amenities in support of housing which is affordable.

Policy 4.3.6: Support the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Program and work to increase the number of available vouchers.

Policy 4.3.7: Support the Section 8 rental program and work to increase the number of available slots and encourage landlord participation to increase available units.

Policy 4.3.8: Pursue HUD Section 202, Section 811, and other available funding for the construction of housing for the elderly and persons with disabilities.

Policy 4.3.9: Operate externally funded housing rehabilitation and construction programs on a continuing basis.

Policy 4.3.10: Provide financing assistance through the Jefferson Home Mortgage Authority.

Policy 4.3.11: Ensure that housing units erected or rehabilitated with public financial assistance include restrictions to ensure that they will remain affordable under federal, state and local regulations. Appropriate resale and tenant occupancy requirements (such as deed of trust and/or rent limitation agreements) should be established for such units to ensure that they are reserved for low and moderate income households when occupancy changes.

Objective 4.4: To the extent practical, facilitate the dispersion of housing affordable to low and moderate income groups throughout the parish, with emphasis upon employment locations.

Policy 4.4.1: Encourage lower cost housing, shelters, and transitional housing in areas where appropriate support services and facilities are in close proximity or easily accessible via public transit.

Goal 5. Promote housing opportunities for special needs groups, including the elderly and persons with disabilities.

Objective 5.1: Research and implement incentives that will assist in providing housing for special needs groups.

Policy 5.1.1: Consider granting density bonuses and parking requirement exemptions for the construction of units serving special needs groups.

Policy 5.1.2: Require that at least five (5) percent of the units in project receiving redevelopment set-aside funds be reserved for persons with disabilities. Projects receiving HOME funds are already subject to this requirement.

Objective 5.2: Provide housing opportunities for homeless families and individuals.

Policy 5.2.1: Allow group residential facilities such as homeless shelters, rooming and boarding houses, and residential care facilities within commercial areas proximate to public transit.

Policy 5.2.2: Accommodate a full range of housing (shelters, transitional and permanent housing) coupled with services to meet the special needs of homeless.

Objective 5.3: Assure that no regulations or policies unduly restrict housing options for the elderly, persons with disabilities, or other special needs groups.

Policy 5.3.1: Provide, in cooperation with non-profits, services which help keep seniors and persons with disabilities in all circumstances and income levels safe in their own homes for as long as practicable.

Policy 5.3.2: Encourage the development of "graduated" senior housing projects which anticipate the changing needs of seniors over time and which include units for independent living and assisted living, as well as skilled nursing facilities.

Policy 5.3.3: Encourage programs (including loans and/or grants) which allow seniors to "age in place" by retrofitting their homes with grab bars, wheelchair ramps, and other assistive devices which respond to the decreased mobility of elderly householders.

Policy 5.3.4: Enforce standards of accessibility and adaptability for commercial facilities and new residential construction including motels, apartment buildings containing three (3) or more dwelling units, homeless shelters and other specified building types.

Policy 5.3.5: Support the development of affordable licensed residential care facilities for seniors, persons with AIDS, and others requiring assistance with day-to-day living.

Policy 5.3.6: Ensure that adopted building codes address the safety of persons with disabilities.

Objective 5.4: Support the dispersal of special needs housing throughout the community.

Policy 5.4.1: Encourage special needs housing accommodations in multiple geographic locations.

Goal 6. Support development practices which promote attractive housing choices.

Objective 6.1: Encourage mixed use housing development that provides for "live, work, and play" relationships as a way to reduce traffic congestion, to encourage economic expansion and to improve the overall quality of life for our residents.

Policy 6.1.1: Create incentives for the inclusion of housing in major new commercial development projects.

Policy 6.1.2: Identify mixed use development sites in the comprehensive plan FLUM, particularly along transit corridors.

Policy 6.1.3: Support Transit Oriented Development (TOD) to promote accessibility to housing, employment, and services.

Objective 6.2: Encourage parks, sidewalks, trails, lighting, and recreational facilities and other amenities which complement neighborhoods.

Policy 6.2.1: Support housing sites, designs, and related amenities which make a positive contribution to public space and neighborhood vitality.

Policy 6.2.2: Support proposals which strengthen traditional "town centers" for surrounding residential districts.

Policy 6.2.3: Provide incentives for the provision of open space according to standards and criteria to be developed.

Policy 6.2.4: Develop and offer incentives for the inclusion of childcare centers within major residential and mixed use development projects.

Objective 6.3: Develop and implement an equitable method for public/private sharing of on- and off-site infrastructure costs associated with housing development.

Policy 6.3.1: Ensure that infrastructure fees do not unnecessarily burden the development of housing units.

Policy 6.3.2: Consider a requirement that large scale development (thirty (30) units +) proposals incorporate infrastructure impact analyses.

Objective 6.4: Coordinate housing development and economic development strategies in support of population attraction and retention.

Policy 6.4.1: Engage the business community in developing creative and mutually beneficial solutions to the Parish's housing needs.

Policy 6.4.2: Consider incentives designed to promote residency by local government employees.

Policy 6.4.3: Promote Jefferson Parish as a desirable location for retirees in concert with JEDCO and other organizations, touting outstanding medical facilities, low taxes, public safety, and the presence of recreational and cultural amenities in concert with a range of housing choices.

Policy 6.4.4: Cooperate with public, private, and non-profit economic development entities and programs which offer wealth accumulation opportunities such as Individual Development Accounts and Micro-Enterprise Lending, neighborhood-based learning and training centers with computer access, "youth build" programs which develop construction skills, Housing—Jobs Linkage Scholarship programs which tie rental assistance to training, and other programs.

Goal 7. Promote non-discriminatory equal access housing opportunity.

Objective 7.1: Promote home ownership through limited equity partnerships, lease-purchase ownership programs, self-help housing, and other techniques.

Policy 7.1.1: Support federal and state funded programs which offer lower income households ownership opportunities.

Policy 7.1.2: Support alternative ownership methods such as limited equity partnerships and self help housing in cooperation with owners, developers, and lenders.

Policy 7.1.3: Inform prospective lower income homebuyers of ownership assistance programs in cooperation with lenders and other housing related entities.

Policy 7.1.4: Support Jefferson Home Mortgage Authority and the Louisiana Home Mortgage Authority homebuyer financing efforts.

Objective 7.2: Ensure non-discriminatory housing opportunity.

Policy 7.2.1: Enforce laws and ordinances against illegal acts of housing discrimination. These acts include housing discrimination based on race, ancestry, sex, national origin, color, religion, sexual orientation, marital status, familial status, age, disability (including HIV/AIDS), source of income or any arbitrary reason excluding persons from housing choice.

Policy 7.2.2: Ensure that publicly supported low income housing developments provide the accessibility required by federal, state, and local law.

Policy 7.2.3: Ensure that housing programs and activities information for tenants, prospective homebuyers, and other public agencies is readily available.

(Ord. No. 22997, § 2, 2-28-07)