HomeMy WebLinkAbout12-17-24 Public Comment - N. Nakamura - Naturally Occurring Affordable HousingFrom:Natsuki Nakamura
To:Bozeman Public Comment
Subject:[EXTERNAL]Naturally Occurring Affordable Housing
Date:Tuesday, December 17, 2024 7:41:05 AM
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Please share this public comment with the Economic Vitality Board, the Community
Development Board, and the City Commission.
I have observed in various discussions a misunderstanding or misrepresentation of NOAH(Naturally Occurring Affordable Housing).
Preserving NOAH is about keeping relatively affordable housing available for rent, not about
the current sale price. With how housing prices have skyrocketed recently, a house may bevalued at $1million+ on Zillow, but as a rental, the multiple decently sized bedrooms might be
rented out to some working folks or students that each pay less than $800 a month. Or thathouse may have been converted to a duplex, or have an ADU or basement unit available for
rent, which the owner can rent out relatively affordably.
I live in apartments that are more than 50 years old. Because the owners have long paid off thebuilding, my rent is relatively low and stable from year to year because the owners are able to
keep rents at a rate that covers the cost of maintenance. The rent charged doesn't need torecoup the costs of construction or land acquisition, like a new complex would when setting
rent prices.
When older apartments or a house that was available as a rental is demolished and replaced bysomething new - new apartments or perhaps condos for sale - the new units will undoubtedly
be more expensive to make up for the cost of that new construction, design, permitting, risk ofinvestment, etc. When thinking about preserving NOAH, our community does not meanpreserving a neighborhood in amber that only keeps it affordable for people who alreadybought into it. It is about keeping and growing the wide variety of existing relatively
affordable units we have on the rental market and with residents actually living in them, ratherthan losing that housing to demolition to be replaced (several years later) by new and more
expensive units. The most affordable housing is the one that we already have.
Some of the affordable housing options in our city are certainly unsafe or unsanitary,whenever a landlord or corporation is negligent or predatory. But instead of always
demolishing existing housing, perhaps we should empower our city and residents and invest insomething like a Housing Authority that has investigatory powers to improve such conditions.
As an engaged resident on this issue, it is frustrating when neighbors with legitimate concerns
about new proposed developments are disparaged as being selfish or out of touch. If wecontinue to lose NOAH, we will continue to build, build, build ourselves deeper into this
housing crisis.
Thank you for your time and consideration,Natsuki