Here are a few of the legislative highlights from Tuesday’s Birmingham City Council meeting, in case you missed it.
ITEM 5
The Council unanimously passed an agreement between the City and Housing Reinvestment Corporation of America, in which the City will provide funding to help facilitate the construction and mortgage assistance for 16 affordable single-family homes in the Woodlawn neighborhood.
The National Community Reinvestment Coalition has pledged to build 200 affordable housing units across the city; this project is another step toward reaching that goal. The 16 homes in Woodlawn will be constructed on previously vacant lots.
In January, the Birmingham City Council approved an item for the pilot program that transferred 27 lots in Belview Heights to Housing Redevelopment Corporation of America to develop affordable single-family homes. The funding is being used to help subsidize the cost of the homes and is part of the federal American Rescue Plan funding that the City received last year.
“This is going to be a real game-changer for this area,” Councilor JT Moore said. “This project offers high-quality homeownership opportunities to a well-deserving community that has weathered economic challenges. Woodlawn is ripe for this kind of project. The addition of new, affordable houses will allow this community to know the joys of homeownership, as well as stimulate much-needed growth and pride in the area.”
Here is the item as it appeared on Tuesday’s Agenda:
ITEM 5. A Resolution approving and authorizing the Mayor to execute for and as the act of said City, a Housing Investment Partnerships Program and Development Agreement between the City of Birmingham and Housing Reinvestment Corporation of America, under which Housing Reinvestment Corporation of America will be awarded funds under the ”HOME Investment Partnerships Program” and the “American Rescue Plan Act,” for the purpose of (i) constructing sixteen (16) affordable single-family new construction units in the Woodlawn Community; (ii) on-site infrastructure improvements; and (iii) mortgage assistance, for the development of the project, for an amount not to exceed $892,182.00
Board Appointments:
The Council appointed Jeffrey Havercroft to the Birmingham Parking Authority, replacing Dora Sims. That appointment will expire on October 31, 2026.
This board is charged with regulating city parking spaces, decks and lots.
The Council also made two appointments to the Birmingham Parks and Recreation Board. Walter Body will be replacing Montal Morton with a term expiring October 8, 2023. Meghan Ann Hellenga will be replacing Carly Miller with a term expiring October 8, 2026.
The Parks and Recreation board is tasked with operating and maintaining all City of Birmingham parks.
Upcoming Legislation
On Monday, the Council’s Transportation Committee considered and recommended an item to the full Council dealing with the expansion on Birmingham On Demand, a rideshare service that has operated in Birmingham since 2019.
According to the proposal, the service will be expanding to 19 neighborhoods to the East, a move that members on the Council have been advocating for since the service began.
“It’s logical to look into tying that service into the Birmingham Express Routes that run East to West, especially to the East Transit Center in Woodlawn” Councilor Darrell O’Quinn said. “If you call for a ride within the expanded coverage zone, people can be dropped off at the transit center and be downtown in very short amount of time.”
When considering where to expand the services, City officials looked at indicating factors such as car ownership numbers and poverty rates which often dictate where transportation services are needed the most.
The BJCTA will begin their nighttime Birmingham On Demand service starting at 7 p.m. within the next month, a move that is sure to help bolster ridership across the city. The item must still come before the Council for approval. More information on this will be released when it becomes available.