80A - PH RFP AFFORDABLE HOUSING DEV

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EXHIBIT 1 EXHIBIT J COMMUNITY OUTREACH GUIDELINES The Community Development Agency makes available the following guidelines to assist developers of affordable and special needs housing in obtaining community input and support for affordable housing projects. These guidelines are not meant to be a rigid checklist, but rather a flexible approach that can assist developers in building and maintaining a constructive relationship with community and political stakeholders. Four Steps to Building Community Support The approach consists of four steps 1. The development team meets early to research, assess and plan in five key areas. 2. Prepare a strategy to build active community support for your proposal. 3. Prepare a strategy to address community concerns and deal with active opposition. 4. Prepare a public relations/media strategy to inform decision -makers and the public. These steps are described in detail below: 1. Plan meetings to research, assess and plan strategies in five key areas. Schedule two or more meetings of the entire development team together with local advocates and assign responsibility for organizing the meetings (e.g. inviting key people) to a staff member. At the first meeting, assess the following: a. The organization's reputation, capacity to attract broad community support, and its previous experience in dealing with local government, opponents, and the media. b. What local government approvals are required, who will decide, what are the processes and criteria for decisions, and an expected timeline. c. The government and community's current knowledge of and support for affordable and supportive housing, the organization's work, and the current proposal. d. Full analysis of the neighborhood surrounding the proposed site (history, problems, assets, etc.) e. Likely concerns neighbors might have, the neighborhood's experience with similar programs, and the potential for support or organized opposition. f. Potential legal issues associated with the development proposal, including the legal rights of all parties. g. The media approach to the proposal Based on these assessments, at later meetings determine: 1. Strategies toward the community, potential supporters, potential opponents, and legal issues (steps 2-5); 2. Staffing required to implement these strategies; and, 3. Any consequences for the proposal's time line, funding needs, or site selection.