How to address affordable housing in Bloomington

The impending demolition of around two dozen apartments at Seminary Pointe has shined the spotlight on the lack of affordable housing in Bloomington.The low-rent apartments are on property that will be developed as part of the Bloomington Convention Center expansion. Advocates offered various ideas to save the apartments, but they have been cleared for demolition as soon as Oct. 1.Read more: Group offers deal for Seminary Pointe, convention hotelOne of two proposals for a hotel near the convention center includes plans for an apartment complex at the Seminary Pointe site that would include 27 low-cost units to replace those being torn down. The Redevelopment Commission will decide on which proposal to accept next month.One area the city is planning for low-income housing is in the Hopewell Neighborhood. But that project has been slow moving. Planned five years ago on the site of the old Bloomington Hospital, no new homes have been built.Read more: Hopewell South passes city council unanimouslyHowever, earlier this year, the city council OK’d a planned unit development that allows for up to 98 affordable homes on small lots in one section of the neighborhood. That’s about three times more than what the usual zoning would allow.And in January, Mayor Kerry Thomson proposed changes to make it easier for low-income residents to become home owners, and in February, the council also approved changes to the Unified Development Ordinance that increased incentives for building low-income housing.Read more: Mayor proposes change to make more lower-income residents homeownersBut affordable housing continues to be one of the big issues facing Bloomington residents and officials.On this week’s Noon Edition, we’ll talk about the state of affordable housing in Bloomington and efforts by the city to address the issue.Join us on the air by calling 812-855-0812 or toll-free at 1-877-285-9348. You can also send questions for the show to [email protected].  You can also record your questions and send them in through email. GuestsMayor Kerry Thomson, (D) BloomingtonAnna Killion-Hanson, Director, Bloomington Housing and Neighborhood DevelopmentBryce Greene, Organizer, Bloomington Democratic Socialists and Bloomington Homes For All!Nathan Ferreira, Executive Director, Bloomington Housing Authority