Livable Neighborhoods + Housing

RECOMMENDATIONS - AT A GLANCE

► Review codes/incentives to promote fair, quality, affordable housing - D1a
► Recognize the importance of historic preservation and adaptive reuse - D1b
► Illustrate and communicate benefits of historic preservation / partners - D1c
► Identify and collaborate with new partners to strengthen neighborhoods - D1d
► Promote appropriate mixed-use development - D1e

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RECOMMENDATIONS - DETAILS & STATUS

Continue to review the City’s codes and incentives to ensure what is working continues, and that any other barriers are a priority to address and remove. D1a - Coordinator: Cori Burbach, cburbach@cityofdubuque.org

► Status: Underway

• The Impediments to Affordable Housing (2019) help define the issues faced by Dubuquers seeking affordable, decent places to live. The City Council defined Affordable Housing Creation as a top priority for 2020-2022 following this analysis.
• The Office of Shared Prosperity and Neighborhood Support was developed following recommendations in the Equitable Poverty Reduction & Prevention Plan
• The City's Sustainability Office is hiring a new position to focus on implementation of the Climate Action & Resiliency Plan, which addresses improving greenspace and tree canopy, waste and composting, and building energy consumption, among other issues. (July 2022)
• The Unified Development Code will be reviewed and rewritten in 2023 with an eye on removing barriers and streamlining processes for a more efficient and equitable approach to our City's code. The UDC regulates zoning, subdivisions, signs, site development, and historic preservation.
• The City's Equity & Human Rights Department leads the Equitable Fines & Fees team to identify opportunities for equitable reform that can benefit all residents. Current working groups focus on reducing utility fees for those in need and legislative advocacy.
• Annual Fair Housing Training is a multi-department approach to train staff in many departments and citizens across various boards and commissions.
• Adopted in October 2021, a new ordinance provides the Housing & Community Development Department with a new strategy to address properties with severe cases of code violations. The tool allows the City to divert rents to an escrow account that would be used to bring properties in code compliance, where enforcement had not previously met with success.

 

Recognizing the importance of historic preservation and adaptive reuse, promote waste recovery and consider recruiting a Habitat for Humanity ReStore or other building reuse retailer. D1b - Coordinator: Ken Miller, kmiller@cityofdubuque.org

► Status: Complete

• The Dubuque / Jackson Counties Habitat for Humanity Restore is scheduled to open in June 2022, providing donors and buyers options for landfill diversion and reuse of building materials, furniture and appliances.
• The Dubuque Metropolitan Area Solid Waste Agency (DMASWA) supports building part recycling through education and grants.
• The Reuse Shed at the DMASWA offers paints, stains, household cleaners and automotive chemicals for reuse.
• Iowa Waste Exchange provides outreach and marketing for businesses to donate, trade and sell used equipment, building parts, and furniture on a larger scale.

 

Illustrate the tangible economic and sustainability benefits—direct, indirect, and induced—to Dubuque’s economy and community from the work done by the City’s historic preservation program and the city’s private and public sector partners. Communicate these benefits consistently to all local, state and federal constituencies. D1c - Coordinator: Duane Hagerty, dhagerty@heritageworksdbq.com

► Status: Ongoing

• The City's Commitment to Historic Preservation (updated 2022) demonstrates the breadth of work and impact from the City's preservation program.
• The Historic Preservation Commission is undertaking Dubuque's Black Heritage Survey in order to tell a fuller history of Dubuque.
• Heritage Works' educational programs like the wood window and siding workshops, and walking tours of historic neighborhoods (Architrek) and places help bring awareness and resources to Dubuque's citizens, building appreciation, skill and knowledge. The organization's newsletter helps further outreach about these programs.
• Heritage Works' brochure Energy Efficiency in Historic Homes helps provide resources and tips for approaching efficiency with historic structures, demonstrating the best return on investments (ROI) and dispelling myths of making older buildings efficient.
• Heritage Works advocates to protect and maintain the effectiveness of federal and state tax credits and incentives that help to preserve and redevelop our historic infrastructure.
• The Fall 2018 Issue of Preservation Magazine (National Trust for Historic Preservation) featured Dubuque as the cover story, outreaching nationally to educate about Dubuque's work.
• City Council Priority Alignment 2021-2023:
  • Historic Building Rehabilitation/Preservation

 

Identify and collaborate with new partners in other fields, such as health and welfare, environmental, education, and the cultural arts to strengthen the links between Dubuque’s neighborhoods and their evolving story. D1d - Anderson Sainci, asainci@cityofdubuque.org

► Status: Getting Started

• The Office of Shared Prosperity, created July 2021, will provide opportunities for better engagement across fields to positively affect neighborhoods and individuals.
  • Meets monthly and/or as needed with the following neighborhood associations to build neighborhood pride:
    • North End Neighborhood
    • Point Neighborhood
    • Downtown Neighborhood
    • Langworthy Neighborhood
  • Offers City Life, a free program for resident to interact with City staff, learn more about City services and programs, tour City facilities and operations, and become more connected to their community.
• Dubuque's Black Heritage Survey will be a deep dive into Dubuque’s Black Heritage—the discovery of places, people and stories that both exist and have been lost over time. The process will braid the history of Black Dubuquers into the history of all Dubuquers, helping us tell a more complete story of Dubuque. Specifically, it will provide Dubuque with a better sense of place and the understanding of the neighborhood centered at Bluff and 8th Streets, which has served as a place of Black settlement for about 170 years. (August 2021)
• The Dubuque Dream Center expanded services in 2021 to include daycare, helping to make the organization more self-sufficient for the variety of services it provides in the Washington Neighborhood. Its planned expansion to take over old Fulton School brings similar services to Dubuque's Northend Neighborhood. Partnership came from Dubuque Community Schools discounting the sale price of the school, and additional acquisition dollars came from the City of Dubuque and the Dubuque Racing Association. (September 2022)
• Loras College's Civic Leaders Program helps to outreach students across the community.
• Convivium Urban Farmsteads neighborhood gardens help to educate and engage community in growing and eating healthy foods.
• City Council Priority Alignment 2021-2023:
  • Equitable Poverty Prevention & Reduction Plan Implementation

 

Promote mixed-use development both downtown, within the John F. Kennedy Road Corridor, and key intersections along the Southwest Arterial. These mixed-use areas should provide a variety of residential choices, access to goods and services, and neighborhood amenities like parks and schools within a walkable environment. D1e - Coordinator: Shena Moon, smoon@cityofdubuque.org

► Status: Getting Started

• Along the John F. Kennedy Road Corridor
  • In December 2021, City Council approved moving forward with the creation of sidewalks along John F. Kennedy Road, installing sidewalks along both sides of a section of JFK, from the intersection with Asbury Road to the crossing with Northwest Arterial.
  • The City received a Transportation Alternatives Program grant of $190,000 to help offset costs of the project and also approved the use of Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) dollars available to help low-moderate income residents along this corridor. (August 2021)
• Gardens of Dubuque on Radford Road bring new, affordable housing in close proximity to schools, park space, living wage jobs, shopping and medical services (qualifying as an Opportunity Zone).
• The Millwork District continues to add business, housing and amenities in order to redevelop once abandoned factories.
• Redevelopment of Central Avenue continues with the revitalization of abandoned and substandard second story housing and storefront commercial spaces.
• Dubuque Brewing & Malting is in the planning stages for redevelopment for mixed use.
• Restoration and renovation of Steeple Square brought housing, event space and childcare together while preserving transitional housing for women.
• The City’s Development Review Team brings together multiple departments to review and evaluate proposed site plans for commercial, industrial and residential land uses along the John F. Kennedy Road Corridor and key intersections along the Southwest Arterial and other areas of the City.
• A new housing incentive program through the City's Economic Development Department favors historically appropriate renovations to create new affordable housing along the Central Avenue Corridor from 11th to 22nd Streets. (November 2021)
• City Council Priority Alignment 2021-2023:
  • Complete Streets Concept Implementation: 16th St./Elm St./14th St. Railroad Overpass Project