Tuesday, Jan 29 2013 4:29PM

One California town is considering transferring its affordable housing assistance obligations to another city.

Officials in Portola Valley, California, created a new panel to discuss the county's existing affordable housing assistance obligations, and whether to transfer these responsibilities to another town, according to Almanac News.

The panel will be made up of community volunteers, and will review the town's pertinent housing issues to decide if there is a need for more affordable housing development. State law requires that communities provide housing that has the effect of establishing an economically diverse population of residents, the news source explains. The new council's authority may be used to mitigate disputes regarding whether to build more affordable housing units or whether existing allotments are sufficient. 

In addition, a report related to the town's affordable housing prospects suggests that Portola Valley may consider transferring some of its housing obligations to a neighboring town. Although Portola Valley would fund the housing development, some town members, such as Councilwoman Ann Wengert, have stated they are against the transfer. 

"I think it really does subvert what we are required to do by law," Wengert told the news source.

Some states and developers are required to allot a specific number of newly-built units to serve affordable housing needs. As federal funding for low-income housing programs is expected to decline due to budget cuts, it's likely that discussions about developing these units may become more prevalent.

For more information, check out this resource: The Almanac News