Is HEAT-SMC a new bureaucracy and another layer of government?
HEAT-SMC’s primary function is to access and make new funds available for affordable housing development and in no way holds authority over the activities within the jurisdictions of each member agency. HEAT-SMC is its own independent legal entity and does not add on a new decision making body to an existing political process. To satisfy its primary function, HEAT-SMC is endowed with the power to facilitate housing development by its member agencies and others in the housing sector through financing, operating, regulating, and maintaining housing programs and projects. It also will be able to incur debts and discharge debts, liabilities, and obligations. Current thinking is to contract out the management of the JPA in order to keep administration costs to a bare minimum.
