Community Performance Bonds

The problem

The city spends on programs meant to help neighborhoods, but the money flows whether or not anything actually changes. Residents deserve investments where payment follows proof.

The plan

Community Performance Bonds tie city payments to verified outcomes: private partners fund neighborhood improvements up front, and the city pays only when agreed results — homes built, jobs placed, services delivered — are independently confirmed.

Legal review and partner agreements come first, so every bond has clear terms, independent measurement, and protections against gaming the numbers.

How you’ll know it’s working

• Legal review and partner agreements completed
• Outcome measures defined with independent verification
• Bonds issued with published terms and targets
• Payments made only against verified results, reported publicly

From the Blueprint

• Bonds apply to projects of 200+ residential units, 100,000+ square feet of commercial space, or over $2M in city incentives.
• Developers post 15-25% of project cost before permits issue; release follows milestones: foundation 25%, vertical completion 50%, occupancy 25%.
• Automatic triggers include a 12-month construction halt, insolvency, or material default on community benefits after a cure period.
• On trigger, 70% converts to modular workforce housing on pre-identified infill sites and 30% to public infrastructure retrofits.
• The city pre-identifies 15-20 infill sites; pre-negotiated modular contracts can activate within 30 days of a trigger.
• Months 1-6: adopt the bond ordinance; year 2: first bonds posted and fee revenue put to work.