Oxford Considers Voluntary Ordinance to Encourage Affordable Housing Development

Oxford's Board of Aldermen has taken the first step toward creating a voluntary Affordable Housing Incentive Program that would use property tax assessment reductions to nudge developers and property owners toward offering lower-cost rentals in the city.

The ordinance, which received its first reading before the board, targets rental units offered to households at or below 80% of area median income. A second reading and public hearing are scheduled for 5 p.m. on March 17 at City Hall, where residents will have the opportunity to weigh in before any vote.

The program's administrative structure would split responsibility between city and county offices. Commissioner Antonow described the city's role in plain terms: "What the city would do when a property owner applies, they would look at all their credentials. They would have them sign an affidavit saying that they're going to follow these guidelines. They would make sure everything is in order and then turn it over to the county tax assessor."

From there, the Lafayette County Tax Assessor's Office would take over, receiving documentation confirming a property qualifies and then monitoring it annually to ensure continued compliance. Because the county assessor's office would administer the tax assessment portion of the program, the Lafayette County Board of Supervisors would also need to approve the ordinance if the Board of Aldermen passes it.

Antonow said she hopes the program functions as a genuine financial incentive, encouraging developers to build new affordable units and prompting existing property owners to convert units into more affordable rental options.

That goal carries particular weight locally. Planning documents from the city's Vision 2037 Housing Assessment Update cite difficulty recruiting teachers and staff to Oxford because of the unavailability of suitable housing, underscoring that the affordability gap has real workforce consequences.

The groundwork for the ordinance stretches back more than a year. In February 2025, city attorney Paul B. Watkins and Lafayette County attorney David D. O'Donnell jointly requested an official opinion from the Mississippi Attorney General's Office on the tax assessment of affordable housing. Separately, Commissioners Antonow and Cissell met with Lafayette County Board of Supervisors president Brent Larson to brief him on the commission's work, including a related Housing Accelerator Overlay District. Larson was described as supportive. Commissioner Antonow also met with Senator Nicole Boyd to discuss a potential amendment to state statute MS Code 37-7-471 that would extend certain provisions to counties and municipalities.

The voluntary structure of the program, with its affidavit requirement and annual county monitoring, is designed to keep compliance verifiable without mandating participation. Whether enough developers and landlords will find the tax assessment incentives compelling enough to act remains an open question the public hearing on March 17 may begin to answer.