1 / 20

Inclusionary Zoning: for community/ neighborhood groups

Inclusionary zoning is a local initiative that requires a portion of housing units in new real estate developments to be reserved for affordable housing. This approach expands housing opportunities, increases economic diversity, prevents sprawl, and strengthens the economic competitiveness of communities. This article explores the benefits of inclusionary zoning, key policy considerations, and case studies from Massachusetts.

outlawr
Download Presentation

Inclusionary Zoning: for community/ neighborhood groups

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript


  1. Inclusionary Zoning:for community/ neighborhood groups Smart Growth / Smart Energy Toolkit

  2. Definition Inclusionary zoning - a local initiative that requires a portion of housing units in a new real estate development to be reserved for affordable housing

  3. The Problem • Home prices are rapidly rising; • Affordable housing needs are not filled; • Only 39 out of 351 Massachusetts municipalities met state’s 10% affordable housing requirement; (as of 2005) How can zoning best work with local real estate markets to advance the affordable housing goals of a community?

  4. Benefits of Inclusionary Zoning • Expands housing opportunities; • Increases economic diversity; • Prevents sprawl; • Improves transparency in development process; • Distributes affordable housing equitably; • Strengthens economic competitiveness of Massachusetts.

  5. Benefits of Inclusionary Zoning Expands housing opportunities • Meets housing needs of individuals at all income levels; • Enables individuals to live and work in the same community. Brookline, MA

  6. Benefits of Inclusionary Zoning Increases economic diversity • Promotes mixed-income neighborhoods; • Increases demographic, ethnic, and cultural diversity; • Reverses exclusionary development patterns. Roxbury, MA Andover, MA

  7. Benefits of Inclusionary Zoning Minimizes sprawl • Integrates affordable housing into existing developed areas; • Promotes denser infill development through density bonuses and other incentives; • Encourages rehabilitation and preservation of existing structures.

  8. Benefits of Inclusionary Zoning Improves transparency in development process • Codifies requirements and incentives associated with residential development; • Increases predictability of residential permitting; • Improves municipal-developer relations.

  9. Benefits of Inclusionary Zoning Distribute affordable housing equitably • Promotes regional planning; • Encourages Massachusetts municipalities to develop more affordable housing. Concord, MA Scituate., MA

  10. Benefits of Inclusionary Zoning Strengthens economic competitiveness of Massachusetts • Provides housing to individuals at all income levels; • Helps to retain local workforce; • Helps to attract new residents. Amherst, MA

  11. Key Policy Considerations • Income level that affordable housing serves; • Mandatory or voluntary zoning provisions; • Amount of affordable housing provided; • Alternatives to on-site development; • Incentives offered to developers.

  12. Policy Considerations Income Level • Who qualifies for affordable housing? • Low income household defined as a percentage of area median income (AMI); • HUD Income Limits for Massachusetts. • What is an affordable unit? • Rent  30% gross income; • Mortgage payment  30% gross income.

  13. Policy Considerations Mandatory v. Voluntary • Mandatory inclusionary zoning – affordable housing units required as part of every new or rehabilitated residential development; • Voluntary inclusionary zoning – affordable housing not required in by-right development; incentive programs encourage affordable housing development. Mandatory inclusionary zoning is the most effective tool for increasing affordable housing stock in a community.

  14. Policy Considerations Amount of Housing Provided • Market demand for affordable housing; • Unit cost of affordable housing; • Number of new units that trigger affordable housing requirements. What percent of new housing units should be affordable?

  15. Policy Considerations Incentives • Types of Incentives • Density bonuses; • Expedited Permitting; • Increased Design Flexibility; • Tax Breaks. What combination of incentives will spur the most affordable housing development?

  16. Policy Considerations Development Alternatives • Types of Development Alternatives • Fee-in-lieu payments; • Off-site development; • Other waivers or hardship provisions; • Reduce financial burden and risk to developers. • Do development alternatives significantly reduce the number of affordable housing units built?

  17. Keys for Success • Zoning compatible with local real estate market; • Supportive neighborhoods; • Supportive development community; • Strong regulatory authority; • Long-term planning. Provincetown, MA

  18. Case Studies • Barnstable • Brookline • Cambridge • Marlborough • Newton • Northampton Over 100 communities in Massachusetts have passed inclusionary zoning provisions Brookline, MA

  19. Additional Resources • Taking the Initiative: Affordable Housing Strategies Guidebook (3/2003), Guidebook for Local Housing Partnerships (9/2004), and MHP’s Housing Needs Workbook (6/2003), three useful publications for housing partnerships www.mhp.net/community_initiatives/municipalities/housing_partnerships.php • Inclusionary Zoning: Lessons Learned in Massachusetts, Inclusionary Zoning: Guidelines for cities and towns, and Zoning for Housing Affordability, three publications for affordable housing www.mhp.net/vision/zoning.php • The Impact of Inclusionary Zoning on Development www.bpichicago.org/rah/pubs/impact_iz_development.pdf

  20. Additional Resources • Mass Dept. of Housing and Community Development www.mass.gov/dhcd/ • Mass Housing Partnership www.mhp.net/ • Town of Barnstable ADU Program Paulette Theresa-McAuliffe, 508-862-4683 • Portland, Oregon ADU Program Mark Bello, mbello@ci.portland.or.us • Santa Cruz, California ADU Program www.ci.santa-cruz.ca.us/hcd/ADU/adu.html

More Related