Mexico's experience offers a useful cautionary tale about this type of development. Five common strategies for increasing housing affordability are described and compared below.1. Erick Guerra (2015), “The Geography Of Car Ownership In Mexico City: A Joint Model Of Households’ Residential Location And Car Ownership Decisions, Journal of Transport Geography, Vol. Seattle is debating the suitability and specific design features of a commercial linkage fee policy, which advocates claim could produce five to 10 times the amount of affordable housing the city gets under its current incentive program. About a decade ago, in response to a design charrette, the Downtown Core Area Plan eliminated parking requirements in an adjacent area, Harris Green. In a recent NHC report prepared for the Washington chapter of the Urban Land Institute (ULI) highlights some of the best practices in local public land policy and development in our region. AFFORDABLE HOUSING STRATEGY • Increase dedicated revenue for the Housing Trust Fund (HTF) • Provide Return on Investment data • Develop a sustained capital funding strategy to support household affordability as infrastructure • New Dedicated Revenue Sources • Redevelop public land to prioritize household affordability Below are seven approaches that have been adopted by some high-cost jurisdictions to increase the supply of affordable housing. Check out the Planetizen Store for great gift ideas for the urbanists in your life. Check out our behind the scenes look at 25 careers in Urban Planning. Jonathan Ford (2009), Smart Growth & Conventional Suburban Development: Which Costs More? To accommodate the demand for housing in the growing Washington DC region, it is becoming increasingly important to allow for the construction of more housing, in taller, denser developments. Removing unjustified restrictions and costs for urban infill is generally the most cost-efficient and beneficial option overall, but is challenging due to local opposition, and because its benefits are widely dispersed and so has fewer advocates. Potential is generally modest, and unless housing demand is very strong will reduce total housing development, particularly middle-priced units. Increasing rent subsidies in a market with limited affordable housing supply may favor some groups (those that qualify for the subsidy) to the detriment of others, and can contribute to rent inflation. The dynamic nature of housing prices can complicate affordability analysis. Only apply where housing demand is very strong to avoid reducing total development. Only if increased subsidies are implemented with policies that increase housing supply can all lower-income households benefit. Sanford Ikeda and Emily Washington (2015). The Affordable Housing Strategy will identify opportunities and constraints for increased market-rate and affordable housing development and preservation. Increase the amount of long-term affordable rental housing, especially in high-opportunity communities. Chicago recently amended its affordable housing ordinance to provide incentives to developers that build more than half of a project’s required affordable housing units in transit-served locations. Can provide relatively inexpensive housing. In many places around the region, height and other zoning restrictions could be relaxed to expand housing supply, and these development incentives should be linked to the provision of affordable housing. As federal subsidies for affordable rental housing continue to fall short of the need, the role of local governments in the development and preservation of affordable housing has become increasingly important. Obtaining government financing is an important strategy for building affordable housing. One key reason rental affordability remains a challenge in the region is that we are not building enough overall housing. The new legislation will apply to Eugene. Recent arrivals have driven up rents dramatically in the District of Columbia over the past decade, as the increase in the number of renter households has far outpaced overall population growth. Encourage abundant private development on inexpensive, urban-fringe land. Impacts are unpredictable and may be slow. Matthew Sellers, et al., “County Authority: A State by State Report,” National Association of Counties (2010). 420.9072, states that SHIP “is created for the purpose of providing funds to counties and eligible municipalities as an incentive for the creation of This may require subsidies or low-interest loans. Governments can sponsor and subsidize development of social housing to meet specific needs, such as seniors, people with disabilities, and low incomes. What can America's first great immigrant city tell us about placemaking in support of social and spatial belonging? Planetizen Courses provides an easy way for AICP* certified planners to earn CM credits. Other innovative and effective public land policies have been adopted in San Francisco and in King County, Washington, among others. Mexico established government programs that encouraged private developers to build large numbers of inexpensive single-family homes on converted farmlands. In San Francisco, one way that has been suggested to spur affordable housing development is to provide developers with an opportunity to experiment with different housing models, including co-housing and other shared housing models. Mix and Match Sale! 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