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Check out or own Adam Baugh's Phoenix Business Journal article about how to assess the pros and cons of Arizona's new housing bill HB 2721. The bill represents a proactive legislative effort to address the middle housing shortage and promote housing affordability and diversity. While it offers several potential benefits, including housing diversity, increased supply, urban revitalization, zoning reform and affordable housing access, it also raises concerns regarding neighborhood character, infrastructure impacts, parking and traffic, and community resistance. #HB2721 #landuselaw #WitheyMorrisBaugh

Thank you to the Phoenix Business Journal for publishing my article about how to assess the pros and cons of Arizona's new housing bill HB 2721. HB 2721 represents a proactive legislative effort to address the middle housing shortage and promote housing affordability and diversity. While it offers several potential benefits, including housing diversity, increased supply, urban revitalization, zoning reform and affordable housing access, it also raises concerns regarding neighborhood character, infrastructure impacts, parking and traffic, and community resistance. Read more: #HB2721 #landuselaw #WitheyMorrisBaugh

Exciting News for Columbus Housing Columbus City Council took a significant step on Monday, approving 17 zoning ordinances that will pave the way for 878 new housing units, with half of them designated as "affordable." These units will be distributed across various neighborhoods, addressing our city's pressing housing shortage. "Affordable housing is for everyone, and everywhere in the city," emphasized City Council President . Columbus has been grappling with a housing crisis, and these intentional efforts will help bridge the gap in supply and demand. While the Council typically approves thousands of new housing units annually, this move underscores their commitment to address the growing demand for affordable housing. However, it's worth noting that some concerns have arisen about the streamlined zoning code update, which may bypass public hearings for various issues and variances. The goal is to make it easier for developers to create more housing options. One project to highlight is the 200-plus-unit apartment complex by the NRP Group at 45 W. Barthman Ave., bringing high-quality, affordable housing to the South Side. This development will cater to individuals and families earning between 30% and 80% of the area median income. While change can be challenging, it's crucial to recognize that affordable housing often requires density, and we must adapt to meet the growing needs of our community. #ColumbusHousing #AffordableHousing #CommunityDevelopment #ColumbusCityCouncil Source: Columbus Dispatch

Down With Single-Family Zoning | Opinion | The Harvard Crimson 🏙️ As the debate over single-family zoning heats up in Cambridge, it's time to take a closer look at the impact of this policy on our community. While it may seem like a way to preserve the character of our neighborhoods, the reality is that it perpetuates segregation and limits affordable housing options. We need to have a serious conversation about how we can create more inclusive and equitable communities, starting with addressing the harmful effects of single-family zoning. It's time to prioritize the needs of all residents, not just a select few. Let's work towards a future where everyone has access to safe and affordable housing. #CambridgeHousingDebate #InclusiveCommunities #AffordableHousingNow 🏘️ via @thecrimson

Mayor Eric Adams of New York City, alongside city officials, has announced ambitious zoning changes aimed at spurring more housing development to tackle the city's ongoing housing crisis. This proposal seeks to transform all neighborhoods by increasing building density by approximately 20% specifically for affordable housing targeted at families earning 60% of the area median income. This level of affordability surpasses the incentives offered by the defunct 421a state tax abatement. The zoning adjustments will also promote the construction of new apartment buildings by easing regulations. Particularly, areas near mass transit and commercial corridors could see buildings up to five stories, while homeowners could add accessory dwelling units like basement, backyard, or garage apartments. Additionally, the plan proposes the elimination of parking mandates that have historically limited housing developments in many of the city’s outer boroughs. These changes have garnered the support of a coalition of approximately 125 pro-housing organizations and notable figures like Rachel Fee, executive director of the New York Housing Conference, and Gregg Pasquarelli of SHoP Architects. However, the proposal is set for a rigorous public review process involving community boards, borough presidents, the City Planning Commission, and the City Council. This proposal is part of Mayor Adams’ broader "City of Yes" initiative, which includes plans to revamp commercial zoning and encourage green development, reflecting a progressive vision for the city’s growth post-pandemic. The city aims to address the acute housing shortage that has exacerbated issues such as rising rents, homelessness, and tenant displacement. Overall, these zoning changes represent a significant shift towards inclusive urban development, focusing on increasing the supply of "missing middle" housing and enhancing affordability across New York City. #NYCHousingCrisis #ZoningReform #AffordableHousing #CityOfYes #UrbanDevelopment #NYCRealEstate #HousingPolicy #CommunityDevelopment #EricAdams #NewYorkCity Contact me to discuss the latest scoop in real estate! #manhattanrealtor #brooklynrealtor #queensrealtor #bronxrealtor #westchesterrealtor #nyrealtor #nycrealtor #realtist #nyrealestate #douglasellimannewyork

Before exclusionary zoning, rowhouses and multifamily units like those pictured here in Washington, D.C., were common in urban neighborhoods across the U.S. Some of the nation’s first zoning codes were explicitly racial. After racial zoning was declared illegal, most cities shifted to a mix of economically exclusionary zoning codes, like single-family zoning, combined with privately discriminatory real estate practices, like covenants and racial steering, to achieve the same ends of segregation. The widespread nature and persistence of exclusionary zoning today - whether this includes required minimum lot sizes, parking standards, or building types - makes many neighborhoods even more unaccessible and unaffordable to households of color who already struggle with generalized issues of housing access and affordability.

After three years, how is Boston’s approach to tie fair housing to zoning reform panning out? Kalena Thomhave seeks to answer this question in Smart Cities Dive. In 2021, Boston passed what may be the nation’s first effort to add fair housing requirements to its zoning code. The new policy mandates developers of large projects to assess the projects’ potential impacts on historically discriminated area residents and take steps to minimize those impacts. The Boston Interagency Fair Housing Development Committee, comprising representatives from various city agencies, evaluates a developer’s project assessment, interventions, and the city’s displacement risk data. Developers can discuss with the committee to finalize their requirements and choose from various mitigating measures, including building more affordable units and family-size units, or providing more units to residents with housing vouchers. So far, 43 large projects have triggered the ordinance. Karina Oliver-Milchman, Director of Policy Development and Research for the Mayor’s Office of Housing, notes that while measuring success explicitly is challenging, development projects are evolving due to the ordinance process. #Boston #FairHousing #ZoningReform #SmartCitiesDive #HousingEquity

refining missing middle housing policy >> case study: "Auckland’s upzoning increased housebuilding and decreased rents" "Auckland, the largest city in New Zealand, released a new local plan in 2016 that changed the ‘zoning’ for large parts of the city. In practice, this meant that most of the land that was previously designated as ‘Single House Zone’ was redesignated as either a ‘Mixed Use Suburban Zone’, a ‘Mixed Use Urban Zone’ or as a ‘Terraced Housing and Apartments Zone’.  This city-wide ‘upzoning’ meant that planning permission for proposals for semi-detached and small apartment buildings was now certain on the same plots that previously were designated solely for detached houses, so long as the proposals followed all the rules on safety and other building regulations. " https://lnkd.in/emzE7D9f

Biden-Harris Administration Takes Additional Steps to Increase Housing Supply and Lower Housing Costs Across the Country. #LowerHousingCosts #RemoveHousingBarriers #HousingZoning #HousingPermitting Today, the Biden-Harris Administration and HUD announced $85 million in grants through the Pathways to Removing Obstacles to Housing (PRO Housing) program. The PRO Housing program provides funding to state and local governments that are committed to addressing local barriers to housing production and supports their ability to take various actions, such as updating housing plans, revising land use policies, incentivizing development, and streamlining the construction permitting process. Grantees will also be able to use their awards to address outdated zoning laws that hinder housing production, create subsidies that facilitate preservation of affordable homes, and design programs to expand access to homeownership. While only 21 grantees were selected, over 175 PRO Housing program applicants identified several challenges they encounter during the construction process, including high land and construction costs, outdated development processes, and risks of extreme weather hazards. Applicants that were not selected for this round of PRO Housing funding will receive technical assistance to support their efforts to increase supply and lower housing costs. Additionally, HUD and the Biden-Harris Administration will release a second round of funding for the PRO Housing program later this year.