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More places end single-family zoning to ease housing crisis : NPR

In Arlington County, Virginia, signs of a duel dot the streets as residents debate proposed zoning reforms. This photo was first published on his DCist.click here to read the story.

Margaret Barthel / WAMU / DCist


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Margaret Barthel / WAMU / DCist


In Arlington County, Virginia, signs of a duel dot the streets as residents debate proposed zoning reforms. This photo was first published on his DCist.click here to read the story.

Margaret Barthel / WAMU / DCist

Tara Siegel and her partner love living in Arlington, Virginia, just outside Washington, DC, but really want more space than the two-bedroom apartment they rent. Recently, they started looking for a place to buy on her Zillow.

“We saw a lot of houses,” says Siegel.

It was a rude surprise.couple make up Regional Median Household Income, which is over $120,000. They knew single-family homes would hit $1 million, but even a 20- or three-bedroom condo proved too expensive.

“It was sad and disappointing for me,” said Siegel, 35, a State Department contractor.

Arlington is growing number of place Discussing the demise of single-family zoning mandates that defined iconic American suburbs. The hope is to make housing affordable for more people like Siegel, but the change is controversial.

three states — Oregon, California and maine — and some cities are already opening up zoning. Housing experts say this is the key to finally end a serious situation housing shortage — deficit of millions of homes — that’s the main reason for the super-high prices. These new laws legalize all types of housing that have been banned for generations, including duplexes, townhomes and small multifamily housing. It’s called the “missing middle” and aims to bridge the gap between single-family homes and high-rise apartments.

Supporters’ motivation goes beyond affordability. racial equality A goal because many single-family zoning laws were used to segregate cities by race or class. Higher housing density also helps limit reliance on cars and long commutes. exacerbate climate change.

Zoning changes also address severe demographic mismatches. Most residential areas in many cities are devoted to ever-larger single-family homes, even though the average household size is shrinking. today, Nearly two-thirds have one or two.

Relaxation of single-family zoning is controversial, many homeowners oppose

Despite the growing demand for higher density housing, these decisions can be difficult to make. Indeed, following backlash in Gainesville, Florida, city commissioners recently reversed last year’s decision End single-family zoning.

On a Saturday in January, the Arlington County Commissioner 5 hours of public comment From 150+ people. Community sentiment over the lack of an interim plan was wildly divided.

“Our streets can’t handle it,” said opponent Michael Lynch. “The neighborhood can’t handle it. The school system can’t handle it. And the urban infrastructure can’t handle it.”

Many current homeowners fear that increased density will lead to parking nightmares, declining trees, overburdening county services, and impermeable surfaces that can cause flooding. They are also concerned that it will change the character of the neighborhood and want the apartment buildings to stay on dense commercial roads.

“We don’t have the space to incorporate cities and urbanized living within this small village of the community that we have,” says Julie Lee, president and founding member of the Neighborhood Citizens Association. Arlingtonians for Upzoning Transparencya group fighting plans.

Even with a shortage of “half-baked” housing, Lee said it’s still too expensive for many. And she fears the plan will encourage further demolition of smaller, more affordable single-family homes in favor of multi-family homes that can be equally expensive.

Advocates like County Board member Katie Kristol say it’s important to change zoning rules that have long discounted families of color. And she worries about the widening gap between multi-million dollar single-family homes and subsidized affordable housing — and the people missing out.

“We are in danger of losing the future of young to mid-career professionals who want to go home to Arlington for good,” says Krystle. That’s a good number, she adds — Arlington is the majority renter, with the largest age group ranging from he’s 25 to he’s 34.

After two controversial days of public comment, Arlington’s board has scaled back key aspects of the plan, which is now in final consideration, in an effort to appease opponents. Lowered the maximum number of units the board can finally approve from 8 to 6. He also added the option that 5-6 unit buildings can only be built near transportation or on lots larger than 12,000 square feet. This means that many areas of the county will be open only to his two- to four-unit homes.

that movement brought condemnation The president tweeted from the Arlington NAACP, “This is racism in effect and our leaders missed the mark in such a historic vote.”

A final vote to finalize policy details is scheduled for March.

Supporters and opponents of a proposed plan to eliminate most single-family home lots in Arlington, Virginia, attend a Jan. 21 hearing. This photo was first published on his DCist.click here to read the story.

Mike Maguire/WAMU/DCist


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Mike Maguire/WAMU/DCist


Supporters and opponents of a proposed plan to eliminate most single-family home lots in Arlington, Virginia, attend a Jan. 21 hearing. This photo was first published on his DCist.click here to read the story.

Mike Maguire/WAMU/DCist

New zoning laws haven’t created many new homes so far

“Missing Middle” zoning changes are specifically designed so that the neighborhood doesn’t change completely overnight. It could limit the amount of construction that takes place each year, and any major change could take decades.

Still, the few homes ever built where zoning laws have been passed provide a reality check.

“It is not yet clear whether this wave of state and local zoning changes will result in significant numbers of new homes. Recent analysis Courtesy of the Terner Center for Housing Innovation at the University of California, Berkeley.

Researchers held roundtable discussions with developers in seven states to understand what is holding back construction.

“We were surprised to find that there wasn’t much enthusiasm among the developers we interviewed for building these smaller housing types.” There is a belief that it is the key, and I think it is probably closer to the first step.

This report identifies a number of barriers. One example: Garcia says that if a developer needs to fit, say, a 4-unit building into the exact same space he puts a 2,000-square-foot house into, that doesn’t work. He says the city needs other design and land-use changes to allow for more square feet and perhaps less setback from the streets. The space that would have been used for is released.

Another barrier is the high cost of construction and land. This is a big challenge in places like: CaliforniaGarcia says the economics of a two- to four-unit building will struggle. Developers say they believe 6-8 units or more is economically viable.

He cites Portland, Oregon, as a model for making changes beyond zoning that have helped the city allow dozens of fourplexes. I hope that we will be able to formulate the most effective policies through these efforts.

One advantage for developers is that the “Missing middle” zoning method generally allows neighborhood opposite An appeals process that slows down so many housing projects.

“Appeal brings unpredictability and risk to builders, and when you’re talking about small builders, they can’t take that risk,” said Eli Spevak, who runs a company called Orange Splot in Portland. I’m here.

He has two townhomes and two six-unit buildings under development and is not subject to appeal. “Checking all the boxes will ensure you get a building permit, although it’s a long list.”

Newly built ‘missing middle’ homes will still be out of reach for many

For the most part, “mid-range” housing isn’t meant for the lowest-income Americans, but the law sometimes includes incentives for it. Spevak can only build 6 reactors, 3 of which are publicly subsidized.

Most of these duplexes and other multifamily homes are market priced and not affordable to many people right now. Spevak said his unsubsidized unit sells in his $400,000 range, while nearby homes sell for his $700,000 to his $800,000.

in Arlington, County-specific estimates The newly developed duplex was found to be over $1.1 million. This is actually more than some of the older smaller single family homes. Proponents of zoning changes say these units will become relatively affordable as they age over time.

For now, that doesn’t do much for Tara Siegel, a renter who wants more space. She and her partner have since paused their search for an Arlington home and are even wondering if they want to buy one.

“That might keep me from staying in Arlington,” says Siegel.

https://www.npr.org/2023/02/11/1155094278/states-cities-end-single-family-zoning-housing-affordable More places end single-family zoning to ease housing crisis : NPR

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