Crain's New York Business’ Post

Transit-oriented development - building housing near transit - is a key part of creating a more affordable, more connected region. Regional Plan Association’s newest report, Homes on Track, lays out a framework to identify opportunities and challenges in creating TODs in the New York metropolitan area. Failing to advance transit-oriented development in New York will only make the housing crisis worse. Homes on Track provides a list of suggested policy interventions, planning goals, and financial investments to create TODs.

Good summary of the opportunities and challenges of how zoning reform can help provide more housing in Texas and, hopefully, bring the cost of housing down. It's complicated and more than one approach is necessary, but we have to start. It does seem to be one of the few areas where there is some bipartisan agreement and actual momentum. https://lnkd.in/gWyvvnxY

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 Grantees will also be able to use their awards to address outdated zoning laws that hinder housing production, create subsidies that facilitate preservation of affordable homes, and design programs to expand access to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several challenges they encounter during the construction process, including high land and construction costs, outdated development processes, and risks of extreme weather hazards.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.

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

TOD Plans for Inwood and Lawrence Repealed Due to Regional Housing Backlash The Town of Hempstead repealed community supported TOD plans for the Hamlets of Inwood and Lawrence. These plans were shaped with locally input and had supporters out at the hearings where they were approved. The backlash to multifamily housing mandates and regulations seeking to override local zoning has become an issue across the Town of Hempstead.  Opposition from communities throughout the Town led by Supervisor Don Clavin led to this repeal.  Over 35,000 Town of Hempstead residents signed a petition opposing the takeover of local zoning powers to push TOD projects.   This repeal is one of the first casualties of the proposed regional housing policies. Governor Kathy Hochul is not proposing housing mandates at this time and instead a Pro-Housing Community program that is incentive based has emerged as an accepted alternative. Read the story in LI Business News https://lnkd.in/e3A6iUvq

LA: Pay attention to what Pro-Housing really means. The Department of City Planning has recently published a series of "rezoning lookback" reports that provide valuable insights into the impact of past zoning decisions on local housing production. The study's findings reveal that the current zoning regulations are limiting the development of housing in certain areas, thereby exacerbating the problem of affordable housing. This highlights the urgent need for revisiting the existing zoning laws and making necessary changes to address the issue.

California's housing landscape is evolving rapidly. Legal decisions, like the recent ruling allowing lawmakers to override local housing density restrictions, impact development statewide. Despite broader challenges, Santa Cruz stands out with its proactive approach, resulting in a robust housing permit approval process. As housing needs continue to grow, timely decision-making and access to capital remain critical for developers. Read more about it in Casey Beyer's weekly article. https://lnkd.in/gYTKDYCY

New Housing Update: Exciting progress in St. Albans! The City has given the green light for 3 out of our 4 projects to move forward in the permitting process. While permits are pending, discussions with the zoning team are ongoing. The recent development stems from the recognition that H. 687 (Act 181) mandates the City to allow 3 and 4 units on the same size lot as required for single-family homes—a significant shift from last year's denials due to lot size constraints and what I would argue was the wrong interpretation of S. 100 (Act 47). One project faced setbacks due to being on a "legal non-conforming small lot," a point I plan to delve into further this week. Despite disagreements on this matter, our focus remains on the 3 viable projects moving ahead. We also learned that City is going to strongly monitor "lot coverage". Many projects - not just in St. Albans are hung up on lot coverage. Pre-existing small lots and lot coverage seem like logical next steps for the legislature to address in the coming years. #HousingDevelopment #PermittingProcess #LegislativeClarity #CityOfStAlbans

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

The US housing crisis is a product of policy. We face a 4.3 million apartment shortage by 2035, a gap largely tied to zoning regulations upheld in the 1926 Euclid v. Ambler Realty Co. decision. Back then, zoning explicitly aimed to limit apartments, labeled as "parasites" by Justice Sutherland, to protect single-family neighborhoods. Today, zoning adds 27% to multifamily housing costs, compared to 10% for single-family homes. If we’re serious about addressing the housing shortage, we must confront the legacy of zoning and consider bold reforms. 🔗: https://lnkd.in/g4peZa2E