Kurt Paulsen’s Post

New legislation has been introduced to address some of the issues local governments raised regarding the sweeping housing changes introduced in fall 2023. The housing amendments bill includes giving local governments the authority needed to establish inclusionary zoning to protect the interests of low income renters. #housing #localgovernment https://lnkd.in/gANk4r-4

Housing Secretary Angela Rayner has said overhauling planning rules to bypass local authorities will remove "chaos and subjectiveness" from the system. Housing Secretary Angela Rayner has proposed reforms to planning rules that would allow local authority planning officers to approve development proposals without council committee approval, provided they align with local plans and national standards. This change aims to eliminate delays and streamline the housing development process, supporting the government's goal of building 1.5 million new homes by 2029. While housebuilders have welcomed the initiative, critics argue it undermines community input. Rayner emphasised the need for councils to formalise development plans to prevent speculative building on greenbelt land. The government plans to introduce a Planning and Infrastructure Bill to further streamline processes and improve training for planning committee members. However, concerns remain about the feasibility of meeting the ambitious housing target, with calls for better infrastructure and community engagement in the planning process. What are your thoughts? #propertymarket #newhomes https://lnkd.in/exvN4xW9

The Florida Housing Summit by Florida Policy Project with speaker Nolan Gray was excellent. Main takeaways: -Growth in Florida is inevitable, we need to take actions now to address the housing affordability crisis or housing will become increasingly unattainable. -Current zoning policies are making housing affordability more difficult. -Decriminalize inherently attainable missing middle housing typologies, focus on having apartments near transit. -Eliminate minimum parking requirements; these requirements discourage adaptive reuse of buildings. Consumers should have the ability to decide the amount of parking needed. -Reduce minimum lot sizes, stop mandating the construction of mansions. -Discretionary policies politicize new housing developments; objective standards and administrative approval remove barriers to the consturction of attainable housing.

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

Inclusionary zoning, a policy designed to create affordable housing by requiring or incentivizing developers to set aside a share of below-market-rate units in new projects, has been a topic of much debate. Originating in the 1970s, this policy aims to leverage land-use regulations to increase affordable housing and counteract exclusionary zoning laws that restrict cheaper units in multi-family buildings. However, recent research by UCLA housing expert Shane Phillips highlights the complexities and potential downsides of inclusionary zoning. While the intention is to boost affordable housing, these policies can sometimes backfire, leading to fewer homes overall and higher housing costs. Phillips' study suggests that while there are ways to optimize inclusionary zoning, direct housing subsidies, such as vouchers, might be more effective and flexible. Subsidies allow low-income residents to choose where they want to live and ensure that every dollar spent goes further. As we strive for balanced housing solutions, it's essential to recognize the trade-offs involved in policies like inclusionary zoning. Read more about the study and its implications in the article below. https://lnkd.in/ehgcRJ5V #HousingReform #RealEstate #AffordableHousing #InclusionaryZoning

Two common barriers that restrict the supply of housing are zoning regulations and land use policies and high construction costs. These barriers are known to increase the cost of housing and exacerbate affordability issues. But, Bryan Caplan, author of @nytimes Op-ed “The Best Plan for Housing is to Plan Less.” says it's not construction costs, they have been “flat for decades.” Caplan says regulations are really the root cause of America’s housing crisis and that deregulating housing will solve a number of issues. Do you think deregulation is the answer? If so, which regulations would you address? . . . #housingcrisis #housingsolutions #housingforbellingham #affordablehousing #whatcomcounty #bellinghamwa

EPS helps bring about significant land use and zoning amendments in Eagle, Colorado! In 2021, the Town of Eagle, Colorado, with a population of about 7,500, began updating its land use code for the first time since the 1970s to address rising housing prices. Eagle staff saw an opportunity to address affordable housing by leveraging state funds available to municipalities to complete a housing needs assessment and adopt new land use strategies. EPS, in collaboration with Clarion Associates, Town staff, an engaged Town Council, active resident participation, and state funding, brought about significant land use and zoning amendments. Read more about it: https://lnkd.in/dXa-NMhm

A headline summary of the stats 👇

British Columbia's premier ordered ten fast-growing municipalities to meet housing targets in September 2023. Since then, he has expanded those orders to twenty other jurisdictions. The Housing Supply Act uses a carrot-and-stick approach to pressure municipalities to approve new housing projects. It's intended to address BC's housing crisis by adding more homes to the housing stock. Still, critics argue that while adding more homes is good, it won't necessarily help with BC's housing affordability crisis. https://lnkd.in/gjUP4N6c