November 19: What we’re reading this week
Some articles we found interesting this week:
Since the vast majority of affordable housing is now created using the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit program, this article is worth reading. It does an excellent job explaining the program. “LIHTC: The Good, The Bad, and The Very Complicated”
The Assembly took a close look at Charlotte’s effort to address the harms arising from its use of exclusionary zoning techniques. Charlotte City Council voted to expand the kinds of residential structures and density allowed under its exclusionary single-family zoning districts. The article covers a wide range of issues associated with this regulatory reform effort. “Can Charlotte Re-sort Itself?”
Continuing with the exclusionary zoning theme, this is a fascinating article about a small, wealthy liberal Boston town and its use of the “exclusionary playbook.”
“Americans are Walking 36% less since COVID,” according to Bloomberg.
Here’s another example of a city trying to encourage more Missing Middle Housing. Like Raleigh and Charlotte, other cities recognize the need to build more Missing Middle Housing to unwind the impact of exclusionary zoning. This time it’s Salt Lake City.
Here is an interesting report from Brookings: “Where 20 Years of Housing was Built in Washington, DC and Where it Wasn’t.
New Heat Map Charts Unequal Opportunity for Civic Engagement Across the US. Take a look at it here.
Tom Barkin, the President of the Richmond Federal Reserve Bank, stated at a recent conference that NIMBYism is a continuing barrier to improving housing affordability. As one example, he cited teachers as one group of people that simply cannot afford housing. It’s time we focus on who needs housing, rather than the where and what of housing. Read here.
Here is a study that adds to a growing body of research suggesting that high cost of living is a primary factor causing homelessness (not substance abuse). More info here.
This article looks at a program in Santa Barbara that repurposes commercial space for workforce housing. Read about it here.
The housing market is so tight that employers are renting homes for workers, according to the Washington Post.
Given the various articles mentioned above that relate to Missing Middle housing, here’s something from the Raleigh YIMBY listserv worth considering:
“Over the past 5 years, the City of Raleigh issued an average of 1,257 residential building permits per year. This is for single family homes, townhomes, and condos. Per city staff, since the enactment of the Missing Middle text change in July 2021, the City has approved 1,400 units as a result of the text change. In other words, this text change has resulted in more than an additional year of new housing in just over 2 years, all at no cost. Since the passage of the ADU text change in July 2020, over 300 ADUs have been approved.”