Housing affordability and reform of local land-use practices have been a hot topic around the country over the last couple of years, including here in the state of Utah. And it appears that it continues to be on political agendas, even amid the pandemic, with its apparent but uncertain impacts on future urban growth.
Most notably, changes in local land use controls have taken place on a statewide level in California and Oregon, and in cities such as Minneapolis, Seattle and Toronto. In Utah, the housing gap issue more new family units being formed than the number of new dwellings produced has prompted the creation of a housing affordability task force, a business-led Housing Gap Coalition, a state Commission 0n Housing Affordability, and changes in state code to require cities and counties to consider and adopt housing strategies from a menu of options, as well as tying state transportation funding to local land use actions.
The rapid collapse of the nations economy with the COVID-19 pandemic should have, in keeping with other economic recessions, relieved upward pressures on cost in the housing markets and thus helped with the housing affordability crisis. But, as noted in an earlier post on the APA Utah website (Zoning, Affordability, and COVID-19), this seems not to be the case. And the continued political pressure to pursue state-level policy actions on local land use management has not abated (see comments reported in the APA website post).
All of this is being supplemented and enhanced by the recent emphasis on racial equality. Many writers have noted the underlying segregation in the wholesale adoption in many cities years ago of exclusive single-family zoning (see, for example, How Housing Policies Keep White Neighborhoods So White in Governing Magazine). We are thus now seeing even greater calls for reformation of local zoning laws.
In last weeks issue of The Economist, a story titled Segregation still blights the lives of African-Americans noted:
Zoning rules which keep the cost of housing high by restricting supply make it very hard for poor black families to move to better neighbourhoods. As income inequality has risen, well-to-do families have bid up the price of homes near good schools, further concentrating poverty. Public-housing programmes, which could break up these patterns, do little. Continuing discrimination makes matters worse. A recent investigation into rentals in Boston showed that in situations where a white applicant secured a viewing 80% of the time a black applicant with identical financial credentials would get a viewing just 48% of the time.
The story then goes on to suggest solutions to this issue, including:
The most obvious starting-point is stripping away the zoning rules that ban apartments in high-cost cities. They deny opportunity to poor families of all colours even as they drag down economic productivity.
The effort to limit exclusive single-family residential zoning, or at the very least require inclusion of more options, is very much alive and well across the country. California is still seeing activity (Sen. Wiener Want to Abolish Single-Family-Only Neighborhoods in California).
In Connecticut a newly organized group is pushing the state legislature to consider a variety of measures, hopefully in an upcoming special legislative session later this year:
The coalition, known as DesegregateCT, is pushing a series of ideas, including allowing accessory apartments as large as 1,200 square feet to be permitted on large, single-family lots. In addition, they are calling for more small-scale townhouses and duplexes or so-called middle housing that could be built within a half-mile of train stations and a quarter-mile of commercial developments. They want towns to designate 10% of their property as middle housing or multifamily in order to diversify the housing options. They also want to relax minimum parking requirements that they say are highest in wealthier towns. We have too many freestanding single-family homes, which are expensive and, for many, undesirable, the groups says on its website. We have to give people more opportunities to choose where and how they live.
One of the more notable aspects of the Connecticut effort is the role of the states Conference of Municipalities (similar to our League of Cities and Towns). Such organizations usually take the position that the crafting of land use reforms should be left to those who work with them every day - the local governments. But to some, this has seemed to be a bit like the fox being asked to watch the henhouse. Asking locally-elected officials to lead the way on changing land use regulations away from predominant single-family zoning, who are the very officials that originally enacted and subsequently have perpetuated it, may not result in the needed changes, they say.
In a change of tone, heres the statement from Connecticut Conference of Municipalities (CCM) Executive Director Joe DeLong at the coalition event:
Our organization, for years, has really focused on local control, DeLong said. I think the first thing that CCM needs to do is reflect on ourselves and understand whether or not were being a part of the solution or whether were being a quick path to no.' Thats why were here today. We have members all across the state that have mixed views on this issue. Some probably support every proposal in here, some support some and not others. But the message I want to deliver is dont use us as a reason not to act. We want to be a part of the solution. We want to be at the table.
As long as Im here at CCM, our focus is not going to be on no.' Our focus is going to be on making a difference in how we get to yes.
State legislatures in Virginia, Washington and Maryland have just this year considered similar measures. And even in that liberal urban hotspot, Nebraska, the legislature this year considered, among others, The Missing Middle Housing Act. A story in Bloomberg noted:
the battle over single-family homes (has come) to Nebraska. A state legislative committee heard arguments about a number of bills designed to lower housing costs by lifting local bans on duplex homes, triplexes, townhouses and other options in cities across the state.
So, what can we expect in our fair state this coming year? Well, the state Commission on Housing Affordability indicates that they will be continuing to work on this issue, and likely will generate more recommendations for the state legislature, administration, and cities and counties to consider. And the Commission has asked commission member Chris Gamvroulas, President of Ivory Development, to head a subcommittee charged specifically with looking at local land use regulations and their impact on housing affordability. That subcommittee will hold its first meeting on July 23 week.
We havent heard the last on this topic just yet.
Wilf Sommerkorn is a retired urban planner who served during his career as, among other things, Planning Director for Davis County, Salt Lake City, and Salt Lake County. He continues to serve as co-chair of the Legislative Committee for the Utah Chapter of the American Planning Association.
Read this article:
A Planner's outlook on the politics of housing affordability 2020 - Utah Policy
- Haringey: Further tales of Labour Party discontent on the 'Corbyn... - onlondon.co.uk - June 22nd, 2020 [June 22nd, 2020]
- West Bengal- The Israel for Hindu Bengalis? Its time to redeem the pledge on the day Bengal was partitioned - OpIndia - June 22nd, 2020 [June 22nd, 2020]
- Rocked to the core: Mining giants confront an ancient, incalculable risk - Sydney Morning Herald - June 22nd, 2020 [June 22nd, 2020]
- Flag flap: Retired UA prof says the American flag on Flattop is abuse of power by Dunleavy Administration - Must Read Alaska - June 22nd, 2020 [June 22nd, 2020]
- Perhaps We Don't Understand?- The End of the West - Visegrad Insight - June 22nd, 2020 [June 22nd, 2020]
- Beijings violent rise must be checked - The New Indian Express - June 22nd, 2020 [June 22nd, 2020]
- When riot cops came to Bowral - Red Flag - June 22nd, 2020 [June 22nd, 2020]
- From Prison to the Halls of Power: A Politician's Son Lobbies to Let People on Parole Vote - Lost Coast Outpost - June 22nd, 2020 [June 22nd, 2020]
- The remarkable life and legacy of indigenous leader Berta Cceras - Salon - June 22nd, 2020 [June 22nd, 2020]
- Move to annex parts of West Bank could come as early as July 1 - jewishpresstampa - June 22nd, 2020 [June 22nd, 2020]
- President says he will renew effort to end DACA protections - - KUSI - June 22nd, 2020 [June 22nd, 2020]
- Delhis urban planners must stop ignoring the shoddy infrastructure in its 135 urban villages - Scroll.in - June 22nd, 2020 [June 22nd, 2020]
- Japan to revise security strategy with halt to Aegis Ashore system : The Asahi Shimbun - Asahi Shimbun - June 22nd, 2020 [June 22nd, 2020]
- How my colonial smugness evaporated with one explosive revelation - Stuff.co.nz - June 22nd, 2020 [June 22nd, 2020]
- With the World Focused on the Pandemic, Israel Prepares to Annex Large Swaths of the West Bank - The Intercept - First Look Media - June 22nd, 2020 [June 22nd, 2020]
- Trump is about to land his 200th federal judge. The impact will last 'generations.' - NBC News - June 22nd, 2020 [June 22nd, 2020]
- Tribune Editorial: Make DACA the law of the land - Salt Lake Tribune - June 22nd, 2020 [June 22nd, 2020]
- Visualizing the True Size of Land Masses from Largest to Smallest - Visual Capitalist - June 22nd, 2020 [June 22nd, 2020]
- Harris's path on police reform littered with land mines | TheHill - The Hill - June 22nd, 2020 [June 22nd, 2020]
- Elon Musk denies threesome with Amber Heard and Cara Delevingne - Page Six - June 24th, 2020 [June 24th, 2020]
- Column: Tesla's reluctant commitment to cobalt a warning to others - Andy Home - Reuters - June 24th, 2020 [June 24th, 2020]
- Why Intelligent Minds Like Elon Musk and Steve Jobs Embrace the Rule of Awkward Silence - Inc. - June 24th, 2020 [June 24th, 2020]
- Elon Musk Bitcoin vanity addresses used to scam users out of $2 million - ZDNet - June 24th, 2020 [June 24th, 2020]
- Artist turns Elon Musks viral tweets into illustrations that are now part of a colouring book - The Indian Express - June 24th, 2020 [June 24th, 2020]
- Elon Musk Is Attempting to Revolutionize HVAC Systems - ACHR NEWS - June 24th, 2020 [June 24th, 2020]
- How to land a job at Elon Musk's SpaceX, according to the rocket company's software team - CNBC - June 24th, 2020 [June 24th, 2020]
- Leaked Elon Musk Email, Plus Tesla Firmware 2020.24.6 and Texas Gigafactory Hearing - TheStreet - June 24th, 2020 [June 24th, 2020]
- Photos: Why The Gypsum Hills Are The 'Best Kept Secret' In Kansas - KMUW - July 10th, 2020 [July 10th, 2020]
- A Powerful Chief And Unexpected Splits: 6 Takeaways From The Supreme Court Term - HPPR - July 12th, 2020 [July 12th, 2020]
- One key solution to the world's climate woes? Canada's natural landscapes - The Narwhal - July 12th, 2020 [July 12th, 2020]
- 245 homes could be built on greenbelt land in the 'last village in Gloucester' - Gloucestershire Live - July 12th, 2020 [July 12th, 2020]
- From the Archives, 1995: Flagging reconciliation - The Age - July 12th, 2020 [July 12th, 2020]
- Navigating the Self: African Student Experiences in U.S. Higher Education - The Yale Politic - July 12th, 2020 [July 12th, 2020]
- What 9 GOP Campaign Consultants Really Think About Republicans Chances in November - Rolling Stone - July 12th, 2020 [July 12th, 2020]
- COMMENTARY: I propose changing the name of Jackson County to Jackson County - The Cherokee One Feather - Cherokee One Feather - July 12th, 2020 [July 12th, 2020]
- The end is now in sight for the fight to preserve west basin - The Canberra Times - July 13th, 2020 [July 13th, 2020]
- Beyond the Crossroads - bellacaledonia.org.uk - July 13th, 2020 [July 13th, 2020]
- Friction between liberal ideology and tribal sovereignty comes to the fore - Washington Examiner - July 13th, 2020 [July 13th, 2020]
- The General Election of 2020 - ft.lk - July 14th, 2020 [July 14th, 2020]
- WILLY MUTUNGA - Saba Saba at 30: The Struggle for Progressive Alternative Political Leadership in Kenya Continues - The Elephant - July 14th, 2020 [July 14th, 2020]
- Four traveller groups arrive in the Black Country - expressandstar.com - July 14th, 2020 [July 14th, 2020]
- America may vote Trump out, but will it ever lose his legacy? - Shout Out UK - July 14th, 2020 [July 14th, 2020]
- An international student's perspective on race relations on campus - University of Dallas University News - July 14th, 2020 [July 14th, 2020]
- TALKING POINT TUESDAY: Party representatives give their views on homelessness in the city - In Your Area - July 14th, 2020 [July 14th, 2020]
- Convoys mark 30th anniversary of Oka crisis as land dispute... - Todayville.com - July 14th, 2020 [July 14th, 2020]
- The fact that Peter Beinart 'no longer believes in a Jewish State' tells us a lot - Middle East Monitor - July 14th, 2020 [July 14th, 2020]
- Controversial decision to sell off land for 110 homes at Lakeside to be reconsidered by committee - Burnham and Highbridge Weekly News - July 14th, 2020 [July 14th, 2020]
- Supreme Court says eastern half of Oklahoma is Native American land - CNBC - July 14th, 2020 [July 14th, 2020]
- Ontario premier won't say if province will cover $1.35B deficit faced by Toronto - CTV News - July 18th, 2020 [July 18th, 2020]
- Being a nation and the bogey of self-determination - The Tribune India - July 18th, 2020 [July 18th, 2020]
- Mompremier happy to land with Sun - News from southeastern Connecticut - theday.com - July 18th, 2020 [July 18th, 2020]
- Book World: How elites distorted the meaning of populism - The Advocate - July 18th, 2020 [July 18th, 2020]
- Eriksmoen: North Dakota mother and daughter represented people they cared about in 'Wizard of Oz' and the real-life Emerald City - Grand Forks Herald - July 18th, 2020 [July 18th, 2020]
- Supreme Court ruling expanded tribal land. What does that mean for Arizona? - AZCentral - July 18th, 2020 [July 18th, 2020]
- Column: Should Slave Owner Jefferson Be a Hero? - Southern Pines Pilot - July 18th, 2020 [July 18th, 2020]
- Murder hornets, unexpected court rulings and nasty politics: 2020 has it all - Bangor Daily News - July 19th, 2020 [July 19th, 2020]
- Liberal Zionism begins to make the journey towards a one-state solution - Middle East Eye - July 19th, 2020 [July 19th, 2020]
- Renaming the Army Bases - The New York Times - July 19th, 2020 [July 19th, 2020]
- Trump opponents' worst traits are Trump's fault | News, Sports, Jobs - Minot Daily News - July 21st, 2020 [July 21st, 2020]
- Here's how much men and women earn at every age - CNBC - July 21st, 2020 [July 21st, 2020]
- From fighting Covid-19 to locusts, drones showcase their potential and wide user-applications - DNA India - July 21st, 2020 [July 21st, 2020]
- Anglin: History illuminated as the sun sets on Ranger - San Antonio Express-News - July 21st, 2020 [July 21st, 2020]
- Art for trying times: reading Richard Ford on a world undone by calamity - The Conversation AU - July 21st, 2020 [July 21st, 2020]
- Kelly Hawes column: Supreme Court holds government to its word - The Herald Bulletin - July 21st, 2020 [July 21st, 2020]
- The Care of our COMMON HOME fires up Priests of Goa - Oherald - July 21st, 2020 [July 21st, 2020]
- Mandryk: Pandemic concerns should have trumped Buffalo grievances - The Province - July 21st, 2020 [July 21st, 2020]
- If Democrats Win, They Must Show Israel That Unilateral Annexation Has Consequences - Foreign Policy - July 21st, 2020 [July 21st, 2020]
- Controversial Lakeside land decision to be reconsidered at virtual meeting this month - Burnham and Highbridge Weekly News - July 21st, 2020 [July 21st, 2020]
- Unable to land hits on Biden, Trump paints him as socialist Trojan horse - NBC News - July 21st, 2020 [July 21st, 2020]
- Do we need to stop eating meat? - Telegraph.co.uk - July 27th, 2020 [July 27th, 2020]
- The Forgotten History of the Jewish, Anti-Zionist Left - Jacobin magazine - July 27th, 2020 [July 27th, 2020]
- Israeli Settlements in the West Bank: Why Palestine is More Vulnerable Than Ever - International Policy Digest - July 27th, 2020 [July 27th, 2020]
- Whose natural resources are they anyway? - Deccan Herald - July 27th, 2020 [July 27th, 2020]
- 'Vande Mataram': My Shock Recognition About Claims to the Matrubhoomi - The Wire - July 27th, 2020 [July 27th, 2020]
- Great American Outdoors Act heads to Trump as Cory Gardner leans on measure in reelection bid - The Colorado Sun - July 27th, 2020 [July 27th, 2020]
- Opposition calls for Sixfields deal to be open to scrutiny but council denies agreement is reached with Cobblers - Northampton Chronicle and Echo - July 29th, 2020 [July 29th, 2020]
- In the News: Wednesday, July 29 - capitalcurrent.ca - July 29th, 2020 [July 29th, 2020]
- Militias' warning of excessive federal power comes true but where are they? - Thehour.com - July 29th, 2020 [July 29th, 2020]
- Supreme Court ruling a reminder of how badly Native Americans have been treated | Quigley - nj.com - July 29th, 2020 [July 29th, 2020]
- Ethics commissioner expands probe of Morneau on eve of PM's WE testimony - The Outlook - July 30th, 2020 [July 30th, 2020]