PROMOTING AFFORDABLE HOUSING

VIA ZONING REFORM

Aaron Shroyer is a senior advisor with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Office of Policy Development & Research.

Aaron Shroyer is a senior advisor with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Office of Policy Development & Research.

“It’s clear that in cities there is downtown and areas where job centers are and these are the hubs of economic activity. 

But you look at how most of these big cities are zoned, they reserve an outsized portion of their land for single-family housing,” he said.

 “It sets an artificial cap on the number of people who can live there and the number who can live near the jobs. [People] pay a higher rent because the scarcity of housing.”

Shroyer said cities and the early suburbs had a mix of housing types, then areas were downzoned to allow only single-family houses, often on large lots.

 “That affordable housing stock is illegal to build in most cities, so it’s important to re-legalize it,” he noted.

NOBLE DEN HOTEL

CLEAN, EFFICIENT ROOMS PLUS ROOFTOP DECK

IN LOWER MANHATTAN'S CHINATOWN/LITTLE ITALY

I could instantly see why Noble Den Hotel gets high reviews.

The staff is very polite and resourceful.

The property is an oasis in an otherwise slightly gritty area where Chinatown meets Little Italy -- with the Lower East Side and SOHO nearby.

Mulberry Street next door can be noisy, but the hotel is sound proofed.

The units are small, but super well designed. They have thought of everything as far as space, natural light, comfortable bath, tons of outlets (with USB outlets too), a mini fridge, etc.

The super bonus is a rooftop lounge. It has no bar, so there is no noise are hipster crowds to fight. Just some nice furniture and a panoramic view of lower Manhattan.

Just off the lobby is really good free coffee, hot chocolate and a microwave for heating up delicious food from the neighborhood.

The room fridge is not a mini bar, which is a good thing. All of its space is for cooling beverages, berries, breakfast foods and leftovers.

There are two elevators, so no waiting in the smallish family feeling property.

I was checked in just under an hour early -- for free -- and they safely stowed my bags.

You get a cute stuffed animal on arrival and there are toothbrushes, combs and more in the room, if you forgot to pack those.

Major subway stations are nearby for fast, inexpensive transit.

The price point was incredible for a modern, fresh, well-designed and well-located hotel.

There is a great accessible room with roll-in shower. The only drawback is adjacent elevator shaft noises.

 

PROMOTING AFFORDABLE HOUSING

VIA ZONING REFORM

Vermont has the second oldest housing stock in the nation. 

So there also are issues to renovations or allowing ADUs on a lot to meet 21st century housing needs and aging-in-place opportunities.

Tomasso said the agency works with AARP and other partners to focus on livability and walkability. 

Vermonters are buying into the benefits of universal design and housing and communities that support aging in place.

 

 

 

PROMOTING AFFORDABLE HOUSING

VIA ZONING REFORM

VAR has made the creation of new housing the association’s top priority,” said Kathleen Sweeten, VAR CEO. “VAR supports policies that will create ownership and rental opportunities for workforce housing and the provision of incentives for employers who invest in the creation of housing for their employees. We support policies that will expand availability and affordability for homeownership.”

Bristol Cohousing in Bristol, Vt., is a good example of a cottage court.

“We’ve seen a shift in the conversation in Vermont. The NIMBY comments common years ago are changing because the housing crisis has become so acute,” said Jacob Hemmerick, AICP, community planning & policy manager for the Vermont Department of Housing & Community Development. “Their kids can’t buy a home. Their grandkids can’t buy a home. Seniors can’t downsize. Their favorite hamburger shop is closing because they can’t find workers.”

PROMOTING AFFORDABLE HOUSING

VIA ZONING REFORM

Earlier this year, Vermont joined Oregon, California, Washington and Montana as a state that preemptively banned local zoning codes that allowed only single-family houses. 

Now, duplexes are allowed in all single-family residential zones and triplexes and fourplexes in all areas served by water and sewer. 

Many activists for equity and inclusion have applauded these preemptions as a giant step toward reversing the impact exclusionary zoning has had on affordable housing and racial/economic segregation.

Planners and REALTORS® are spreading the message about the upside of zoning reform, which goes beyond affordable housing and includes equity, environmental and economic benefits.

 

PROMOTING AFFORDABLE HOUSING

VIA ZONING REFORM

Vermont just launched a pilot program with predevelopment funding for architecture, engineering and other expenses for smart growth neighborhoods in the state.

 Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs), duplexes, townhouses, courtyard apartments and mixed-use neighborhoods are all examples of middle housing.

“Most land-use controls in Vermont are held by municipalities, so we want to give them a suite of tools designed to help them take the next step,” Jacob Hemmerick, AICP, community planning & policy manager for the Vermont Department of Housing & Community Development, said. 

“We want to help make it easier to build a home in a livable neighborhood that Vermonters can afford. 

We want to get people thinking about working across multiple agencies and governments, so we can eliminate hurdles that stand in the way of homes people can afford.”

PROMOTING AFFORDABLE HOUSING

VIA ZONING REFORM

“The toolkit takes a comprehensive approach from permitting to financing. It will look at zoning as a foundation and visualize the missing middle housing types we need, so people can wrap their heads around what missing middle housing looks like and welcome it next door.”

Amy Tomasso, planning coordinator for the Vermont Department of Housing & Community Development, said much of Vermont’s housing is out of the price range of its workforce. 

There also is a need for affordable, accessible housing to meet the needs of seniors, young people, and people with disabilities.