Despite the complexity of the causes of the housing crisis, some critics have sought to shift heavy blame to local governments, and their land-use policies and building approval processes. These critics typically don’t reveal that academic studies examining land-use reforms enacted to create more density have shown, at best, modest results when it comes to improving housing affordability. LOCAL GOVERNMENTS RESPOND Among local officials who work in the field of land-use planning and building approvals, there is a clear recognition that housing costs are rising faster than the wages of most residents. Many of those professionals cite the cost of land as making the development of affordable housing difficult, whether due to expected profit margins by builders and developers, or the financing required to develop the property. Nonetheless, the NCLM/NCACC survey results of fast-growing communities show that many have begun answering the call to allow more dense development in response to the ongoing housing crisis. Of the cities and counties responding, 60% indicated that they had revised zoning codes in recent years to allow more density by right. Nine of those cities, counties or joint jurisdictions responded that they now allow construction of residential units other than single family units in 75% or more of their residential zones. Also, 26 of the represented local governments, or 65%, indicated that they now allow accessory dwelling units (ADUs), or in-law suites, on single family lots. Land-use reforms designed to encourage affordable housing have not stopped there. Thirty-five percent of responding cities and counties indicated that they had loosened parking requirements, decreasing the amount of land required to be dedicated to parking for residential development, while another 30% allow density bonuses for housing construction. Residents in local jurisdictions across the state have also approved major bond initiatives in recent years aimed at infusing resources into various solutions aimed at increasing the stock of affordable and middle housing. (See “Housing Bonds: Local Taxpayers Invest in Housing.”) Those efforts to increase density and pursue housing bonds demonstrate that local officials, both elected officials and planning staff, are responding. They desperately want to find ways to address housing needs. Equally clear from the survey results is that these local government staffs do not see themselves as having adversarial continues on page 26 Among local officials who work in the field of land-use planning and building approvals, there is a clear recognition that housing costs are rising faster than the wages of most residents. ...The NCLM/NCACC survey results of fastgrowing communities show that many have begun answering the call to allow more dense development in response to the ongoing housing crisis. NCLM.ORG 25
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