100 Percent Affordable Overlay: Next Up for Berkeley's Reform Movement

After moving forward with parking and zoning reforms, the Berkeley City Council is also considering a new Affordable Housing Overlay on a model previously adopted in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

2 minute read

March 5, 2021, 8:00 AM PST

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


Berkeley Hills Bay Area

eakkarat rangram / Shutterstock

Berkeley is not resting after taking several significant steps toward planning reform in recent months—first by removing residential parking requirements in most parts of the city and then by voting to rescind single-family zoning.

Berkeley Councilmember Terry Taplin has also sponsored a 100% Affordable Housing Overlay, building on a model provided by a similar overlay approved by Cambridge, Massachusetts in October 2020.

Randy Shaw, who has written on the idea previously for Beyond Chron and in his book Generation Priced Out, details the proposal. Shaw is an obvious proponent of the Affordable Housing Overlay concept, calling it "the best strategy for high housing cost cities to reduce segregation."

How does an affordable housing overlay work? "Cambridge’s Affordable Housing Overlay permits greater height and density for ministerial approval for 100% Below Market-Rate housing developments." Those height and density bonuses "[increase] the availability of infill sites where nonprofit and public entities may otherwise be unable to compete with private developers," according to Shaw, who notes that numerous underutilized commercial parcels in Berkeley would become much more viable for affordable housing development under the proposed changes.

Councilmember Taplin's proposed overlay was scheduled for a hearing before the Berkeley City Council's Land Use Committee on March 4. The Joint Center for Housing Studies at Harvard University is hosting a free webinar on the subject of affordable housing overlays on March 11, exploring the possibility of this planning policy tool's expansion to yet more locations.

Tuesday, March 2, 2021 in Beyond Chron

Aerial view of snowy single-family homes in suburban Long Island, New York

New York Governor Advances Housing Plan Amid Stiff Suburban Opposition

Governor Kathy Hochul’s ambitious proposal to create more housing has once again run into a brick wall of opposition in New York’s enormous suburbs, especially on Long Island. This year, however, the wall may have some cracks.

March 20, 2023 - Mark H. McNulty

Empty parking garage at night with yellow lines marking spots and fluorescent lighting

Rethinking the Role of Parking in the American City

In cities big and small, the tide is turning against sprawling parking lots, car-centric development, and minimum parking mandates.

March 16, 2023 - The New York Times

A futuristic version of New York City, with plants growing neatly on top of modern skycrapers.

Friday Eye Candy: 20 AI-Generated Cityscapes

AI-generated images are creating new landscapes and cityscapes, capable of inspiring awe or fear.

March 17, 2023 - Chris Steins via Medium

A mountain range at sunset appears in the background of this photo, with cacti in the foreground.

Biden Designates a New National Monument in West Texas

The Castner Range National Monument in West Texas is the second of two new national monuments announced by President Joe Biden this week.

59 minutes ago - The White House

View of street in Chinatown, San Francisco with cars parked along curb and red Chinese lanterns hanging above street

Study: Autonomous Cars Won’t Solve the Parking Problem

In hyper-dense cities where incentives to reduce car use and eliminate parking are already high, mass adoption of AVs won’t significantly reduce parking demand.

2 hours ago - Streetsblog USA

A group of wetsuit-clad swimmers gathers to talk in shallow water near the shore of the San Francisco Bay.

Proposed Pool Would Make an Olympic-Sized Play Area in the San Francisco Bay

The San Francisco Bay is usually an undesirable place to swim, except for a hearty few. A development proposal seeking assistance at the state level would add a pool to the Bay’s waters to make the idea of going for a swim more appealing.

March 24 - The Mercury News

New Updates on PD&R Edge

HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research

HUD’s 2023 Innovative Housing Showcase

HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research

Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools

This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.

Planning for Universal Design

Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.