The proposed Comprehensive Housing Affordability Act would trade development fees for zoning relief.
"State Rep. Steve Elkins, DFL–Bloomington, announced his Comprehensive Housing Affordability Act to reform zoning laws preventing affordable construction statewide," reports Scott McClallen.
"The bill aims to let cities assess development impact fees and street improvement districts in exchange for removing certain zoning and regulatory burdens," according to McClallen.
Elkins cited a recent StarTribune exposé on exclusionary housing practices in the Twin Cities to justify the changes proposed by the law in a statement quoted in the article. Elkin also explained that the bill is designed to provide new revenue for cities to fund the infrastructure to support new development and to remove obstacles preventing developers from building an "adequate supply of new homes and apartments affordable to young families."
As proposed, the law builds on zoning reform momentum around the state, following shortly after the St. Paul City Council voted to remove parking minimums citywide and several years after the city of Minneapolis adopted the Minneapolis 2040 Comprehensive Plan, which led the city to allow multi-family dwellings up to three-plexes on residential properties citywide.
FULL STORY: Minnesota lawmakers look to create more affordable housing
Report: California's density bonus is a 'win-win' for developers and affordable housing
Almost half of new multifamily projects in 2024 relied on a density bonus.
Seattle’s Zoning Reform Could Unlock a ‘Multiplex Boom’
A package of stackable density bonuses could make it easier for developers to build 12-plexes.
‘Montana Miracle:’ The State Actually Succeeding at Housing Reform
A series of ambitious zoning reforms is having a significant impact on the state’s housing supply.
The state-sanctioned urbicide of Austin
People don’t kill cities. Freeways do.
US to reduce Colorado River water deliveries to Mexico
A new Colorado Treaty amendment reduces Mexico’s Colorado River water allocation by 250,000 acre feet.
New Jersey’s second-largest city bans standalone data centers
Jersey City will continue to allow co-location facilities, such as those meant for research institutions that store their own data.
Amtrak not solely to blame for New Jersey commuter rail's unreliability, report finds
A new study from the Garden State Initiative found that NJ Transit’s budget grew 20% across a 4 year period, but reliability declined significantly over the same period.
EPA erases limits on planet-warming pollution from power plants
Under Monday’s plan, power plants would still have some limits on how much mercury, arsenic and other contaminants they can emit.
Phoenix announces new on-demand transit service, more frequent RAPID buses
Both new services will launch in October, and are part of Phoenix's Project Effective Access Solutions for Easing Congestion.
FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?
After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.
Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold
The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.
Eagle County Government
Harvard University Graduate School of Design
Nashville Planning Department
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
The Pocatello Development Authority
The Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Pocatello
Journal of the American Planning Association