Participating on Oakland’s Inclusionary Housing Blue Ribbon Commission, a home builder points to the futility of inclusionary zoning and lists effective alternatives that should be included in a comprehensive approach to building affordable housing.
Joseph Perkins is President and CEO of the Home Builders Association of Northern California headquartered in San Ramon and a member of the City of Oakland's Inclusionary Housing Blue Ribbon Commission. In this op-ed, he urges the city to take a comprehensive approach to building affordable housing rather than relying solely on an inclusionary housing ordinance.
"If the city of Oakland really and truly means to grow its supply of affordable housing, then the commission should devise a comprehensive housing affordability plan that calls for contributions not just from the home building industry, but from the entire private sector, as well as the public sector and the lay public."
"State law requires that redevelopment agencies use at least 20 percent of their revenues for affordable housing. Yet, nothing precludes cities like Oakland from committing a larger proportion of those revenues for affordable housing. For example, the city of San Francisco dedicates 50 percent of its redevelopment revenues to affordable housing."
"Housing trust funds are another means of generating monies for affordable housing. Oakland's Affordable Housing Trust Fund imposes a jobs/housing impact fee on new office and warehouse development."
"A better approach, arguably, would be for city to adopt a linkage fee, like Napa County, which would be assessed not just on office and warehouse, but also new commercial and retail. Those revenues could then be distributed as loans to non-profit developers to provide leverage for tax-credit developments that are 100 percent affordable."
Thanks to ABAG-MTC Library
FULL STORY: Alternatives to inclusionary housing ordinance exist
Coming Soon to Ohio: The Largest Agrivoltaic Farm in the US
The ambitious 6,000-acre project will combine an 800-watt solar farm with crop and livestock production.
Pennsylvania Mall Conversion Bill Passes House
If passed, the bill would promote the adaptive reuse of defunct commercial buildings.
U.S. Supreme Court: California's Impact Fees May Violate Takings Clause
A California property owner took El Dorado County to state court after paying a traffic impact fee he felt was exorbitant. He lost in trial court, appellate court, and the California Supreme Court denied review. Then the U.S. Supreme Court acted.
Dallas Surburb Bans New Airbnbs
Plano’s city council banned all new permits for short-term rentals as concerns about their impacts on housing costs grow.
Divvy Introduces E-Bike Charging Docks
New, circular docks let e-bikes charge at stations, eliminating the need for frequent battery swaps.
How Freeway Projects Impact Climate Resilience
In addition to displacement and public health impacts, highway expansions can also make communities less resilient to flooding and other climate-related disasters.
City of Costa Mesa
Licking County
Barrett Planning Group LLC
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Mpact Transit + Community
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Tufts University, Department of Urban and Environmental Policy & Planning
City of Universal City TX
ULI Northwest Arkansas
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.
