The debate about inclusionary zoning persists—with some pro-development saying affordable housing fees and requirements stifle development before it can start. A new tool helps crunch the numbers behind the debate.
Steven Vance shares news of Grounded Solutions Network's Inclusionary Housing Calculator, which can help "determine how much affordable housing your town should require that developers build in their new construction residential buildings."
Vance tests the calculator by running the numbers on a recently rejected project proposal in the Chicago neighborhood of Pilsen. The developer of the project said it couldn't do the project while including 21 percent affordable housing, as required by the Pilsen Land Use Committee. Vance's test shows that the developer could not make a profit by setting aside 21 percent of the units as affordable—the number would have needed to be reduced to 16 percent.
Read the full story: Inclusionary zoning calculator will tell you how many units a developer can afford to make “affordable”
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Journal of the American Planning Association