This new tool, “Enabling Better Places,” drafted by several organizations in Wisconsin takes a stab at all the things wrong with today’s zoning codes. From restricting accessory dwelling units to large lot sizes and setbacks requirements, many zoning standards do not allow for the full usage of properties and contribute to higher home prices. Affordable housing does not need to mean low quality housing. High quality housing in a smaller scale can be affordable when the standards allow for that to be built. With households decreasing in size throughout the nation, it’s only fair to reconsider what the “typical” house should look like. Not everyone wants, or can afford, a single family home with a large backyard. Moving development towards a more traditional neighborhood helps bring more affordable housing to a community. – Karina

What Does Affordable Housing Do to Nearby Property Values?

Does building affordable housing lower property values and increase crime in adjacent areas? The city council in Alexandria, Virginia wanted to know, so they had a study of data from projects done between 2000-2020. You might be surprised to hear that in their cases, property values actually increased by an average of 0.9%. This article summarizes the Alexandria study and a few others that have been done that you can dig into for more details. The main takeaway is that data in multiple locations shows that impacts on property values are negligible, if not slightly positive and that crime levels stay the same or decline. Yet another example where data proves a commonly held perception to be false, or at least not nearly as negative as most believe to be the case. – Kevin

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