For a century, zoning has been used to segregate “incompatible” land uses. In most cities, each area of the city mandates that land be used for residential, commercial, or industrial purposes. And in most cities, much of the land (often over 60 percent) is zoned for single-family homes. Defenders of segregating land uses have long…
New York City is considering a law that will require “racial equity studies”—akin to environmental impact statements—for zoning changes. The law would require “a study that would analyze the area’s demographic conditions, quality of life, housing security and displacement risk index.” One supporter of the law acknowledges that rezoning has provided great benefits, but only…
Like many cities across the nation, Olympia, Washington is facing a shortage of affordable housing for low- and moderate-income families. The city council is currently trying to figure out how much money it can extort from developers before it kills the golden goose. Of course, the city council isn’t wording it quite that way. In…
City officials in Charleston, South Carolina want to pay homeowners to build accessory dwelling units (ADUs) on their property. Relaxing zoning regulations that limit or prohibit ADUs, also called granny flats or mother-in-law suites, is one way many cities are addressing the shortage of affordable housing. Ending the prohibition on ADUs is a proper step….
Cities across the country are relaxing their zoning regulations, and particularly single-family zoning, to address the affordable housing crisis. Some cities, such as Minneapolis, have completely done away with single-family zoning. And the Biden Administration has suggested that local governments will be required to relax their zoning regulations if they want to receive certain federal…
Last week, the New York Assembly passed a bill that will make it easier for tenants to sure their landlord when certain repairs have not been performed. The bill would allow judges to provide any relief they choose, including a monetary judgment to the tenant. Earlier this year, the state extended its eviction moratorium until…
Legislators across the country are scrambling to develop policies that will lead to more affordable housing. (Affordable housing means that a family is paying 30 percent or less of its income on housing.) One of the most popular schemes is to provide tax credits for developers who agree to set aside a percentage of their…
The Texas Supreme Court recently ruled on the case of Powell v. City of Houston. The plaintiffs had claimed that Houston’s preservation ordinance violated the city charter, which prohibits zoning without a referendum. The preservation ordinance, the plaintiffs held, is a form of zoning. In its ruling, the Court agreed that the ordinance is zoning,…
In an editorial, the Los Angeles Times has called for the federal government to dramatically expand its housing subsidy program (often called Section 8). Currently, the Los Angeles Housing Authority administers 58,000 Section 8 vouchers. However, the authority estimates that 600,000 vouchers are needed to provide vouchers to everyone who qualifies. If the Housing Authority…
In cities across the nation, zoning laws are being revised to allow duplexes, fourplexes and other small multifamily housing in areas previously restricted to single-family homes. The argument behind these measures is that fewer government controls and restrictions on development will spur the construction of more affordable housing. The argument is correct, but relaxing land-use…
Since the sixteenth century, depictions of Lady Justice have her blindfolded to represent impartiality. Justice should be applied equally without regard to such characteristics as wealth, status, or race. Justice should be wealth-blind, status-blind, and color-blind. A group—Inwood Legal Action—in New York City rejects this concept, arguing that color-blindness kills and justice requires that race…