Inclusionary Zoning

Owning a home is a big part of the American dream.

Yet five million houses would need to be constructed over the next 20 years to close the gap between people with low incomes and housing they can afford.  As a result, dilapidated areas sprouting up all around our urban centers.  Groups like the Innovative Housing Institute are working to change that.

"Exclusionary zoning" -- just like it sounds -- excludes certain housing types from a specified area or neighborhood.  The result is homogenous communities, where most people live in similarly priced homes, such as single-family, detached, townhouses, multi-family rental or condominiums. 

By contrast, "Inclusionary Zoning" -- either through mandatory government regulation or incentives to the private development industry -- requires that a small percentage of the newly constructed homes be affordable to owners and renters earning less than 50 percent of the area's median income. As a result, these new communities typically include households earning a wide range of incomes and homes that vary in design.

To see model ordinances, click on the boxes to your right.

To see frequently asked questions, go to our Ask Alice section.

To see press clips and sample releases, click here.

To see impact of the federal budget, click here.

The materials in this package come in large part from the  Innovative Housing Institute,  the National Low Income Housing Coalition and the Center on Public Policy Priorities.  We would like to thank these groups for mapping out the high road on reforming the state affordable housing system.

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