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Creating

A More Sustainable Carrboro

with Community Benefit Agreements (CBAs),

by Shareen El Naga

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Lack of affordable housing, locally and nationally, especially for those most economically vulnerable and disadvantaged.

Cost of living has increased, including the cost of rent, yet the number of affordable housing units remain in significant demand.

Developers do not necessarily consider--or are held accountable for-- the health and sustainability of the communities they develop in.

What’s the concern?

A win-win approach to land development through a legally-binding agreement between community stakeholders and developers

Focus groups, needs assessments, community listen-ins, etc., occur before any new development happens, led by community stakeholders

Direct investments into the community based on various needs, but namely around creating affordable and sustainable housing

What can we do about it? Aspects + Inputs of CBAs:

Community Benefits Agreements give impacted but traditionally excluded communities and individuals a real voice in land development, setting the stage for greater community stewardship of land.
Community benefits tools maximize returns on local government investment in development.
Community benefits programs can transform regions through stronger, more equitable economies.
Community benefits help generate public support for economic development projects.
CBAs hold developers accountable for their promises to local governments and residents.
Public input results in better projects that benefit the whole community and attract local customers.
Time is money, and projects with CBAs often enjoy a faster, smoother entitlement process.
First, the process of negotiating a CBA allows for a more constructive and collaborative conversation about meeting community needs than the often adversarial, highly structured, time- and subject-matter limited hearings that are part of a local government’s project approval process. Second, a private agreement is free from certain critical legal constraints that apply to government conditions on development projects, so the community and the developer may negotiate over a wide variety of deal points and come up with creative approaches.

Cherokee-Gates Project Community Benefits Agreement

(February 2006)

Location: Colorado

Purpose: Redevelopment of the former Gates Rubber Factory into a mixed-use, transit-oriented development project

Targeted benefits included:

Construction of affordable and low-income housing → 150 new affordable units created
Community involvement in environmental cleanup
Local hiring and living wage provisions
Prevention of bix-box grocery stores from using up land space

Example of Prior Implementation

Increased sustainability
Coalition building and community-led efficacy
Centering those most marginalized
Increased options around housing, businesses, entertainment, green spaces, etc.
Increased accountability on behalf of developers and local governments to ensure more ethical and inclusive practices around urban planning

Implications

CONCLUSION

Thought Experiment

Everyone take ~30 seconds to think of ONE thing-as little or big as you want--that you would want to advocate for in a CBA organized in Carrboro.

Bike lanes? Higher wages?

All ideas welcome.

My idea: Advocate for provisions for rent relief in the form of housing vouchers.