Legalizing Housing Abundance in Utah

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Lessons on Reform From Across the United States

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This crisis is a policy choice…

Graphics by Carolyn Ristau

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…a crisis we know how to fix.

Local Reforms�Proven Zoning Reform

• Legalize apartments near transit and missing middle everywhere—much of it already exists!
• Eliminate minimum parking requirements—citywide, all uses.
• Reduce minimum lot sizes —allow townhouses and small lot homes.
• Expand ministerial approval—objective standards, shot clocks, “deemed approved,” etc.

Minneapolis

Legalize TOD and Missing Middle

• Allow your transit-rich corridors to turn into functional mixed-use communities.
• Make it legal (and by-right) to build missing middle housing and starter homes.

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Buffalo

End Minimum Parking Requirements

• To encourage adaptive reuse and infill, Buffalo removed unworkable mandates.
• This doesn’t mean no parking—it just means letting consumers decide.

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Houston�Reduce Lot and Unit Size Mandates

• In 1998, the Bayou City reduced minimum lot sizes from 5,000 to 1,400 square feet.
• This helped to facilitate the construction of 80,000 new homes, keeping the city affordable to young families.

Los Angeles�Streamline the Process

• Last year, Mayor Bass enacted Executive Directive 1, massively streamlining permitting for 100% workforce and affordable housing.
• When combined with the state density bonus, the policy has facilitated 10,000+ units. All it took was better interagency coordination.

Take Reform Higher

State Leadership on Zoning Reform

• Put up guardrails around commonly abused zoning powers.
• Scale up and support best practices in zoning reform.

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California, Oregon, and Washington

Legalizing Accessory Dwelling Units

• After nearly 40 years of nudging locals to reform california legalized ADUs statewide in 2016.
• It avoided many of the common poison pills, e.g. owner-occupancy requirements, parking mandates, high fees, etc.

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Florida�Legalize Mixed-Uses in Commercial Districts

• The Live Local Act allowed multifamily in all commercial areas, with flexible height and density standards.
• Already new housing potential on formerly underutilized commercial sites.

Image by DPZ

Texas

Streamlining Permitting

• Even if you solve zoning, permitting delays can kill projects—especially small projects.
• Last year, Texas and Florida both empowered applicants to use third party reviewers when delays run too long.

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Thinking Big

What Do We Want Out of Planning?

• We need a more metropolitan approach—housing and labor markets don’t stop at jurisdiction boundaries!
• Refocusing planning on addressing impacts and planning for growth.

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Conclusion�What Can You Do?

• If you’re an elected official or a commissioner, champion pro-housing land-use reform. Your constituents are asking for it.
• If you’re a planner or a developer, be a policy entrepreneur: identify reform options and gather materials to back them up.
• If you’re an activist: ask all of the above what they are doing on housing—and build the coalitions needed to give them cover to act.

Thank you!

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nolan@cayimby.org

@mnolangray