In 2016, the Housing Justice Center (HJC), together with the University of Minnesota’s Center for Urban and Regional Affairs (CURA) and Becker Consulting, completed a study on policies which metro cities can, and should, adopt in order to reduce the cost of producing affordable housing. The research found that reform of local practices in a variety of areas could substantially reduce the cost, and thereby significantly increase the amount, of affordable housing produced annually.
The report covers the following topics:
– Project Scale and Density; density bonuses
– Local Financial Resources: TIF, TIF pooling, tax abatements, 4d, levy authority, housing revenue bonds, G.O. bonds, public ownership
– Site Selection and Acquisition; land leases
– Reduced Parking Requirements, proof of parking
– Fee Reduction or Waivers
– Administrative Processes and Delay
– Materials and Site Requirements
– Manufactured Housing
– Preference for Mixed Income Development
– Inclusionary Housing Policies
– Addressing Community Opposition
– Overcoming Barriers to Affordable Housing
A detailed report on the study is available here.