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Inclusionary zoning is a land-use concept in which local ordinances require builders to include a certain amount of housing for low and moderate income households.
In contrast, exclusionary zoning is a technique that effectively drives up the cost of housing, excluding lower-income households from the community. Exclusionary zoning practices have been under attack in communities around the country for decades, most notably in New Jersey, where the historic Mount Laurel decisions have led the way in promoting inclusionary zoning techniques and creating affordable housing.
This field guide includes background information on inclusionary zoning, case studies on what works & what doesn't, considerations in developing inclusionary zoning ordinances, and information about Mount Laurel, NJ.
Sample Inclusionary Zoning Ordinances
Inclusionary Zoning Basics
Smart Growth/Smart Energy Toolkit, (Massachusetts.gov, n.d.).
Establish Inclusionary Zoning Policies or Incentives, (HousingPolicy.org, n.d.).
A Primer on Inclusionary Zoning, (UNC School of Government, n.d.).
Inclusionary zoning, (Wikipedia).
Inclusionary zoning, (PolicyLink).
Inclusionary Housing Publications, (California Department of Housing and Community Development, Aug 2008).
Growth Management Fact Book, Section 19: Inclusionary Zoning/Housing, (National Association of REALTORS®, 2008).
Inclusionary zoning: A key tool in the search for workable affordable housing programs, (PM—Public Management, Apr. 2006). Q
Expanding housing options through inclusionary zoning, (ideas@work, June 2001).
Impacts and Case Studies
Why I Don't Like Inclusionary Zoning, (MarketUrbaism.com, Dec. 28, 2010).
Inclusionary Zoning Suburban Case Study, (Massachusetts.gov, n.d.).
Inclusionary Zoning Background and Examples: History and National Case Studies, (cmap.illinois.gov, n.d.).
Housing Market Impacts of Inclusionary Zoning, (National Center for Smart Growth Research & Education, Feb. 2008).
The Effects of Inclusionary Zoning on Local Housing Markets: Lessons from the San Francisco, Washington DC and Suburban Boston Areas, (Furman Center for Real Estate and Urban Policy, New York University, Nov. 19, 2007).
Battle lines drawn, (Builder, May 2006). Q
'Inclusionary Zoning' Strikes Out, (Realty Times, June 23, 2004).
Housing supply and affordability: Do affordable housing mandates work?, (Reason Public Policy Institute, Apr. 2004).
Large cities and inclusionary zoning, (Business & Professional People for the Public Interest, Nov. 2003).
Study of inclusionary housing initiatives, (Minnesota Housing Finance Agency, Feb. 2002).
Expanding affordable housing through inclusionary zoning: Lessons from the Washington metropolitan area, (Brookings Institution Center on Urban & Metropolitan Policy, Oct. 2001).
Inclusionary housing in California: The experience of two decades, (Journal of the American Planning Association, Spring 1998). Q
Inclusionary housing in California and New Jersey: A comparative analysis, (Housing Policy Debate, Vol. 8, No. 1, 1997).
The impact of inclusionary zoning impact on development, (Business & Professional People for the Public Interest, n.d.).
Policy Considerations
Inclusionary Zoning: More Problems, Less Solutions, and Making Markets More Inefficient All at One Time, (Pax Americana Institute, Mar. 26, 2007).
Delivering on the Promise of Inclusionary Housing: Best Practices in Administration and Monitoring, (PolicyLink, 2007).
Inclusionary Zoning: Program design considerations, (with a program design checklist), (Enterprise Community Partners, Inc., 2004).
Inclusionary zoning: Legal issues, (California Affordable Housing Law Project / Western Center on Law & Poverty, Dec. 2002).
Inclusionary zoning: Policy considerations and best practices, (California Affordable Housing Law Project / Western Center on Law & Poverty, Dec. 2002).
Inclusionary housing: A discussion of policy issues, (Alachua County Department of Planning and Development, June 15, 2001).
Inclusionary zoning: Program design considerations (with a program design checklist), (Enterprise Foundation Issue Brief, Dec. 1994).
New Jersey's Mount Laurel I & II
What is the Mount Laurel Doctrine?, (fairsharehousing.org).
Mount Laurel Doctrine, (Wikipedia).
The Effect of the Mount Laurel Decision on Segregation by Race, Income and Poverty Status, (Damiano Sasso, The College of New Jersey, Apr. 20, 2004).
General welfare and regional planning: How the law of unintended consequences and the Mount Laurel doctrine gave New Jersey a modern state plan, (St. John's Law Review, Fall 1999). Q
Affordable housing law in New Jersey, New York, and Connecticut, (Pace Law Review, Spring 1998).
Books, eBooks & Other Resources
eBooks.realtor.org
The following ebooks and digital audiobooks are available to NAR members:
The Complete Guide to Zoning (Adobe eReader)
Books, Videos, Research Reports & More
The resources below are available for loan through Information Central. Up to three books, tapes, CDs and/or DVDs can be borrowed for 30 days from the Library for a nominal fee of $10. Call Information Central at 800.874.6500 for assistance.
Inclusionary Zoning for Affordable Housing, By Douglas Porter, (Washington, DC: Urban Land Institute, 2004). KF 5698 P67
Inclusionary zoning: The California experience, (Washington, DC: Center for Housing Policy, Feb. 2004). HD 7293 C33ic
Inclusionary zoning: Lessons learned in Massachusetts, (Washington, DC: Center for Housing Policy, Jan. 2002). HD 7293 C33im
Expanding affordable housing through inclusionary zoning: lessons from the Washington metropolitan area, (Washington, DC: The Brookings Institution Center on Urban and Metropolitan Policy, Oct. 2001). HD 7293 B76ex
Inclusionary zoning: A viable solution to the affordable housing crisis?, (Washington, DC: Center for Housing Policy, Oct. 2000). HD 7293 C33i
Adaptions to and Activist Court: Aftermath of the Mount Laurel II Decision for Lower-Income Housing, By Marcia K. Steinberg, (Cambridge, MA: Lincoln Institute of Land Policy, 1989). NAC 765 L63
Inclusionary Housing Programs: Policies and Practices, By Alan Mallach, (New Brunswick, NJ: Center for Urban Policy Research, 1984). NAC 765 R93i
Field Guides & More
These field guides and other resources in the Virtual Library may also be of interest:
Field Guide to Effects of Low-Income Housing on Property Values
Field Guide to Zoning Laws & Ordinances
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