Affordable Housing as a Key Element of
Walkable, Mixed-Use Communities
Bill Sadler
Program Associate
Reconnecting America
National Housing Conference Presentation
September 16, 2013
Presentation Overview
• What are the Benefits of Affordable Housing
in Walkable, Mixed Use Communities?
• Case Studies & Strategies to Promote
Affordable Housing Near transit
• Atlanta Typology Case Study
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© 2010 Reconnecting America.
Who is Reconnecting America?
• Reconnecting America is a national nonprofit
that advises civic and community leaders on how
to overcome community development challenges
to create better communities for all.
• Reconnecting America develops research and
innovative public policy, while also building onthe-ground partnerships and convening players
needed to accelerate decision-making.
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© 2013 Reconnecting America.
Reconnecting America
• Technical Assistance: Creating a
national marketplace for TOD,
working with cities, transit agencies,
developers, investors + communities
• Policy: Improving practice through
technical assistance, research +
policy reform
• Education: On-line Clearinghouse
of TOD + Transit Best Practices
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© 2013 Reconnecting America.
CTOD Partnership
Dedicated to providing best practices, research and tools to
support market-based transit-oriented development
• TOD 101 and 200 series booklets : www.ctod.org
• National TOD Database: www.toddata.cnt.org
• Mixed-Income Housing Action Guide: www.mitod.org
• Online Resource Library: http://www.reconnectingamerica.org/resourcecenter/
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© 2013 Reconnecting America.
Walkable Communities &
Transit-Oriented Development (TOD)
TOD is type of community development that includes a mixture of housing,
office, retail and/or other amenities integrated into a walkable neighborhood
and located within a half-mile of quality public transportation.
At Reconnecting America, we believe it is essential that TOD creates better
access to jobs, housing and opportunity for people of all ages and incomes.
Successful TOD provides people
from all walks of life with convenient,
affordable and active lifestyles and
create places where our children can
play and our parents can grow old
comfortably.
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© 2010 Reconnecting America.
What Has Motivated Places to Embrace
Walkable Communities & TOD?
• Economic Competitiveness
• Congestion Relief
• Air Quality and Public Health
• Managing Growth
• Focusing Investment – Stimulating Revitalization
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The Benefits of TOD Overlap with
Benefits of Mixed-Income Neighborhoods
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Who Lives and Works Near Transit?
Transit Served Areas:
• Home to nearly 1//2 of the
country’s residents
• More than 70 percent of the
workforce
• Over half the Black population
• Over 60% of the Hispanic
population
• Over 70% of the nation’s
immigrants
• Slightly over half of the nation’s
rental housing
Source: Dukakis Center for Urban and Regional Policy
(Maintaining Diversity in America’s Transit-Rich
Neighborhoods)
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© 2013 Reconnecting America.
Demand is Increasing…
By 2030:
• More than half of potential demand for housing near transit
centers will come from households with below median
incomes
• Households sizes are decreasing
• Demographic groups growing more quickly – older, nonfamily, non-white households – use transit more
• The housing stock will need to be more diverse and
affordable
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© 2013 Reconnecting America.
…and the stock is decreasing
Project-based Section 8
Project-based Section 8
and 202 Housing
and 202 Housing
• 250,000 affordable
250,000
apartments within ½
mile of transit
• Approximately 70%
have contracts that
will expire by 2014.
Source: Preserving Affordability and Access
in Livable Communities, AARP,
National Housing Trust and
Reconnecting
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© 2013 Reconnecting America.
Potentially at Risk
Housing
31%
69%
Challenges with Building Affordable Housing
Near Transit and/or Walkable Communities
Complexity of
building mixedincome projects
High land costs
near transit
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© 2013 Reconnecting America.
Achieving
revitalization
without
displacement
Addressing
housing
preservation
needs
Lack of Integration
in housing, land
use and
transportation
planning
How Do We Ensure That Everyone Benefits
from Walkable Communities?
Lower VMT/
Higher Ridership
Density
Block size
Greater Equity
Outcomes
Affordability
Inclusiveness
Places
People
Equitable
Communities
Lessons Learned From the Data:
The “Sweet Spot” For Equitable Communities
Lower VMT/
Higher Ridership
Places
Greater Equity
Outcomes
CORE
TRANSIT
RIDERS
People
The Mixed-Income TOD Action Guide Website
Available at: www.mitod.org
•
A tool for local jurisdictions
working to foster mixedincome transit-oriented
development (TOD)
around planned transit
stations.
•
Acquire an invaluable set
of data that describes the
demographics and marketpotential of the transit
district of interest,
•
For more information go to
www.mitod.org
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© 2013 Reconnecting America.
Strategy 1: Build Your Case.
Use data to make the case
• Set the stage for the importance
of integrating affordable housing
Challenges
• Lack of funds
• Outside of organization’s mission
(transit agencies)
• Lack of internal and board
support
• Lack of political support
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© 2013 Reconnecting America.
Increased
fare
revenue
Stabilized
ridership
Transit
Agency
Reduced
public
subsidies
The Denver Regional Equity Atlas
Jobs
Affordable
Housing
Strategy 2: Provide Incentives and Remove
Regulatory Barriers
• Retool zoning and
financial incentives to
meet goals
• Encourage a mix of uses
integrate housing and
other uses
• Tools:
•
•
•
•
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Inclusionary Zoning
Density bonus
Streamline application
Reduce Permit fees
© 2013 Reconnecting America.
Strategy 3: Preservation of Existing Housing Stock
•
Make an affordable housing
inventory
•
Identify acquisition resources
• Denver TOD fund
•
Ensure that sufficient federal
funding exists to renew all expiring
contracts
•
Develop early warning systems to
track-at-risk housing and allocate
resources appropriately
•
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Engage with transit planners to
identify common goals
© 2013 Reconnecting America.
R Street Apartments, DC: NHT and Enterprise affordable
housing preservation
Strategy 4: Coordinate Investments Near Transit
•
Encourage public/private investment
in walkable neighborhoods near
transits
•
Fund and prioritize housing
investments across the region
•
Investments in development around
transit create value that can be
captured and reinvested in the
community
• Tax-Increment Financing
• Joint Development
• Special Assessment Districts
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© 2013 Reconnecting America.
Bay Area Transit-Oriented Affordable Housing Fund
(TOAH)
Bay Area TOAH
• $50 million for affordable
housing near transit (and
community facilities and other
neighborhood uses)
• Nine-county Bay Area
• Includes $10 million
investment from the
Metropolitan Transportation
Commission
• Managed by the Low Income
Investment Fund (LIFF) and
other partners
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© 2013 Reconnecting America.
Strategy 5: Policy Support at the Federal Regional and
Local Levels
Federal Policy and Funding
State Policy & Enabling Authority, Funding, and Institutional Framework
Regional Planning and Investments
Local Policy and Implementation Tools
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© 2013 Reconnecting America.
Strategy 6: Proactively Plan for Station Areas
• Brings all stakeholders together
• Can be done at local, state and
regional (corridor) level
• Sets the long-term vision and
implementation steps
• Identifies needs and opportunities
• Assess market for types of
strategies and tools
• Creation or preservation
strategies
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© 2013 Reconnecting America.
The Atlanta TOD Typology (in process)
• Tell the story about the Atlanta transit system and its
communities
• Identify vulnerable stations for displacement and
needs for affordable housing
• Understand TOD interventions needed for equitable
TOD
• Catalyze TOD in sites with the most potential for
successful TOD
• Identify where & what type of infrastructure
improvements are needed
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© 2013 Reconnecting America.
Market & Vulnerability Together Typology Map
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© 2010 Reconnecting America.
Categorizing Stations into Place Types:
Equity Lens and Market Matchup
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Place Types
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Where Do Workers Live?
Low Wage Saturation ( < $15K / Year) Residential Location
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© 2010 Reconnecting America.
Where Do Workers Live?
Moderate Wage Saturation ($15K - $40K / Year)
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© 2010 Reconnecting America.
Where Do Workers Live?
High Wage Saturation (> $40K / Year)
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Housing Units Affordable at 50% AMI
Family of 4 Making Less than $35,900/Yr
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© 2010 Reconnecting America.
Housing Affordable at 80% AMI
Family of 4 Making Less Than $57,450
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© 2010 Reconnecting America.
Thank you!
Bill Sadler
Program Associate
Reconnecting America
EMAIL: bsadler@reconnectingamerica.org
PHONE: 303.830.0071
Visit us at www.ReconnectingAmerica.org
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