Since the launch of the Regulatory Barriers
Clearinghouse Web site, the RBC has received a number
of ideas for mitigating the impact of development
fees on affordable housing. Many communities now
charge impact fees and many others are considering
imposing them. While there is general agreement that
new residents should assume a fair share of the costs
of infrastructure development, new schools, and the
like, it's also widely recognized that overly
burdensome impact fees drive up the cost of producing
affordable housing, and as a result, reduce its
availability.
While Impact Fees is just one of the ten categories
being addressed by HUD's new Regulatory Barriers
Clearinghouse, we've chosen to highlight some of the
good ideas sent in by participants who have stepped up
to "Be a Part of the Solution" in this increasingly
hot topic area. Below are just a few examples of how
communities across the country are experimenting with
different ways to reduce the impact of fees on
affordable housing:
-- King County Washington waives road and school fees
for multifamily housing serving renters who earn less
than 50% of median income or homebuyers earning less
than 80% of the area's median.
-- Albuquerque is providing fee rebates for infill
housing.
-- Baton Rouge offers fee waivers as part of an
overall package of benefits it provides to developers
of affordable housing.
-- In an interesting twist, San Francisco requires
commercial property developers to pay a fee that the
city will use to subsidize affordable housing
development in the city.
Check out the Regulatory Barriers Clearinghouse Web
site at
https://www.huduser.gov/rbc/search/rbcresults.asp?TopicID=4?=Solution
to see other interesting ways communities are dealing with
impact fees, and to contribute a few of your own.
Be a Part of the Solution! HUD's Regulatory Barriers
Clearinghouse needs your help in identifying barriers
and proposing solutions that improve understanding of
-- and access to -- affordable housing. Please take a
few minutes to submit your experiences at
https://www.huduser.gov/portal/rbc/contact.html and see how
easy making a difference can be.
Recent Findings on Impact Fees
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