Spotlight on Zoning Practice
Bringing ‘Hidden’ Suburban and Exurban Housing into the Light
Many communities across the U.S. are experiencing chronic housing deficits, due, in part, to the widespread application of overly restrictive residential zoning regulations. While a growing number of cities and counties have reformed their zoning codes to permit a range of missing middle housing types, these reforms are often swimming against the tide of single-family home construction on greenfield sites in suburban and exurban areas.
According to Derrick Rhys Wilson in the November issue of Zoning Practice, "Hiding in Plain Sight: Built-to-Rent and Multigenerational Housing," more subtle forms of mixed-residential development may be the key to expanding housing choice and diversity in fast-growing suburban and exurban areas. The trouble is very few local zoning codes offer developers a clear path to building these "hidden" housing units at scale.
Would Zoning for Built-to-Rent Housing Narrow the Gap on the American Dream?
As Wilson notes, the growing build-to-rent (BTR) segment of the single-family housing market fills a crucial niche for young families, middle– and working-class households, and empty nesters priced out of single-family homeownership in rapidly growing metro areas. Most build-to-rent housing looks like a typical subdivision of single-family detached homes but is dozens or even hundreds of residences on a single lot, with private access easements masquerading as streets. Residents enjoy more space and privacy than they would otherwise be able to afford, without needing to qualify for a mortgage or take on maintenance responsibilities.
According to Wilson, zoning standards that authorize only one principal residence per lot are often the biggest regulatory barrier to scaling BTR housing. Furthermore, many local officials view these restrictions as key to protecting community appearance and identity. Consequently, Wilson highlights five zoning approaches that planners and local officials can explore to facilitate BTR development. These range from defining and regulating BTR housing as a distinct use to steering all BTR proposals through a special-purpose planned unit development process.
Could Zoning Make It Easier to Build Standardized Multigenerational Homes?
Before the 20th century, nearly all detached residences in the U.S. were, implicitly, assumed to be suitable for multigenerational living. Norms changed rapidly following World War II, as the share of working-age adults willing to move to pursue economic opportunity increased dramatically. Demand for multigenerational living bottomed out in the 1960s but has been rising since then for a mix of demographic and economic reasons.
As Wilson points out, though, suburban and exurban zoning codes that are still rooted in the post-war expectation that single-family homes are for nuclear families can frustrate efforts to create purpose-built multigenerational homes. While wealthy owners may have the resources to obtain variances or navigate other discretionary zoning approval processes for their custom-built multigenerational homes, widespread zoning reforms may be necessary before developers can build standardized multigenerational homes at scale. Wilson notes that for some communities the easiest fix is simply permitting accessory dwelling units, while others may wish to explore a more tailored approach that creates a legal pathway for structures that blur the lines between a single house and a principal dwelling with an accessory dwelling unit.
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