The state of Vermont allows municipalities to “designate” specific geographic areas of their community as centers of economic importance. The five designations each offer a range of tools and incentives for towns to shape development or revitalization in the specified area. The available designations are Village Centers, Downtowns, New Town Centers, Neighborhood Development Areas, and Growth Centers.
Requires housing units torn down by developers to be replaced with a specified percentage of new housing units to maintain housing stock within a community. In some areas developers have the option of paying a fee in lieu of constructing new housing units, which may be placed in a housing trust fund.
Transit oriented-development (TOD) seeks to maximize residential, business, and leisure development within walking distance of public transport. TOD promotes long-term affordability of housing by reducing transportation-related costs of households, while also saving energy and reducing emissions. Zoning bylaws can include development standards to address transportation efficiency, including requiring bicycle racks, transit shelters, and connections to existing sidewalks and bicycle pathways, where appropriate. TOD is sometimes called "smart growth".
Municipal planning ordinances that allow developers to increase the maximum allowable development on a property in exchange for making a certain percentage of the housing affordable. May be incorporated into inclusionary zoning requirements
Zoning bylaws often set a maximum density level (number of homes permitted in an area) without regard for the size and type of those homes. Instead, more units could be permitted in the same area if they are physically smaller in some circumstances. This is often seen with accessory dwelling units (ADUs) or in senior housing, which can allow smaller unit sizes in exchange for shared community spaces within a development.
Zoning bylaws that require large minimum lot sizes (≥2 acres per dwelling unit) require developers to purchase more land for each unit and these costs are ultimately passed on to homebuyers or renters. Towns can promote the development of new affordable housing by changing their zoning bylaws so that less land is required for each lot.
- Connecticut Fair Housing Center
- Erie County Department of Environment and Planning
Municipal planning ordinances that require or incentivize developers to set aside a certain percentage of affordable housing units for low and moderate-income residents.
In addition to protecting people from discrimination, fair-housing laws also prohibit the federal, state, and local governments from undertaking actions that intentionally or inadvertently limit housing opportunities in unfair ways. Municipal practices or policies that appear reasonable on the surface may result in a deeper level of harm.
Fair Housing is the right to equal opportunity in housing choice and the right to rent or buy a dwelling free from discrimination.