The nation is currently facing an urgent need for affordable housing driven by rising housing costs and limited availability of low-cost units. Yet, efforts to meet this need are frequently hindered by complex roadblocks.
Alongside challenges such as high construction costs and difficulties in securing financing, community opposition — or NIMBYism (i.e., Not In My Back Yard) — remains a significant barrier. Community pushback against affordable housing projects can delay or entirely prevent developments from moving forward due to worries about changes to a neighborhood’s appearance, property values, or access to public services.
Why Do Some People Resist Affordable Housing?
Much of the resistance to affordable housing comes from misunderstandings or fears about what it means for the neighborhood.
When people hear that affordable housing might be built nearby, they may imagine large-scale, unsightly structures, worry about a rise in crime, or fear that the neighborhood’s character will be lost.
Without early outreach and clear communication from developers and community leaders, these worries can quickly snowball into vocal opposition that stops projects in their tracks. This pushback can lead to public hearings, where concerns might drive up project costs, cause delays, or even lead to the rejection of development proposals or denial of building permits.
Engaging Communities to Address NIMBYism
To get around NIMBYism, developers, local officials, and community advocates need to engage with affected communities early on. This means addressing their fears, breaking down myths, and working together to show how affordable housing can fit into the neighborhood and even benefit it.
Focusing on open, fact-based conversations can shift the conversation as the local population begins to see that affordable housing is in everyone’s best interest. Field trips to nearby neighborhoods with affordable housing developments or detailed case studies from similarly sized cities are also helpful.
Clear Up Common Myths about Affordable Housing
One powerful way to build support is to help people see the real-life stories behind affordable housing. Future residents may include local health workers, teachers, small business owners, retail and service workers, and government employees.
Planned developments may alternatively serve retirees looking to downsize and make room for younger families. Putting a face on likely new residents can prove very helpful in easing concerns and building empathy.
There’s also a common myth that affordable housing will increase local crime, but research shows the opposite: Stable housing often leads to less crime by supporting residents’ job stability and improving quality of life.
Similarly, the belief that affordable housing will bring down property values is simply unfounded — studies repeatedly show no negative impact on property values and, in some cases, may, in fact, increase the value of neighboring properties. Sharing this type of information with residents can help ease their concerns and, in turn, build trust.
Acknowledge and Address Valid Concerns
While some residents’ fears are based on misinformation, other concerns are legitimate and deserve attention.
For example, it is true that the development of multi-unit properties could impact local traffic patterns and volumes. Sharing the results of traffic studies and discussing potential solutions openly shows transparency and commitment to being a good neighbor.
Environmental concerns are also common and, again, can be addressed through open discussion about the project’s impact on local ecosystems. Sharing factual information with residents about potential impacts, be it around groundwater, removal of trees, or impacts to existing green spaces, can illustrate how well the planned development aligns with sustainability goals.
Other concerns on the part of the community may center around the proposed project’s appearance and how it might not fit with the general aesthetics of the area. For the most part, design features and fixtures used in affordable housing are akin to those found within market-rate homes, and builders can demonstrate this in publicly facing materials. Developers might also offer to include landscaping, planned green spaces, or other design elements that will help the building blend with its surroundings.
This responsiveness shows respect for community feedback and helps neighbors feel that the project will be a positive addition to their area.
Build Support and Change Perceptions About Affordable Housing
Building a coalition of supporters — like local business owners, social service organizations, faith leaders, and local officials — can create a more welcoming environment for affordable housing projects.
Local employers, for example, can explain how high housing costs make it hard to attract and keep workers. Social services providers can articulate the financial difficulties families in the community face on a daily basis, while political leaders can echo the frustration of constituents who may be forced to move away due to lack of affordable housing.
Faith leaders can also speak out to dispel myths about the kinds of people who use affordable housing and generate community support. Encouraging a range of voices to speak out in support of the concept of affordable housing then turns the conversation away from opposition and towards a shared commitment to inclusivity and economic vitality.
This approach also highlights how affordable housing contributes to security, economic growth, and cultural diversity. In smaller communities, developing just a few affordable housing units can help revitalize local businesses, boost the local economy, and strengthen neighborhood ties. A broad coalition of support can shift the general perception of affordable housing towards being an essential element of a vital community — as necessary as roads, schools, and commerce.
More generally, education and transparency, supported with data as needed, can address fears and correct misconceptions.
Community engagement is most effective when it occurs early in the development process — well before a project is planned to begin construction. It includes addressing legitimate community concerns and modifying project plans when feasible to align with community feedback.
Update Zoning Policies for Inclusivity
Exclusionary zoning in many communities is often a legacy from an earlier time that should be revisited. While the original intention may have been simply to limit density within a community, in some settings, it also resulted in limited racial and economic diversity by preventing working-class families from moving into middle- and upper-class neighborhoods.
A shift to inclusionary zoning, which requires that a percentage of new housing units be affordable to people with earnings just above the local median income, can provide greater options to lower income households. These policies make affordable housing a community-wide responsibility rather than a few isolated projects that face intense local opposition and they serve to counteract NIMBYism around specific proposals.
Finally, if local governments block affordable housing projects for discriminatory or political reasons, developers may challenge these actions under the US Civil Rights Act. Developers have the right to unbiased treatment, and efforts to unfairly restrict affordable housing could violate residents’ civil rights by limiting housing options for protected groups. Simply reminding policy makers of these protections then can encourage fairness and transparency from local governments.
Moving Forward with the Development of Affordable Housing
There is wide agreement that significant amounts of new housing are needed in the US to meet high demand and that much of it needs to be affordable to workers and seniors in our communities. However, building these units often results in strong opposition due to fears, misunderstandings, and outdated policies.
Building broad support through alliances with local businesses, social services, and community leaders can shift perceptions and foster an understanding that affordable housing is part and parcel of a vital community; and reviewing and updating outdated zoning laws to encourage inclusionary policies ensures that affordable housing development becomes a shared community responsibility rather than a divisive issue.
Through these combined efforts, communities can promote growth that is both equitable and sustainable, making affordable housing an integral and accepted part of the neighborhood fabric.
Camoin Associates has been at the forefront of the current housing crisis, working with communities of all sizes to find solutions. We research and understand each community’s unique housing needs and craft actionable and effective strategies to help restore healthy, balanced, and equitable local housing markets.
Learn more about our Housing Studies and Strategies services
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