Alternate names for Inclusionary Zoning

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Rick Jacobus on April 13, 2009 at 12:02pm

Certainly a lot of people are now using the name "inclusionary housing" instead of "zoning" to reflect the fact that these policies are often not implemented through zoning code. In Seattle they have "incentive zoning."

Can you say more about the reasons you want to change the name?

Permalink Reply by Michelle Allen on April 13, 2009 at 12:12pm

We feel that the term inclusionary zoning doesn't tell the lay person anything about what the program covers. It is not tied to housing at all. In addition the word zoning has some negative associations such as, regulatory, confusing, complex, building code. In Boulder IZ is implemented through the Housing Division which is a division of the Housing and Human Services Department. Zoning implies that the program is part of Planning & Development Services. We feel the term inclusionary zoning is confusing all around. We call our entire affordable program the "Affordable Housing program" so we don't want to go with affordable housing. We are leaning towards inclusionary housing but were curious what other terms are being used. Some that have come up:
Affordable Housing Plan (Davis, CO)
Below Market Rate Program (Palo Alto, CA)
Community Housing Plan (Lafayette, CO)
Community Housing Program (Longmont, CO; Berkeley, CA)
Inclusionary Housing (Denver, CO; Santa Barbara, CA)

We appreciate any thoughts on this.

Permalink Reply by Tom Liao on April 15, 2009 at 2:22pm

Prior to adopting our city-wide Inclusionary Zoning Ordinance in late 2004, we just called our affordable homeownership program the "Below Market Rate" Program for for sale affordable units in our redevelopment areas. Since 2004, we call our program the Inclusionary Housing Ownership Program (IHOP) as referring to inclusionary zoning is too technical. I hope the International House of Pancakes does not take issues with this.

Permalink Reply by Arthur Sullivan on June 30, 2009 at 10:08am

Michelle,
I was just at the Affordable Housing Conference, and while there heard that one community decided to call their program the 'mixed income housing program. I believe they indicated that many people in the community didn't understand the term 'inclusionary', and that using the term mixed income described better to the community what they were doing.

Permalink Reply by Michelle Allen on June 30, 2009 at 11:00am

Thanks for the feedback Arthur. I agree that "inclusionary" is not well understood. For us just getting the word housing in the name would be an improvement.

Permalink Reply by Tom Scott on August 25, 2009 at 9:46pm

Los Angeles advocates are calling the proposed inclusionary ordinance a "mixed income" ordinance.

Permalink Reply by Laura Hewitt Walker on August 28, 2009 at 12:19pm

Like Rick Jacobus mentioned, in Seattle we call it Incentive Zoning. Additional height and density is conditioned -- in part -- on providing low-income housing or making a cash contribution to the City for that purpose.