I want to express my concerns regarding the proposal to allow the construction of duplexes, triplexes, and bungalows in areas currently zoned for single-family homes. I recognize the intention behind this proposal may be to expand housing options and increase affordability. However, I believe it is important to closely examine the likely outcomes.
Based on trends in similar communities, this type of development is not guaranteed to produce truly affordable housing for working-class or lower-income individuals. In fact, these units often attract higher-income professionals and upper-middle-class buyers, which can drive up property values and, by extension, property taxes. Increased housing density may also place new demands on infrastructure and alter the character of long-established neighborhoods.
My concern is not with expanding access to housing, but with ensuring that the changes we adopt genuinely benefit those who are most in need. Without mechanisms to guarantee affordability — such as income-based housing programs or inclusionary zoning — the reality may be that lower-income residents, including many from underrepresented or minority communities, will continue to be priced out.
I support a thoughtful approach to growth, one that includes community input and takes care to preserve both the integrity of neighborhoods and the inclusiveness of our village.
Sources:
Minneapolis
“Minneapolis 2040 Plan: Measuring Early Impacts.” Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis, 2024, //www.minneapolisfed.org/article/2024/minneapolis-2040-plan-data-tool-prepared-to-measure-impacts.
Loh, Penn. “Minneapolis’s Natural Upzoning Experiment.” Better Cities Project, 2022, //www.better-cities.org/community-growth-housing/minneapoliss-natural-upzoning-experiment.
American Planning Association. “Measuring the Early Impact of Eliminating Single-Family Zoning on Minneapolis Property Values.” Planning.org Blog, 2020, //www.planning.org/blog/9219556/measuring-the-early-impact-of-eliminating-single-family-zoning-on-minneapolis-property-values.
California (SB 9)
Kasler, Dale. “California’s SB 9 Housing Law Has Had Little Effect.” The Sacramento Bee, 12 Feb. 2024, www.sacbee.com/news/california/article277830853.html.
Fuller, Thomas. “California’s New Housing Law Is Off to a Slow Start.” The New York Times, 18 Jan. 2023, www.nytimes.com/2023/01/18/us/california-housing-law-sb9.html.
State of California. “SB 9 (Atkins) Fact Sheet.” California Department of Housing and Community Development, 2022, www.hcd.ca.gov/sites/default/files/docs/planning-and-community/sb-9-fact-sheet.pdf.
Seattle
Millsap, Adam. “The Impact of Upzoning in Seattle: Density without Displacement?” The Madrona Group, 2023, //www.themadronagroup.com/impact-of-seattle-zoning-laws.
Gupta, Arun, and Sarah A. Luthra. “The Political Economy of Upzoning: Evidence from Seattle.” Social Science Research Network, 2024, //doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.4947798.
Beachworks. “Pros and Cons of Upzoning in Seattle.” Beachworks.org, 29 July 2024, //www.beachworks.org/2024/07/29/pros-cons-upzoning-in-seattle.
Robert Milstein
Oak Park
