OPINION: What I’ve heard about the HOME initiative and housing zoning reform

Last August, the three of us proposed the “Municipal Housing Opportunities for All” (HOME) initiative, which was introduced as Council Ordinance 2023-87. The Council has been leading the discussion on addressing the severe housing shortage, and as three members of Council, we believe part of the solution must be to simplify the Zoning Code (Title 21) to encourage more building and more types of housing in the city. The HOME Initiative proposes consolidating residential zoning districts to make the zoning code easier to understand and provide property owners with more opportunities to build housing.

The HOME Initiative will be referred to the Planning and Zoning Commission in March 2024 and will return to Council in June. In the meantime, we have called for active public engagement, and this week sponsors announced a new version of the HOME Initiative that reflects what they’ve heard from the community.

Over the course of several months, we had many conversations with constituents about the proposed zoning changes and, more broadly, the housing issues we face. From March through May, our sponsors attended 24 meetings representing diverse stakeholders and communities across the Anchorage Bowl. We met with community councils and HALOs, most of the attendees were longtime homeowners. We met with business groups interested in learning how this zoning change can foster economic growth. In discussions with the Alaska Caucus of Black Legislators, the Alaska Native Sisterhood, and the Anchorage Equal Rights Commission, we explored current inequities and how the zoning change could increase housing opportunities for all. We met with retirees, young professionals, homebuilders, and as many other groups as we could schedule. We also followed the vibrant dialogue on our local opinion pages and had countless conversations, calls, and emails with constituents across the demographic, political leaning, and belief range about how to most effectively solve the housing shortage.

We are listening. The summary below is just a small portion of what we heard. The full memo can be found online at ancgov.info/HOME.

Nearly everyone agrees: Anchorage needs more housing. From soaring home prices to a shortage of rental housing, from young professionals struggling to buy their first home to older residents looking for smaller apartments and unable to downsize, residents know there’s a housing shortage. We must take action.

Balancing property rights and the best interests of the community is complicated. Zoning and land use are about property rights, and too strict rules can be seen as an abuse of government power. Some argue that zoning infringes on rights, while others argue that neighbors should have a direct interest in what happens outside their property lines.

Process matters. Zoning is a confusing, technical topic, and complicated even for those who use the code regularly. Much of the feedback, especially from those opposed to the changes, focused on how zoning codes interact with adopted community plans and the process used to develop them.

Perspectives often vary depending on a person’s stage in life and housing situation. Opinions on housing and zoning are diverse but tend to align with current housing conditions. Longtime homeowners are most likely to oppose changes that could affect their homes and neighborhoods. People who are struggling to buy a home, struggling to find a new home, or who feel the costs of homeownership are too high tend to support increasing access to housing.

Zoning changes spark frustration over current impacts and concern over future impacts. Some homeowners worry about the impact of more housing. Concerns are heard over on-street parking, local traffic, snow removal, new buildings shading existing backyards, and (in neighborhoods like Hillside) downstream issues like failing septic systems and poor drainage. Others worry that zoning rule changes will increase or decrease the value of their homes.

Communities do not agree on what changes should be made to zoning, and to what extent. The need for zoning reform and reducing construction costs has been debated for many years, including during the last revision of Title 21 (2002-2013). But public opinion is divided on how significantly changes to zoning laws would affect housing issues, even if we could agree on what changes should be made.

Some don’t think HOME is enough. Many architecture and design experts continue to call for changes to the zoning code, pointing to other parts of Title 21 as the most costly, such as multifamily residential design standards and the permitting process that adds cost, uncertainty and risk to projects. Strong advocates for more housing, especially young people, are calling for Anchorage to take more ambitious steps.

Our focus must be on affordable housing. HOME will bring incremental change across the housing market over time, but the need for affordable housing units, especially for the homeless and vulnerable, cannot wait.

“Fixing our housing problem requires pursuing multiple solutions. Residents proposed a number of ideas to increase housing supply beyond HOME, including paying for public infrastructure for development projects, subsidizing affordable housing, regulating short-term rentals and rehabilitating vacant and abandoned properties. The HOME initiative and overall zoning changes are among several actions councillors are working on in the council’s Housing Action Plan.”

So, what happens next?

Our sponsors carefully considered the feedback we received to shape the new version of HOME, which can now be found at ancgov.info/HOME. The new (S-1) version scales back much of what we originally proposed and instead focuses on one policy goal: eliminating single-family zoning in the Anchorage Bowl. The new version accomplishes this with two simple changes: Allowing duplexes (two-family units) in all existing zones and allowing more than one building per lot (commonly referred to as “detached duplexes” or small cottage homes).

The HOME Initiative will hold a public hearing on Tuesday, June 25th. We want to hear your comments. You can testify in writing, by phone, or in person on Tuesday evening. Applications to testify by phone should be made through the Council’s online form by 5pm on Monday, June 24th. Written testimony can be submitted through the form or emailed to all Council members at wwmas@anchorageak.gov. If you would like to testify in person, please speak when the item comes up on the agenda.

The HOME Initiative is shaped by a public process. Tell us what you think. We are listening.

Daniel Volland, Anna Brawley and Meg Zaretel They are members of the Anchorage Assembly, representing District 1 (North Anchorage), District 3 (West Anchorage) and District 4 (Midtown), respectively.

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