From NIMBY to YIMBY: A Downtown Housing Transformation

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Course Details

Santa Cruz amended its Downtown Specific Plan in 2018 to make targeted changes to zoning requirements that have helped generate entitlements for over 1,000 new housing units just in the past five years in a small city of 60,000 residents. Over half of these new units are affordable to lower-income households, a success made possible by leveraging funding opportunities and public-private partnerships.

This course will detail the specific changes to policy and practice that resulted in this success, and address the coordination needed with partner agencies and funding sources that helped the City change the decades-long stagnation in housing production. You will learn practical zoning tips, political insights, and ways to leverage multiple funding sources to create successful affordable housing projects.

Specifically, zoning standards were adjusted to both add more housing capacity and support efficient building typologies. The team identified transit district and library system needs and collaborated on two innovative projects that combined housing with new public facilities to strengthen both projects. Finally, hear how an organized opposition measure was defeated at the ballot box.

Learning Outcomes

  • Propose changes to local zoning standards that accelerate housing production.
  • Leverage resources to strengthen development proposals and support affordable housing development.
  • Pursue public-private partnerships with other public agencies, community organizations, and non-profit developers to create opportunities for improved public facilities and affordable housing units.
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