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One of the major issues facing local communities and state legislators is the perceived problem of urban sprawl. Many communities are concerned that the sprawling development of large-lot single family homesteads will permanently gobble up important agricultural land and other natural resources. Existing and new multi-family housing has been--and continues to be--one of the best tools to prevent urban sprawl. Multi-family housing enables a much better use of the limited land in and around urban areas. One can easily imagine how much larger cities like Detroit and Grand Rapids would be if each rental unit in those communities were single-family homes. Even though multi-family housing has a proven track record for its positive impact on urban sprawl, Clarine Nardi Riddle, Senior Vice President for Government Affairs with the National Multi Housing Council, reports that “even though lawmakers now realize that apartments are the best tool to address our most pressing issues, including the affordable housing crisis, urban decay and suburban sprawl, they do not yet understand that the apartment industry is limited in its ability to help because it is bogged down with regulations and zoning roadblocks motivated by outdated stereotypes.” The multi-family industry needs the support of legislators to reduce burdensome regulation and restrictive zoning. Local communities are attempting to “fix” urban sprawl by the utilization of transfer development rights (TDR) and property development rights (PDR). These activities have created a barrage of negative feedback from legislators’ constituents. By working together, federal, state and local governments and the multi-housing industry can create workable and sustainable solutions that address urban sprawl and affordable housing issues without resorting to expensive and complicated TDR and PDR strategies.
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