The new Affordable Housing Production Task Force holds its second meeting to begin workshopping recommendations and draws inspiration from other states.
The task force only has two more full-body meetings before it delivers its recommendations on how to help solve Delaware’s housing crisis in March 2025.
Monday’s meeting was spent discussing potential tactics to spur more affordable housing development, with Delaware State Housing Authority’s Caitlin Del Collo presenting on legislation other states have implemented.
One of her favorites is a Utah law that requires certain municipalities and counties to adopt a Moderate-Income Housing plan and implement at least 3 strategies from a menu of options.
“What I really like about this approach is the menu of options is 23 options long. There's a lot of wiggle room for local governments to pick the strategies that work the best for them," Del Collo explained.
Potential strategies include rezoning for higher densities, reducing regulations for accessory dwelling units, reducing or waiving impact fees, relaxing parking requirements and applying for technical planning assistance.
Del Collo also recommended Delaware look into "fair share" requirements.
Massachusetts allows its Zoning Board of Appeals to override local governments' denials of affordable housing projects if less than 10% of the jurisdiction's housing stock is "affordable," and projects must set aside 20-25% of units for long-term affordability.
She notes since 1969, this law has enabled the production of approximately 70,000 units, over half of which are restricted to households making less than 80% AMI.
Connecticut has an almost identical appeals procedure where courts may override local zoning denials of affordable housing proposals in towns where less than 10% of the housing stock is "affordable."
Mike Riemann of the Home Builders Association of Delaware brought up another Connecticut bill that would help prioritize redevelopment incentives.
“Connecticut has a bill that's called Senate Bill 6, which would be worth looking at. That created a lot of various incentives to convert vacant retail/office into high density housing," Riemann said.
Riemann also brought up concerns with the land-use process being too long, suggesting that by shortening the time it takes to bring housing to market, costs will naturally decline.
Del Collo notes Oregon allows inclusionary zoning based on unit size and income. Incentives under its law include waivers of system development charges or impact fees, finance-based incentives and exemption from ad valorem property.
She says Portland has seen 422 affordable housing units across 65 developments from 2017-2019 and has generated $8 million annually by imposing a construction excise tax.
New Jersey and Massachusetts also have programs in place that allow developers to build more housing units, taller buildings or more floor space than normal in exchange for providing a public benefit.
Delaware has a backlog of over 19,000 affordable rental units needed and an additional 24,000 keep up with growth.
At the meeting, the task force announced the membership of its five subcommittees: Regulatory & Permitting, Finance & Development, Construction, Manufactured Housing and Community Focus Groups.
Those bodies will meet through December until the task force holds its second-to-last full meeting in January.
