November 1999
The Affordable Housing Development Guidelines for State and Local Government provides local governments with guidance for achieving affordable housing through land development techniques, construction practices and building codes, zoning provisions and subdivision requirements. The manual also offers suggested ordinances and code language that can help modernize a community’s existing regulations and ensure the cost-effective production of safe, decent housing.
This manual reflects ten years’ worth of theoretical and practical experience, and represents the best efforts of researchers, community planners and elected officials to address the housing affordability issue.
Suggested Code and Ordinance Language
The suggested code and ordinance language included in The Affordable Housing Development Guidelines reflects some of the most important research-based advances in both land development and construction techniques. Generally, these advances have found successful application in various communities across the country under the Joint Venture for Affordable Housing (JVAH) program and have proven that a system of modernized regulations enhances rather than compromises neighborhoods.
Prepared for:
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
Office of Policy Development and Research
Innovative Technology Division
Prepared by:
NAHB Research Center
Upper Marlboro, MD
167 pages