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Q&A
Achieving 'naturally occurring affordability' through as-of-right zoning for lower-cost construction types
1:27:45
·
94 sec
Commissioner Anthony Richardson asks Vishaan Chakrabarti to clarify the link between as-of-right housing and affordability. Chakrabarti explains his focus is on enabling specific, lower-cost construction types (like 3-story walk-ups under 35 feet) through as-of-right zoning, which can create 'naturally occurring affordability' without subsidies.
- The goal isn't just any as-of-right housing, but specifically types with inherently lower construction costs.
- Examples include 3-story buildings using light gauge steel and not requiring elevators.
- Allowing these types as-of-right could produce housing affordable to working people without subsidy.
- This preserves limited subsidy dollars for deeper affordability needs.
Anthony Richardson
1:27:45
Yes, Kevin.
1:27:48
Well, first of all, thank you for your testimony.
1:27:50
Sure.
1:27:50
And you talked about reframing the conversation around affordability.
1:27:55
And so I wanna make sure that I'm understanding your position is that the creation of more as a bright housing is a direct correlation to increasing affordability?
Vishaan Chakrabarti
1:28:04
No.
1:28:04
That not what I was saying, sir.
1:28:05
What I was actually trying to get at is that we constantly talk about affordability as how much subsidy we can throw at things.
1:28:14
And we have finite resources.
1:28:16
We always will.
1:28:18
And we have to have, I believe, a land use system that can build as of right housing that is affordable to working people without subsidy.
1:28:28
And I think the only way you can get there is to, yes, have much, much more construction, but also fundamentally to be able to build, especially where there's a lot of sensitivity in these low rise neighborhoods.
1:28:40
But if you can and this is done all over the country.
1:28:43
There's nothing particularly unique about this, where you can build six or 10 unit apartment buildings, again, out of light gauge construction, fairly low cost per square foot, right, in transit rich neighborhoods that are low rise that aren't 10 story buildings but are three story built I mean, a lot of single family houses are 35 feet tall.
1:29:04
Right?
1:29:05
So you can actually pack a lot of density into that height with a low construction cost and get what I would be call what I would call naturally occurring affordability so that we can keep precious subsidy dollars for where we most need them.