Building teams on the local level and teaching them to become developers is a key to solving the housing crisis that has persisted in Louisiana and other states across the country.
Monte Anderson with Neighborhood Evolution was among the speakers during a discussion titled “Cracking the Housing Code” Wednesday as part of a series of panel discussions on the challenges faced by cities the size of Lafayette, not quite a big city but bigger than a small town. Anderson said affordable housing is the biggest problem for cities both poor and wealthy.
Some cities and states have come up with solutions, but his team travels the country teaching local people how to be developers, Anderson said. In a book written by Chuck Marohn with Strong Towns, he notes more housing is being done by local people instead of large companies.
“You know who’s doing most of the work? Women,” Anderson said. “We’re talking about women of color, women in their 60s. They’re saying, ‘I’ve been taking care of my neighborhood all along. I’m going to fix that house across the street. I’m going to build a house now.’
“Activating and teaching locals how to build wealth and how to be entrepreneurial community developers is the key to this whole thing.”
Housing shortages have been a nagging challenge in areas across the country since the pandemic. In Louisiana, the Baton Rouge and New Orleans areas are flagged for needing more housing as data in March from the National Association of Realtors shows on average one permit being issued for every three new jobs.
In Lafayette, the situation is more balanced with one permit being issued for every 1.35 jobs. So far this year, construction activity is up from a year ago in Lafayette Parish with newly built homes up 17% while the average sale price has dropped 3%.
The Lafayette Economic Development Authority and others have begun going after smaller entrepreneurial developers to help with housing, Anderson noted.
Also, the permitting process needs to be streamlined, said Coral Troxell, a geospatial analyst with the National Zoning Atlas, a group that is centralizing zoning codes for jurisdictions across the country. Higher density construction, she noted, is the way to do a lot of affordable housing.
“If I want to build a duplex, a triplex or an apartment building, now I have to go before this commission for a hearing,” she said. “That might be in 30 days or 60 days, and maybe I have to do two sets of those. But that single family house can go up as soon as the building permit is issued.”
Other states and cities have created ways to address the housing issue, she said. In Montana, state officials responded to a pandemic-fueled housing surge by allowing duplexes or accessory dwelling units where single family homes are allowed.
In Seattle, zoning regulations were relaxed enough to allow up to four-plexes in areas zoned for single family homes, said Deonna Anderson, editorial director with Next City, an urban affairs magazine and nonprofit group.
Some cities are starting to offer guaranteed income to help with housing costs, she said.
“I really think we have to change the way we think about housing,” Anderson said. “Because it really should be a human right. People should be able to access it. I think being able to make sure that people can afford housing as you continue to build it is very, very important.”