Raleigh zoning changes to relieve 2/3/4-plex shortage

[Payton Chung]

The city of Raleigh is considering two changes to its UDO (zoning ordinance) which would legalize duplexes almost citywide, and townhouses or small apartments in many more zoning districts -- particularly along the proposed BRT corridors. Chime in here:

https://publicinput.com/F5368

Currently, it is illegal to build even a duplex in any of the pink areas on this map, and functionally difficult in many of the green areas, too. This isn't fair, and is the #1 reason why multi-unit buildings are almost nonexistent in Raleigh.

https://raleigh-residential-zo...

[Chris Martin]

This post contains my commentary on why this change may have come about. 

Under the topic "Build, preserve, and retrofit more than two million homes and commercial buildings to address the affordable housing crisis" the text from FACT SHEET: The American Jobs Plan says:

• "Eliminate exclusionary zoning and harmful land use policies. For decades, exclusionary zoning laws - like minimum lot sizes, mandatory parking requirements, and prohibitions on multifamily housing - have inflated housing and construction costs and locked families out of areas with more opportunities. President Biden is calling on Congress to enact an innovative, new competitive grant program that awards flexible and attractive funding to jurisdictions that take concrete steps to eliminate such needless barriers to producing affordable housing." 

With potentially large amounts of federal funds sloshing around, I believe the city wants to get in on the federal grant money, thus is taking "concrete steps to eliminate such needless barriers to producing affordable housing."