Creating & Preserving Reasonably-Priced Housing Near Public Transportation

Emily Thaden and Mark Perlman

While Transit Oriented Development can produce tremendous benefits for local communities, such as greater access to job opportunities, it can also drive up land prices and displace existing residents. To create and preserve affordable housing near public transit, the National Community Land Trust Network recommends Equitable Transit Oriented Development (ETOD), an alternative approach to integrated land use and housing planning that “ensures that all persons have greater mobility choices and access to opportunity.” The authors highlight community land trusts, limited-equity housing cooperatives, Community Benefit Agreements, and inclusionary zoning. The report also includes a case study of Denver’s FasTracks program, which created a $15 million loan fund to enable the purchase and holding of land near planned transit sites, as well as a list of federal resources that can support ETOD planning, piloting, and implementation. 

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