Zoning Reforms -Not a Solution to our housing needs

I live in a duplex in a zoned mixed-use neighborhood. We have single family homes, row houses, triplexes and duplexes. It is considered “high density” living and I love it. I wish this style of housing were more available in Roanoke City for those who would like it. It is not, however, affordable housing. It will not be the solution to Roanoke’s housing crisis. It will not lower rents or housing prices. Short of adding some extra units on available land, it does very little to address the true housing issues that Roanoke faces.

The mass rezoning amendment that City Council passed in 2024 also will do little more than add a minimal amount of extra living units. A lot of people tout mass rezoning as the panacea that will drive down prices, increase supply and somehow serve as a resolution to Roanoke’s history of redlining of all minority groups. Unfortunately, the mass rezoning amendment will accomplish little more than to add a minimal amount of new housing units which will likely not qualify as “affordable”. Any additional units are great, but this is too serious of a problem to think that this amendment will have a real effect on our housing crisis.

The goals of creating significant amounts of housing, lowering prices and rents and providing for some higher density and mixed-use communities are laudable. The history of racism and xenophobia that is part of Roanoke’s past is not going to be corrected by these housing reforms. Calling people “racists” or pejoratively “white boomers” (which wreaks of ageism and disrespect) because they do not see the wisdom of these amendments only serves to further fracture our city.

The rezoning amendment is a passive hope that these changes will allow for more mid and lower income housing units to be built. It is not a plan to resolve the issue, and it has not proven to be effective. The term affordable housing is a misnomer because it means several different things. To speak bluntly, Roanoke needs about 4,000 low-income housing and several hundred high income housing units. Roanoke has approximately 4,000 dilapidated, blighted housing units. Dilapidated and blighted housing is a problem for all cities but not one without answers. Public-private partnerships should be formed that allow for the rehabilitation or reconstruction of these units to become functional, safe, and desired units for lower income housing. Developing them into duplexes or triplexes (if the lot is large enough) would quickly add more housing, increase the tax base, beautify the city and move crime away from these areas. Some of these units could reserved for small builders just getting off the ground, giving them great and needed experience as they seek to enter a market that is dominated by large, well-known companies. Parcels of land should be rezoned to allow for mini houses that are more ecologically friendly, great for first time homebuyers or those wanting to downsize. We have already seen that the 2024 zoning amendment has only produced 24 units – none of which are truly affordable.  It would take well over 100 years for this to have any real impact on our housing shortage. At the current rate, it would also take that amount of time to have any real downward pressure on rents and housing prices. Whenever there is a shortage, prices will increase.

Now the good news. Several major revitalization projects are in progress. The Foundry in the Norwich neighborhood is turning an abandoned 12.5 acre industrial site into a mixed-use neighborhood of 275 housing units. The first phase is concentrating on the sale of townhouses aimed at those making 80%-120% of the area median income. The Riverdale revitalization project will bring an additional 375 housing units including approximately 80 live/work art and creative space affordable units. Additionally, there are still opportunities for the construction of more lofts and apartments downtown. There is also potential for some limited housing on the Evan’s Springs land. If we were to develop a true working plan for the restitution of blighted and dilapidated homes together with these new units, we could come very close to the amount of housing we need by 2040. This can happen without the mass rezoning amendment. When we have enough housing units there will be natural downward pressure on rent.

One of the biggest issues for building in Roanoke is the antiquated system that builders must struggle with in getting the appropriate permits and licenses for their project. Time is money and when building projects are delayed by many months by our review and permitting system the project costs more. Those costs are passed onto the future residents of that space – once again driving up prices. This is unreasonable and against the city’s own interest of being a business-friendly environment. If I am elected to Council, I will strongly advocate for a streamlined, one stop licensing/permitting system. We need to become a city in which builders are eager to build, not one in which there is so much red tape they would rather avoid. We can do much better and we should!

We need to move away from the mass rezoning amendment as an answer to Roanoke’s housing problems. It solves a minimal amount of the problem. While it may work in other cities, particularly larger cities, it does not take into consideration the unique issues of our city. We need a better planned and more active approach to ensure that we meet our goal of sufficient or near sufficient housing by 2040. I would like to see the City Manager’s office presenting a plan for a combination of real actions to be initiated within the next year. Mass rezoning is not a plan; it is little more than a passive wish.