Inclusionary housing policies can help reduce economic discrimination in neighborhoods that are gentrifying rapidly, according to a think tank's report.
Local officials should adopt policies that encourage developers to provide affordable housing, according to the
"Inclusionary housing policies…help maintain the vibrancy and diversity of neighborhoods in transition," Rick Jacobus, the study's author, said in a news release.
Skyrocketing housing prices have forced many middle-class and low-income residents farther from their jobs, reliable transportation, good schools and safe neighborhoods, said Mac McCarthy, the institute's president.
The report, "Inclusionary Housing: Creating and Maintaining Equitable Communities," provides suggestions to policymakers on how to trigger developers into adding affordable housing in their projects.
Inclusionary policies can require a some of residential units in new developments to be affordable to lower-income residents; they can also levy fees on developers, or provide for off-site affordable housing construction.
