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May 11, 2008

An affordable housing suggestion

Planners in expensive Westchester County, N.Y., have a thought about moderately priced homes that could work in most suburbs: Build them on top of some of the oodles of unnecessarily large office parking lots.

The New York Times reports today:

The recommendations came in response to a severe shortage of moderate-income housing in Westchester. Demand is expected to reach 19,083 units by 2015, yet between 2000 and 2005 only 970 units had been built, according to Deborah DeLong, the county’s housing director.

Because the roads and utilities in existing office parks are already in place, the study asserts, further development of those properties would not be as costly for developers.

Posted by Jamie Smith Hopkins at 6:43 AM | | Comments (3)
        

Comments

Very interesting idea, esp from a SMART growth perspective. I work in Hunt Valley, and there are plenty of underused surface parking lots up here. I see the businesses generally against it though. I can't think of any where in the City where this could work.

Another Suggestion. Baltimore City has 30,000 vacant homes. The Strate of MD is giving away $75M to landlords of cash flow postive section 8 landlords. Take that money, renovate 8000 homes give them away for free as long as the people can pay the taxes. Two birds with one stone.

Another Suggestion. Baltimore City has 30,000 vacant homes. The State of MD is giving away $75M to landlords of cash flow postive section 8 houses. Take that money, renovate 8000 homes give them away for free as long as the people can pay the taxes. Two birds with one stone.

My other solution to affordable housing is to create a database for section 8 landlords, nothing exists, make it competitive. It is a lot cheaper than susidizing the cash flow postive landlords.

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About Jamie Smith Hopkins
Jamie Smith Hopkins, a Baltimore Sun reporter since 1999, writes about the regional economy. Her reporting on the housing market has won national and local awards. Hopkins is a Columbia native and has lived in Maryland all her life, save for 10 months spent covering schools in Ames, Iowa.
She trained to become a wonk by spending large chunks of time as a geek and an insufferable know-it-all.
Baltimore Sun articles by Jamie
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