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February 03. 2016 12:01AM Our View: Lift the ban on inclusionary zoning It's no secret that many families in Jackson County are struggling financially, and one of the biggest hurdles they face is finding housing they can afford. A bill before the 2016 Legislature would allow — but not require — cities to enact "inclusionary zoning" laws to help address that. Oregon is one of only two states that bans cities from enacting such laws, and the ban should end. A new report from the United Ways of the Pacific Northwest provides an overview of a segment of the population designated as ALICE — asset limited, income constrained, employed. These are people above the poverty line but below the basic cost of living for their community. In Jackson County in 2013, the report found, 45 percent of households were either poor or ALICE. The report listed a bare-bones budget for a family of two adults, one infant and one preschooler starting with housing at $829 a month. This budget, the report says, allows for no savings and a very modest standard of living, but still adds up to $52,704 in annual expenses — well above the poverty level. People who go to work every day, who are not poor, but still cannot afford even that standard of living — 28 percent of Jackson County households — would benefit the most from inclusionary zoning. Inclusionary zoning requires a certain percentage of new housing developments or apartment complexes to be offered at below-market rates. The details of how that is accomplished would be up to the city enacting the rules, and could be customized to fit local circumstances. The bill provides for easing the burden on developers by offering incentives, such as waiving systems development fees, offering density adjustments and expediting permits. It caps the required proportion of affordable housing in any given project at 30 percent, but a local ordinance could specify a smaller percentage. The important thing to remember about Senate Bill 1533 is that it merely allows cities to adopt inclusionary zoning; it does not require any city to do so — in essence, increasing local control. Oregon has banned such laws statewide since 1999. The only other state with a similar ban on the books is Texas. It's time Oregon joined the vast majority of the country and permitted this modest effort to help struggling families.     http://www.mailtribune.com/article/20160203/OPINION/160209915 © 2016 Copyright © 1995-2011 Crain Communications Inc. All Rights Reserved. Terms of Use Privacy Statement -->