Do Land Use Plans Affirmatively Further Fair Housing?: Measuring Progress.

Area of Science:

• Urban Planning
• Housing Policy
• Sociology

Background:

• The 1968 Fair Housing Act mandates local governments receiving federal funds to affirmatively further fair housing (AFFH).
• Existing fair housing analyses are extensive but lack assessment of land use policies' impact on neighborhood integration.
• A new California law requires AFFH analysis within planning processes, emphasizing spatial distribution of low-income housing near opportunities.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose and evaluate a Fair Housing Land Use Score (FHLUS) for measuring the inclusivity of local land use policies.
• To assess whether zoning and housing plans promote or hinder neighborhood integration.

Main Methods:

• Developed and applied the Fair Housing Land Use Score (FHLUS) metric.
• Examined zoning and housing plans in three California municipalities with varying income distributions.

Main Results:

• In all three studied municipalities, zoning and housing plans exacerbated existing patterns of segregation.
• The FHLUS metric provides a more precise assessment than current approaches.
• The metric's utility may be limited in smaller, more homogenous jurisdictions.

Conclusions:

• The FHLUS is a valuable tool for advocates and planners to analyze local land use decisions.
• Recommendations include federal adoption of the FHLUS into the AFFH toolkit.
• Practicing planners are encouraged to use the FHLUS to evaluate zoning and investment impacts on fair housing.