If you want to build IN Biddeford, you must build FOR Biddeford: Why Biddeford should adopt Inclusionary Zoning

Recently, Biddeford's Affordable Housing Task Force recommended doubling the city's goal of creating and preserving affordable housing units to address the housing crisis in our city. On Tuesday, the City Council will formally vote to approve these updated goals.

While setting goals can be a powerful mechanism for achieving progress and growth, the value of a goal is only realized when we have the necessary tools, political will, and community support to actively pursue and achieve them. In the case of affordable housing, Inclusionary Zoning is one of the most practical and systematic tools available to create and preserve affordable housing units in Biddeford.

Inclusionary zoning requires developers to set aside a portion of newly constructed residential units for low or moderate-income residents. These policies usually apply to developments over a certain threshold, such as ten or more units.

On page 12 of Biddeford’s Affordable Housing Task Force Report, this graphic illustrates Biddeford’s median income is $58,142. The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) defines "affordable housing" as one that a household can obtain for 30% or less of its income. For Biddeford’s median resident that equates to $1,473 per month.

 

For example, in Biddeford, inclusionary zoning could mandate that developers allocate 10% of newly constructed residential units to renters who earn less than 80% of the Area's Median Income. Studies have shown that an inclusionary zoning policy can be one effective tool to help increase the supply of affordable housing and reduce displacement.

Although it is important to note that not all residential units built in Biddeford lately are market rate, the vast majority of developments completed recently or planned for the near future are for middle and high-income earners (such as The Lincoln, The Levee, 3 Lincoln St., the Devine project, and the Upper Falls Way project). This ongoing development boom is driving significant economic and population growth in our city.

However, without inclusionary zoning, the current trend of developing primarily middle and high-income housing will exacerbate the lack of affordable housing options for low and moderate-income earners who are often priced out of Biddeford and forced to relocate.

Due to the market's tendency to prioritize profitability over social responsibility, inclusionary zoning becomes one of the best options to ensure affordable housing is provided alongside any market-rate housing. Preserving economic diversity is vital for our community and workforce. It encourages innovation and growth, creates opportunities for entrepreneurs and businesses to thrive in multiple sectors, and provides residents a broader range of job opportunities and skills, ensuring a more diverse, resilient, and dynamic local economy.

Thus, implementing inclusionary zoning in Biddeford could help address affordable housing by requiring developers to build a percentage of affordable units in their new residential developments. Such a policy would create more opportunities for low and moderate-income earners to access safe, sustainable, and affordable housing in our city while still allowing for economic growth. To ensure the effectiveness of any inclusionary zoning policy, it is essential to work with developers and community members to design policies that balance the needs of all stakeholders and promote inclusive and equitable development in Biddeford.

Acknowledging that inclusionary zoning alone may negatively impact a developer's profits, a possible solution is to combine such requirements with a density bonus that allows developers to build more units. This combination could strike the right balance between increasing the economic value for developers and increasing the community's overall housing supply.

While inclusionary zoning could significantly ease the affordable housing crisis, it is no panacea. Other strategies to consider and incorporate include creating an Affordable Housing Fund, density bonuses, investing in public housing, relaxing parking requirements, and streamlining the regulatory process for development. As part of a comprehensive approach, implementing inclusionary zoning in Biddeford could be a foundational policy that leverages the private market to create affordable housing without requiring public subsidy.

Today, Biddeford's desirability as a place to live for residents and as a place to profit for developers enables us to be more selective with which development projects we allow and encourage in our community, giving us the power to pursue our vision and meet our community's needs. And affordable housing is one of our most critical needs.

Implementing a practical, well-thought-out, and balanced inclusionary zoning policy would send a clear message to residents and developers alike. If you want to build IN Biddeford, you must build FOR Biddeford. Inclusionary zoning would help maintain Biddeford as a city built for its residents and where development serves the needs of the community as a whole.

Please consider attending Biddeford’s city council meeting on Tuesday to support inclusionary zoning in Biddeford. Your voice matters as we work to ensure Biddeford remains a community with housing options for residents of all income levels.

Liam LaFountain is a first-term City Councilor in Biddeford and a healthcare analyst at the non-profit Healthcare Purchaser Alliance. He welcomes questions, comments, and ideas and can be contacted directly at liam.lafountain@biddefordmaine.org.

The views and opinions herein are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the viewpoints and opinions of Saco Bay News, its employees, publisher, or advertisers.