Varying Unit Sizes within Multi-Family and Mixed-Use Buildings

• Author: Alec LeSher
• Pages: 112-115

112 Sustainable Development Code: Climate Change

VARYING UNI T SI ZES

WIT HIN MULTI-FAMILY

AND MIX ED-USE BUILD ING S

Alec LeSher (author)

Jonathan Rosenbloom & Christopher Duerksen (editors)

INTRODUCTION

Creating a variety of unit sizes (VUS) within multi-family residential and

mixed-use buildings is a ma rket-based approach to addressing the need

for aordable and sustainable housing development. Many municipalities

establish minimum living space requirements, as well as designated living

areas, such as kitchens and bathrooms.1 ese restrictions prevent develop-

ers from building smaller and more ecient living spaces. In contrast, VUS

ordinances require and/or incentivize developers to build a wide variety of

unit sizes—from small eciency apartments up to three-bedroom apart-

ments—within the same multi-fam ily development.2 Recogni zing that hous-

ing markets include wide varieties of buyers and renters, local governments

can implement VUS ordinances to expand the supply of aordable housing

options, and to improve the sustainability of neighborhoods.

EFFECTS

Traditional ordinances and building practice s limit the supply of multi-fam-

ily dwelling units to uniform siz es, forcing most potential renters and buyers

to pay for standard-sized units, even if t hose units are not best suited to an

individual or family’s needs and na ncial capacity. is lack of choice has a

broader eect on the market, as it arti cially increases demand and prices for

standard dwelling u nits.3 Further, when coupled wit h housing incentive s and

subsidies, it drives up the taxpayer costs of such programs in a cyclical fash-

ion. Housing subsidies encourage developers to build larger, more expensive

units rather than sma ll, economically ecient units.4 When developers bu ild

larger and more expensive units, the government is forced to increase subsi-

dies to ensure sucient aordable housing for low-income individuals.5 VUS

ordinances break th is cycle by supplying multiple market-priced options suit-

able to diverse needs including, small un its with low costs of entry, standard

units, and larger, high-end units.