OPINION

More multifamily housing in neighborhoods slows sprawl, provide other benefits

Taylor Simmons
Guest columnist

On Aug. 4, the Gainesville City Commission passed one of the two votes required to end single-family zoning. While housing policy remains a part of the public consciousness, it would be beneficial to understand the policy change and its impacts.  

Chief among the concerns was the effect new housing would have on Gainesville’s housing market. Residents protesting the change argued that the rezoning of single-family homes would enrich developers at the expense of locals. 

Many claimed that new development would have little to no effect on home prices. Supporters of the proposal argued the opposite, stating that housing abundance would help cool the rapidly heating market.

Despite the heated discourse, the data seems to vindicate the housing advocates. Increasing the housing stock has a deflationary effect on the market for homes. 

A motorist drives past multi-family housing off Northwest First Street in Gainesville's Pleasant Street. The city of Gainesville voted Aug. 4 to eliminate single-family zoning citywide, the first of two voters needed to make the change.

While no land-use policy can stop housing prices from rising (and it would be unwise to do so), zoning reform will likely slow rising prices and allow wages to catch up. Tenants and homeowners can be satisfied with this outcome because it increases affordability for renters without turning solo homes into depreciating assets.  

The end of single-family zoning would also preserve neighborhood character in the previously single-family neighborhoods. Homeowners petitioned the city government because they believed their community could come to resemble busy residential areas such as the Innovation District. However, the end of single-family zoning still prohibits the construction of apartment complexes in formerly single-family neighborhoods. 

The goal of eliminating single-family zoning is to create “missing middle” housing. Currently, Gainesville homes are mostly detached single-family houses and apartment complexes. There are few homes between these two extremes in density.

A rendering of a duplex to be built in southwest Gainesville by the Gainesville Housing Authority and its development corporation.

If the proposal completely passes, multifamily homes would be no taller than two stories and house no more than four families. The new homes would preserve the character of existing neighborhoods while allowing for higher density. 

Gainesville’s zoning reform also seems likely to temper gentrification. Some of the most impassioned speakers at the commission insisted that higher density would lead to displacement in Gainesville’s historically Black neighborhoods. It is critical to understand that there is no real consensus on the effect upzoning has on gentrification because it is an incredibly understudied topic.

More:Sun contributors offer opinions on housing issues in Gainesville, Alachua County

In the protesters’ defense, it may be the case that building high-rises in lower-density areas may accelerate gentrification. However, the legislation proposed by the City Commission does not allow the construction of luxury apartment complexes (or any for that matter) in the rezoned neighborhoods. 

A more relevant example of rezoning would be Branch Village in Camden, New Jersey. The construction of townhouses created greater affordability for the residents than single-family homes. If Gainesville has the opportunity to create density and affordability without displacing its Black residents, it should take it. 

A chain-link fence keeps trespassers out of a construction zone at the new Branch Village homes in Camden's Centerville neighborhood.

Higher density is also better for the environment. Many locals sought to protect Gainesville’s tree cover, claiming that multifamily development would kill trees and worsen the city’s heat island effect. Denser housing saves more trees than one might think. 

Multifamily developments in existing neighborhoods slow urban sprawl. Slowing urban sprawl would save far more trees west of Interstate 75 than single-family zoning would save in central Gainesville. 

Quadplexes are also a great way to increase the housing stock without significantly increasing the heat island effect. A more impactful way of reducing Gainesville’s heat island would be to pursue tax incentives for green roofs like Philadelphia or Washington.

The Philadelphia Water Department's model of a green roof is shown at the the Philadelphia Flower Show.

The energy efficiency of urban density makes it an appealing option for mitigating CO2 emissions. In a world increasingly affected by climate change, the carbon footprint of developments must be a top priority in environmental considerations. 

Multifamily homes use less energy per capita than their single-family counterparts (as long as the resident pays for electricity directly). Denser housing also means more walking, biking, and public transport, all critical factors in reducing Gainesville’s carbon footprint.  

Given all the benefits that multifamily developments offer, it is clear that the City Commission’s vote was a step in the right direction. 

Taylor Simmons is a political science major at the University of Florida. More opinion pieces on local housing issues can be found at https://bit.ly/sunhousingopinions.

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