Tools & Resources
[Tools & Resources]
Throughout the US, cities and towns have a tight lock on controlling their built environment, restricting land development to only allow single-family detached homes. While not allowing townhomes, duplexes, and multi-family houses from being built, this also prevents alternative developments from taking place, such as community residences, multiple homes on one lot, “pocket” neighborhoods, and other affordable housing options—therefore isolating people with disabilities from living independently. In many communities, including those in Massachusetts and Connecticut, more than 80% of the land available is zoned strictly for single-family homes, restricting us from building new homes. These restrictions are essentially continuing the historic pattern of housing segregation, keeping people with low-incomes out and making housing in general scarce, expensive, and exclusive in some areas.
The path to single-family zoning dates back to the nineteenth century, when building of homes was lightly regulated. As populations grew and incomes started to diversify, developers began to divide land into larger and smaller lots, depending on the value of the land and the wealth of the buyers they were hoping to attract. Throughout history, zoning evolved and created ways of segregating land through restrictions as ways to “protect subdivisions” from factories, people of different races, religions, and classes. Even though the Supreme Court ruled multiple times—including the 1968 Federal Fair Housing Act—prohibiting discrimination in real estate transactions, single-family zoning continues to outlaw affordable housing options to this day, creating a major shortage in the market and further perpetuating historic patterns of inequity and segregation—now affecting more and more populations.
Nearly a century later however, there has started to be some change—a small light at the end of a long tunnel. In 2018, Minneapolis ended single-family housing and began allowing duplexes and triplexes to be built. The state of Oregon followed suit in 2019, and in the fall of 2021, California made a huge step towards ending the nation’s affordable housing crisis by also legalizing the construction of duplexes, triplexes, and fourplexes on single-family lots. By ending single-family zoning, these states are allowing more housing to be gradually added to existing neighborhoods, providing a supply of housing that is not only needed, but will further ease price growth. While results won’t be seen immediately, this long-term strategy is a step in the right direction, a step we’re behind 110%.
To continue this change across the US, we as disability rights advocates have a voice and a platform to be heard on ending single-family zoning in our states. To have our voice heard in Connecticut and Massachusetts, CIL is proud to be a member of two pro-housing activist groups, Desegregate CT and Abundant Housing Massachusetts (AHMA) who both help fight for more welcoming communities.
You can get involved too! YIMBY Action, which started out as a group advocating for housing in San Francisco, has teamed up with people in other growing cities and towns across the U.S. who are seeing housing become more expensive and scarce in their communities. YIMBY Action now has chapters from coast to coast of the US and get access to training, tools, and a community of other people passionate about housing.
