Focus on Social Equity

From June 21-24, 2001, 1000 Friends of Florida co-hosted a national summit of the Growth Management Leadership Alliance. The focus was on the issue of social equity. Following are a series of articles reporting on this summit.

1000 Friends Co-Hosts National Summit

Smart growth has been described as resting on the three-legged stool of environment, economics and equity. Protecting environmentally sensitive lands from sprawling development is well understood, as is the economics of saving taxpayer dollars through wiser placement of infrastructure. But how does equity fit into the lexicon of smart growth?

Advocates from Florida and the nation gathered in Jupiter June 21-24, 2001, to explore this topic. The occasion was a meeting of the Growth Management Leadership Alliance (GMLA), a national coalition of 33 state and regional smart growth advocacy organizations. 1000 Friends of Florida, a founding member of GMLA, co-hosted the event at the new urbanist community of Abacoa. The Abacoa Project, located on the 2,000-acre site, is an FAU/FIU Joint Center for Environmental and Urban Project initiative to promote sustainable communities.

Leaders in growth management, economics, and social equity from Vermont to Hawaii participated. Over the four days of sessions, participants explored linkages between smart growth and social equity. "We began to forge an agenda that fully addresses the needs and goals of these diverse constituencies," explained GMLA president Dana Beach. "GMLA members and others now have more tools to ensure that smart growth is socially responsible as well as environmentally sensitive."

Day one of the conference was designated "Florida Day." A roundtable discussion, coordinated by 1000 Friends of Florida, focused on how to more fully incorporate affordable housing within Florida's growth management framework. Said 1000 Friends Affordable Housing Director Jaimie Ross, "We drew upon the expertise of local, regional, and state-level experts to help us determine what changes are needed to better promote affordable housing within Florida's land use system."

On day two the focus turned to "A National Dialogue on Social Equity and Growth Management." After presentations by representatives of nationally-respected organizations including PolicyLink, the Institute on Race and Poverty, National Neighborhood Coalition, and Smart Growth America, GMLA representatives from key states discussed the challenges and opportunities they face. Afternoon breakout sessions encompassed equity as it relates to poverty, transportation, fiscal policy and housing.

Getting down to business on days three and four, GMLA members confirmed their commitment to more fully integrating social equity issues into their smart growth agendas. They developed a variety of strategies to encourage socially responsible smart growth. These include:
• Creating and supporting coalitions with social equity and affordable housing organizations,
• Cataloging best practices of member organizations so that others have models to follow,
• Drafting a sample policy agenda outlining how GMLA member organizations can fully integrate social equity into their growth management programs, and
• Developing effective messages about smart growth's impacts on housing costs, transportation, and jobs.

Said 1000 Friends of Florida Executive Director Charles Pattison, "This summit laid the foundation for making the smart growth movement both stronger and more socially responsible." Noting that Florida has one of the most mature and comprehensive growth management processes in the nation, he added, "We worked to develop strategies to move Florida to the next level in promoting more socially equitable growth."

1000 Friends of Florida thanks the following sponsors of this event:

John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation
Environmental Protection Agency
Carlton Fields, P.A.
Searcy Denney Scarola Barnhart & Shipley
Greenburg Traurig
Kilday and Associates
Lewis Longman & Walker, P.A.
Housing Trust Group of Florida
Land Design South of Florida
Urban Principles
Schickedanz Capital Group

"Florida Day"
By Jaimie Ross, Affordable Housing Director, Foresight, Fall 2001

Finding ways to increase and improve the production of affordable housing in Florida was the subject of a "Florida Day" roundtable discussion on June 21. Held in conjunction with the meeting of the national Growth Management Leadership Alliance in Abacoa, the event brought together a list of invited participants that included elected officials, attorneys, planners, and practitioners with expertise in housing and growth management at the state, regional, or local levels.

Affordable housing is nothing new in Florida. Unlike most other states, it has been a part of Florida's system of growth management for more than two decades, included in both comprehensive planning and the development of regional impact (DRI) process. But now, as other states are moving forward in adopting comprehensive planning, growth management in Florida has come under serious attack. In 1999, legislation was floated that would remove the state and regional roles in the comprehensive planning process. More recently, the Governor's Growth Management Study Commission recommended removing affordable housing from the proposed list of compelling state interests, repealing the DRI law (which includes a provision for affordable housing), and instituting "full cost" accounting without an exemption for affordable housing.

The roundtable participants discussed a broad range of topics related to affordable housing during the day-long brainstorming session. Up for discussion were the potential effects of full-cost accounting on affordable housing; appropriate roles for state, regional and local governments in addressing affordable housing and comprehensive planning issues; problems related to NIMBYism ("Not In My Back Yard"); and the pros and cons of Florida's adopting fair share housing as a growth management tool.

All agreed that affordable housing must remain an integral part of Florida's growth management process. There was considerable discussion about the ongoing problem of land use discrimination against affordable housing, called NIMBYism. Of great concern were the repeated efforts toward the "devolution" of planning oversight from the state to the regional level, since the regional planning councils (RPCs) have insufficient funds at present to provide appropriate oversight, and their make-up of elected local officials could worsen NIMBYism. Furthermore, it was pointed out that RPC boundaries may not cover local housing issues, for example, when farmworkers are employed in Palm Beach County but live in Okeechobee County.

Insights and new knowledge gleaned from the Florida Day roundtable will go to good use. 1000 Friends' Affordable Housing Program will use this information to shape its legislative and policy advocacy, technical assistance, and training.

From the Director
By Charles Pattison, AICP

This past June, we hosted a meeting of the Growth Management Leadership Alliance, a loose national coalition of 33 state and regional advocacy organizations that work in the same arena as we do. The theme for our meeting was improving coordination between affordable housing, social equity and growth management advocates to advance common agendas and close policy gaps. To guide and assist us, we invited some of the country's top thinkers in these areas to meet with us.

In our quest for a better understanding of the issues at hand, we found that better listening is key. As we all know, plans for new affordable housing frequently encounter the NIMBY syndrome, especially with regard to infill development. Often, the result is the location of affordable housing projects in sprawling areas where there is little or no opposition. Not surprising, this has led affordable housing groups to oppose land use policies that limit sprawl. What we learned is that both groups have to be more proactive: housers need to find sites that promote better employment and transportation options, and growth management advocates have to help fight NIMBYism so that infill development can succeed.

Our meeting did not address all of the issues or solve all of problems. Questions of cost, exclusivity, transportation alternatives, and mix of uses, still remain. We all learned a great deal, though, about how other states work affordable housing into their growth management efforts, and found Florida to be one of the nation's leaders. But more remains to be done. Clearly, making affordable housing and social equity components of any smart growth strategy is necessary if the smart growth movement is to be successful.

To learn more, read The NIMBY Report: Smart Growth and Affordable Housing. This report by the National Low Income Housing Coalition was edited by 1000 Friends' Jaimie Ross.

Building Alliances Between Smart Growth and Affordable Housing Advocates
By Jack Wilson

November 2000 saw the defeat of state referenda to curb sprawl in Colorado and Arizona. Opposition was fueled in part by affordable housing advocates who felt these initiatives would reduce the supply of land for new development, thereby driving up the cost of housing. But that is an oversimplification of the anti-sprawl or "smart growth" movement. Likewise, those who advocate for smart growth from an environmental perspective often overlook the importance of promoting inclusive communities that serve the needs of a range of citizens. It is important that smart growth and affordable housing advocates realize their shared common ground and develop workable, mutually beneficial partnerships.

Why should affordable housing advocates support smart growth? Smart growth does not mean no growth; rather it means wisely placed, well-planned growth. Instead of sprawling, new, large-lot development, smart growth promotes redeveloping downtowns and revitalizing older neighborhoods where much of the stock of affordable housing already exists. Smart growth also
encourages compact new development with a mixture of homes, shops and offices, housing
for residents of different incomes and lifestyles, and transportation alternatives to the car. Smaller lots and a variety of housing options—from apartments to condos to small, single-family homes—are also smart ways to help keep housing costs down. New development on land adjacent to already developed areas reduces the need to expand infrastructure, thus reducing the burden on taxpayers, especially those with lower incomes who often pay disproportionately. Easier access to shops and workplaces by walking or public transit also makes sense. It helps lessen transportation costs which, for many families of moderate means, can outstrip their housing costs. If done wisely, smart growth can be a powerful tool for more equitable and socially responsible development.

Why should smart growth advocates support the inclusion of affordable housing? Aside from the important concept of social responsibility, smart growth is dependent on residents with a range of incomes and lifestyles. We all need affordable housing, either to live in ourselves or to house those who teach our children at school, police our community, nurse us in the hospital, or provide other vital community services. A range of housing types and costs provides both a market and an employee source for community businesses and offices and contributes to the diversity of our neighborhoods. We all benefit, too, when elderly neighbors can pass their wisdom on to our children, and teenagers can learn to care for them.

If the bottom line for most affordable housing advocates is holding down land costs, and the bottom line for many smart growth advocates is protecting the environment, the two can quickly become adversaries. Those who advocate for growth management and smart growth must affirmatively embrace affordable housing within mainstream market development to forge a partnership with affordable housing. At the same time, affordable housing advocates need to appreciate the many benefits of smarter growth.

Jack Wilson is president and chief executive officer of The Wilson Company, a full service commercial and residential real estate development and management company. In addition to serving on the Board of Directors of 1000 Friends of Florida, he also serves on the boards of the Greater Tampa Chamber of Commerce, Tampa Downtown Partnership, and Floridians for Better Transportation.