Expanded Inclusionary Zoning Program Could Include Areas of Flexibility

• January 7, 2020

by Nena Perry-Brown

The Office of Planning's (OP) proposal to increase mandatory inclusionary zoning (IZ) requirements also contemplates some areas for flexibility.

Since announcing plans to expand IZ ("IZ Plus") last week, OP has filed a zoning application proposing the zoning code require mixed-use and residential projects which get zoning approval to add density to provide 10 to 20% of the residential gross floor area as inclusionary zoning.

The application also floated the idea that the required IZ set-aside could be adjusted in instances where most or all of the affordable units are family-sized, most or all of the affordable units are for households earning up to 30 or 50% of the median family income (MFI), or where projects still incorporate or preserve some PDR use ("production, distribution, and repair" typically associated with industrial areas). 

The application also proposes that the maximum IZ set-aside of 20% be required for projects which rezone a site from PDR. For all other zones, the required IZ would be on a sliding scale based upon the incremental increase in density requested. Planned-unit developments would be exempted from expanded IZ, with any additional affordable housing counting toward the public benefits package.

Currently, IZ is mandatory for 8 to 11% of the residential gross floor area in projects with ten or more residential units. IZ units in projects approved after 2017 must be affordable for households earning up to 60% MFI for rentals and up to 80% MFI for for-sale units.

The Zoning Commission is expected to consider the application at a meeting next week, at which point it will likely be set down for a public hearing. 

This article originally published at https://dc.urbanturf.com/articles/blog/proposed-expanded-inclusionary-zoning-program-could-include-areas-of-flexib/16308