 National Association of Counties * Washington, D.C. Vol. 31, No. 9 * May 10, 1999 Previous story | Table of Contents | Next story
Getting Beyond NIMBY: Managing Opposition to Affordable Housing "Not in My Back Yard" is a phrase that county officials often hear when they try to get affordable housing units financed and built in their community. Although studies have shown that the availability of affordable housing is a key indicator of the economic health of a community, it’s often a hard sell to citizens who have the perception that affordable housing units will be a blight on their neighborhood, increasing crime and ultimately lowering their property values. Despite its success in filling important human and economic community needs, it is unlikely that citizen opposition to the development of affordable housing can be completely eliminated. However, several communities have found ways to limit and manage opposition to affordable housing. Tired of struggling with NIMBY battles, a group of public and private leaders in Fairfax County, Va. established a now copyrighted IMPB program that recognizes individuals, businesses or organizations that have made significant contributions to removing barriers to the community’s human services goals. Affordable housing is included in those goals. As a result of the high visibility that this program generates, it has been successful in getting the media to feature affordable housing in a positive light, strengthening partnerships within the community to support affordable housing development and changing people’s negative perceptions of what affordable housing is and can be. In San Diego, Calif., the Housing Commission and Planning Department cosponsored an affordable housing architectural design competition that attracted media and citizen participation. The competition helped the citizens to see firsthand that affordable housing can be an asset to the community. The HOME Investment Partnerships Program is a critical resource that communities can use to finance affordable housing development. A federally funded block grant, HOME supports a variety of activities to provide decent affordable housing to lower-income households. These include the construction and rehabilitation of rental housing, homebuyer activities, homeowner rehabilitation and tenant-based rental assistance. Through its participation in the National Affordable Housing Training Institute (NAHTI), NACo has access to valuable resources and case study information to help county officials manage local opposition and develop affordable housing developments in their community. Although NIMBY-ism may never be fully eradicated, Fairfax County, San Diego and other communities have found with the proper planning, public relations and citizen education, it can be overcome. For more information on NAHTI and the HOME project, contact Sandy Markwood at NACo, 202/942-4235. (County Services News was written by Sandy Markwood, deputy director.) |
