Housing
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The Housing chapter complements the Municipal Growth and Land Use chapters in addressing Annapolis’ acute shortage of affordable housing options. In many respects, providing additional housing options is not just a matter of housing more people, it’s a matter of housing a greater diversity of people that can contribute to the economy and culture of the city. For this reason, there is a significant focus on finding ways to provide “missing middle” housing, the type of housing accessible to middle income residents who have fewer and fewer housing options in the city.
Goal:
Produce a supply of affordable rental and ownership housing in order to meet current and projected needs.
Performance Metrics:
- The percent of total renter households that are “severely cost burdened” is reduced to 10% by 2040.
- The percent of total home-owner households that are Severely Cost Burdened by 2040 is reduced to 6.5%
Action 1: Coordinate with Anne Arundel County and the State of Maryland to encourage the development of affordable and moderately priced rental and owner-occupied housing within the greater Annapolis area.
Action 2: Promote infill development and redevelopment in the Upper West Street corridor to increase the supply of housing, and rental units in particular, that complements and enhances the existing Parole community. (also listed in the Land Use element under goal LU 1)
Action 3: Use the City’s authority to annex and permit development to promote housing development in the City’s 82.6-acre Growth Area
Action 4: Reevaluate the Moderately Priced Dwelling Unit (MPDU) program and consider its practicality; explore opportunities to expand the requirement for MPDU’s within planned developments.
Action 5: Revise the R3 and R4 Districts and increase the allowable housing unit density to standards that are more compatible with the urban center Annapolis has become.
Action 6: Explore the feasibility of permitting multi-family dwelling units in all zoning districts where they are currently only allowed by special exception.
Goal:
Preserve the supply of quality housing for low and moderate income households.
Performance Metric:
- Over the next 20 years, achieve no net loss in the supply of housing meeting the needs of low and moderate income households.
Action 1: Formalize a policy of no net loss in quality affordable units to be managed by the Community Development division of the City’s Planning & Zoning Department.
Action 2: Mitigate displacement of low- and moderate-income households by facilitating strategies aimed at reducing the costs of maintenance and property taxes.
Action 3: Maintain and regularly update a map of naturally-occurring affordable housing (NOAH) in the greater Annapolis area and develop triggers and criteria for preservation actions.
Action 4: Give greater preference at the highest level of City staff, in time and resources, to working closely with residents in low and moderate income neighborhoods who may not be formerly organized to advance their interests, especially where owner occupied housing is generally affordable.
Goal:
Plan for changing housing needs over time in relation to both the production of new housing and preservation of existing units.
Performance Metric:
- The formation of an effective system for biannually reporting on the status of housing affordability and routinely offering expert recommendations to the Mayor and City Council for improvement.
Action 1: Formalize a system of regular monitoring and reporting on the production and preservation of housing units.
Action 2: On an ongoing basis, postulate and test zoning changes related to density and unit types and select and adopt zoning amendments that reduce regulatory barriers to the production of affordable housing units.
Action 3: Formalize a policy of regular coordinated reporting with Anne Arundel County on the production and preservation of affordable housing units in the greater Annapolis area.
Goal:
Increase the supply and diversity of housing types and the locations where such housing can be compatibly provided to best facilitate housing that addresses the particular needs of the city's households.
Performance Metric:
- The percent of housing units in housing types with two, three and four units will grow from 6% to 15% of the total by 2030, and to 25% by 2040.
Action 1: Amend the Zoning Ordinance to encourage multiple housing types that can fit compatibly within each of the City’s residential zoning districts. As guidance, the following housing types generally fit compatibly with neighboring single-family lots: duplex, triplex, fourplex, courtyard building, and cottage cluster.
Action 2: Amend the zoning ordinance to provide that one accessory dwelling unit be allowed by-right on all single-family lots in all zoning districts subject to a certain lot size, to be determined.
Action 3: Create legislation that incentivizes accessory dwelling units.
Action 4: Foster new opportunities for mixed income and mixed-use communities including through the redevelopment of the Eastport Terrace and Harbor House communities, and potentially other properties currently owned and managed by the Housing Authority of the City of Annapolis (HACA).