Key Practices Could Enhance Recent Collaboration of Affordable Housing in Transit-Oriented Development

 

Few local, state, and federal programs are targeted to assisting local housing and transit providers develop affordable housing in transit-oriented developments.
Photo courtesy of Columbia Equipment Company

Characteristics of transit-oriented developments can increase nearby land and housing values. However, determining transit-oriented development’s effects on the availability of affordable housing in these developments are complicated by a lack of direct research and data. Specifically, the presence of transit stations, retail, and other desirable amenities such as schools and parks generally increases land and housing values nearby.

However, the extent to which land and housing values increase—or in the rare case, decrease—near a transit station depends on a number of characteristics, some of which are commonly found in transit-oriented developments.

According to transit and housing stakeholders GAO spoke with, higher land and housing values have the potential to limit the availability of affordable housing near transit, but other factors—such as transit routing decisions and local commitment to affordable housing—can also affect availability.

Source: GAO