DELAWARE- The Delaware State Housing Authority has selected eight municipalities and one county to take part in a zoning and land use reform pilot program aimed at expanding affordable housing options across the state.
The agency says Bridgeville, Dover, Georgetown, Laurel, Lewes, Milford, Newark, Rehoboth Beach and Sussex County will receive free technical assistance from planning consultants to help modernize local zoning codes and land use policies.
State officials say the voluntary program was created through Senate Joint Resolution 8 and is designed to increase the variety of housing types, promote compact mixed-use development and address housing affordability challenges. DSHA will cover the cost of the consultants, providing assistance at no expense to the participating jurisdictions.
According to DSHA, local governments applied last fall and designated a staff member to work directly with a consultant. Applicants also had to select at least one reform option and show support from their governing body.
“We applaud the commitment of our local and county government partners who have chosen to take advantage of this program and do the difficult, time-consuming work needed to address the housing crisis,” said DSHA Director Matthew J. Heckles.
Officials say three consulting firms were selected out of 13 submissions, after a request for proposals.
McCormick Taylor will work with Sussex County.
“Sussex County is excited to continue its work with updating the zoning code to address the recently identified recommendations from the County’s Land Use Reform Working Group,” said Brandy B. Nauman, director of Sussex County Community Development and Housing.
The Rossi Group will assist Dover, Laurel, Lewes and Newark.
“This effort is about removing barriers and creating real, practical pathways to make housing more accessible for the people who need it most” said Ann Marie Townsend, senior project manager, and Savannah Edwards, senior planner, at the Rossi Group.
Smart Growth America will partner with Bridgeville, Georgetown, Milford and Rehoboth Beach.
“At Smart Growth America, we know that outdated zoning rules too often stand between communities and the prosperity they’re working to build for everyone who lives there,” said Toccarra Nicole Thomas, assistant vice president of housing and development at Smart Growth America.
DSHA confirms that participating communities selected one or more strategies, including allowing accessory dwelling unit housing types in residential zones, permitting manufactured or modular homes where single-family detached homes are allowed, creating pre-reviewed design plans and increasing housing density by reducing minimum lot sizes. The agency says other changes, such as raising building heights for multifamily and mixed-use projects, establishing inclusionary zoning programs, encouraging higher-density mixed-use development in commercial areas and reducing parking requirements in residential and mixed-use zones were also options.
According to DSHA, the goal is to modernize zoning rules and increase the variety of housing options to better meet the demand for affordable and workforce housing throughout Delaware.