It’s not a coincidence that “community” and “communicate” share a common language ancestor in the Latin word for sharing. Everything that’s intelligent about cities lies right there in those two words. Communicate is how we share; community is where we share.

To share information about existing programs/services and a proposed incentive-based affordable housing approach, the city of Gainesville hosted four open houses over a two-week period. Through this outreach we have learned there are many misconceptions about the proposed GNV RISE program and how it will interface with neighborhoods.

What is GNV RISE?

GNV RISE is a voluntary inclusionary zoning program that establishes regulations for new subdivisions that are designed to provide opportunities for well-designed, high-quality and compatible housing that is accessible to a broader array of Gainesville families.

Inclusionary zoning was developed in the United States in the 1970s in response to the widespread trend of “exclusionary zoning” (also sometimes known as “snob zoning”), which includes zoning practices like mandating minimum lot sizes, limiting what kinds of housing could be built, and legitimizing other legal requirements that largely resulted in more economic and racially segregated development patterns. Inclusionary zoning is a tool of desegregation, allowing for greater diversity of housing options at price points that are affordable to more families.

According to a study commissioned by the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy, inclusionary zoning laws existed in 886 jurisdictions in 2016, in 25 states and the District of Columbia. These programs have created 174,000 affordable homes. Several communities around Florida including Palm Beach County and the city of Tallahassee have followed suit with their own programs.

GNV RISE is tied to market-rate development, and as such the program goal is to capture value created by new developments and use that value to provide families access to quality housing at an affordable price. The result in Gainesville, as has been demonstrated by these programs across the county, will be more distributed affordable housing, which has been shown to increase the likelihood of success for future generations.

U.S. Census Opportunity Atlas data shows that children from low-income families who are able to grow up in more upwardly mobile neighborhoods within the same county increase their lifetime earnings by approximately $200,000. The findings also demonstrate that children who grow up in areas with better outcomes are also less likely to be incarcerated or to become a teen parent. The study’s authors acknowledge that the feasibility of such a move relies on being able to find affordable housing in high-opportunity neighborhoods.

How GNV RISE works

GNV RISE is designed to encourage new subdivisions to provide at least 10 percent of the units at below market rate — cheaper than their value on the market. GNV RISE only applies to new subdivisions where three or more lots are being created. Existing lots would be ineligible for GNV RISE provisions without combining enough land to create a new subdivision.

GNV RISE requires the City Commission adopt design guidelines to ensure neighborhood compatibility. GNV RISE requires the new housing to remain affordable, creating an inventory of long-term housing opportunity.

GNV RISE will not allow conversion of existing single-family homes to duplexes or triplexes unless already allowed by zoning. GNV RISE will not allow increases in building height. GNV RISE is not a rental housing program, but an idea to foster the creation of new housing opportunities for households who find too few housing choices in Gainesville.

As a community we have challenged ourselves to plan for a better future, be a model community and foster greater equity. When we ask ourselves, “How might we ...” GNV RISE is a step in becoming the community we aspire to be by creating long-term opportunity for our citizens by capitalizing on the needs of the market to meet our housing needs.

Without programs like GNV RISE, we limit housing choice and economic opportunity and risk perpetuating housing and zoning policies that have divided our community for too long.

Wendy Thomas is director of the city of Gainesville’s Department of Doing.