IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jlands/v14y2025i5p1108-d1659751.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Land-Use Policy for Affordable Housing Goals: A Case Study of a Rapidly Growing Mid-Sized City in the United States

Author

Listed:
  • Nathan Teklemariam

    (Department of Political Science, College of Behavioral, Social and Health Sciences, Clemson University, Clemson, SC 29634, USA)

  • Olumayowa A. Idowu

    (Department of Political Science, College of Behavioral, Social and Health Sciences, Clemson University, Clemson, SC 29634, USA)

  • Lori Dickes

    (Department of Political Science, College of Behavioral, Social and Health Sciences, Clemson University, Clemson, SC 29634, USA)

  • Adegboyega O. Owolabi

    (Department of Political Science, College of Behavioral, Social and Health Sciences, Clemson University, Clemson, SC 29634, USA)

Abstract

Driven by many factors, the housing affordability landscape in the United States (U.S.) is in crisis. This research examines the potential role of inclusionary zoning (IZ) policies as a tool to alleviate housing cost burdens and deliver affordable housing in the rapidly growing southeastern region of the U.S., with a specific focus on Greenville County, South Carolina. Utilizing data from LawAtlas, this study first conducts a policy scan on the state of IZ policies across seven comparable jurisdictions. This study further employs qualitative semi-structured interviews with stakeholders to assess the current challenges to affordable housing in the county. Our findings suggest that growing regions such as Greenville County face unique challenges as they strive to meet the growing demand for affordable housing that serves a wide range of community members. A major finding from interviewees includes a need for more localized and nuanced metrics of housing affordability, greater density, and mixed-use development. However, the county faces challenges for such developments due to NIMBYism and preference for a more traditional rural and suburban typology of housing in the county. Finally, our study finds that zoning policies that enhance the supply of affordable housing by design can promote equity, trust, economic growth, and quality of life.

Suggested Citation

  • Nathan Teklemariam & Olumayowa A. Idowu & Lori Dickes & Adegboyega O. Owolabi, 2025. "Land-Use Policy for Affordable Housing Goals: A Case Study of a Rapidly Growing Mid-Sized City in the United States," Land, MDPI, vol. 14(5), pages 1-24, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jlands:v:14:y:2025:i:5:p:1108-:d:1659751
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/14/5/1108/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/14/5/1108/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Willison, Charley, 2017. "Shelter from the Storm: Roles, responsibilities, and challenges in United States housing policy governance," Health Policy, Elsevier, vol. 121(11), pages 1113-1123.
    2. Nicholas Chiumenti & Aradhya Sood, 2022. "Local Zoning Laws and the Supply of Multifamily Housing in Greater Boston," New England Public Policy Center Research Report 22-1, Federal Reserve Bank of Boston.
    3. Filip Stabrowski, 2015. "Inclusionary Zoning and Exclusionary Development: The Politics of ‘Affordable Housing' in North Brooklyn," International Journal of Urban and Regional Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 39(6), pages 1120-1136, November.
    4. Vinit Mukhija & Ashok Das & Lara Regus & Sara Slovin Tsay, 2015. "The Tradeoffs of Inclusionary Zoning: What Do We Know and What Do We Need to Know?," Planning Practice & Research, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 30(2), pages 222-235, April.
    5. William A. Fischel, 2004. "An Economic History of Zoning and a Cure for its Exclusionary Effects," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 41(2), pages 317-340, February.
    6. Werner Troesken & Randall Walsh, 2019. "Collective Action, White Flight, and the Origins of Racial Zoning Laws," The Journal of Law, Economics, and Organization, Oxford University Press, vol. 35(2), pages 289-318.
    7. Jenny Schuetz & Rachel Meltzer & Vicki Been, 2011. "Silver Bullet or Trojan Horse? The Effects of Inclusionary Zoning on Local Housing Markets in the United States," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 48(2), pages 297-329, February.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Shertzer, Allison & Twinam, Tate & Walsh, Randall P., 2022. "Zoning and segregation in urban economic history," Regional Science and Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 94(C).
    2. Hilber, Christian A.L., 2010. "New housing supply and the dilution of social capital," Journal of Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 67(3), pages 419-437, May.
    3. Christian A. L. Hilber, 2017. "The Economic Implications of House Price Capitalization: A Synthesis," Real Estate Economics, American Real Estate and Urban Economics Association, vol. 45(2), pages 301-339, April.
    4. Christian A. L. Hilber, 2019. "Immobilienpreise und Immobilienzyklen und die Rolle von Angebotsbeschränkungen [The impact of local supply constraints on house prices and price dynamics]," Zeitschrift für Immobilienökonomie (German Journal of Real Estate Research), Springer;Gesellschaft für Immobilienwirtschaftliche Forschung e. V., vol. 5(1), pages 37-65, November.
    5. Kurt Paulsen, 2014. "Geography, policy or market? New evidence on the measurement and causes of sprawl (and infill) in US metropolitan regions," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 51(12), pages 2629-2645, September.
    6. bunten, devin michelle & Fu, Ellen & Rolheiser, Lyndsey & Severen, Christopher, 2024. "The Problem Has Existed over Endless Years: Racialized Difference in Commuting, 1980–2019," Journal of Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 141(C).
    7. Edward L. Glaeser & Joseph Gyourko & Raven E. Saks, 2005. "Why Have Housing Prices Gone Up?," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 95(2), pages 329-333, May.
    8. repec:osf:socarx:3mj8c_v1 is not listed on IDEAS
    9. Kahn, Matthew E., 2011. "Do liberal cities limit new housing development? Evidence from California," Journal of Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 69(2), pages 223-228, March.
    10. Davis, Jenna, 2021. "How do upzonings impact neighborhood demographic change? Examining the link between land use policy and gentrification in New York City," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 103(C).
    11. Hilber, Christian A.L. & Robert-Nicoud, Frédéric, 2013. "On the origins of land use regulations: Theory and evidence from US metro areas," Journal of Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 75(C), pages 29-43.
    12. David G. Blanchflower & Andrew J. Oswald, 2013. "Does High Home-Ownership Impair the Labor Market?," NBER Working Papers 19079, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    13. Kulkarni, Nirupama & Malmendier, Ulrike, 2022. "Homeownership segregation," Journal of Monetary Economics, Elsevier, vol. 129(C), pages 123-149.
    14. Song, Min & Yi, Luping & Hu, Can, 2023. "Building up a compensation-oriented transferable development right mechanism: A theoretical and empirical exploration in Hubei, China," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 187(C).
    15. Kemeny, Thomas & Storper, Michael, 2020. "Superstar cities and left-behind places: disruptive innovation, labor demand, and interregional inequality," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 103312, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    16. Monique DANTAS & Frédéric GASCHET & Guillaume POUYANNE, 2010. "Regulatory zoning and coastal housing prices: a bayesian hedonic approach (In French)," Cahiers du GREThA (2007-2019) 2010-12, Groupe de Recherche en Economie Théorique et Appliquée (GREThA).
    17. Ganong, Peter & Shoag, Daniel, 2017. "Why has regional income convergence in the U.S. declined?," Journal of Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 102(C), pages 76-90.
    18. Guillaume POUYANNE & Frederic GASCHET, 2013. "The Effect Of Current And Future Land Use On House Prices," ERSA conference papers ersa13p249, European Regional Science Association.
    19. Sean F Altekruse & Candace M Cosgrove & William C Altekruse & Richard A Jenkins & Carlos Blanco, 2020. "Socioeconomic risk factors for fatal opioid overdoses in the United States: Findings from the Mortality Disparities in American Communities Study (MDAC)," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 15(1), pages 1-16, January.
    20. Byron F. Lutz, 2009. "Fiscal amenities, school finance reform and the supply side of the Tiebout market," Finance and Economics Discussion Series 2009-18, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (U.S.).
    21. Gurran, Nicole & Rowley, Steven & Milligan, Vivienne & Randolph, Bill & Phibbs, Peter & Gilbert, Catherine & James, Amity & Troy, Laurence & van den Nouwelant, Ryan & Hayward, Richard Donald, 2018. "Inquiry into increasing affordable housing supply: Evidence-based principles and strategies for Australian policy and practice," SocArXiv mt5vw, Center for Open Science.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jlands:v:14:y:2025:i:5:p:1108-:d:1659751. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.