Endless Studies: NIMBY Tactic to Discourage Development

This is how they do it. Affluent towns like New Canaan use endless “studies” to discourage affordable housing development. And they often create “committees” purportedly to produce more affordable housing, but in reality to kill any new proposals.

I’ve even seen cities purposely rezone low-lying and swampy areas for affordable housing, knowing they will never be buildable. That way, they can look good on paper (zoning map) while systematically discriminating against lower income families.

From the piece:

“In a letter to the town, Karp’s attorney Christopher Smith argued the WPCA is trying to prevent more affordable housing from being developed in New Canaan and the delay has nothing to do with global warming.”

A link to the piece is found here


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About the Author

Jeff Carroll is a trusted leader in workforce and affordable housing who has spent his career building communities that balance efficiency, affordability, and long term stability. He leads Allen & Associates Consulting and helped launch the Workforce Housing Development Corporation, guiding projects that use innovative construction methods and mission aligned financing. With thousands of consulting assignments completed nationwide and degrees from Clemson and Harvard, Jeff brings deep technical insight and steady strategic vision to every project he supports.


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