'Slap in the face': Real estate agents decry Roswell's limit on apartments (Atlanta: homes, construction)

[Atlanta Scientist]

In an effort to quell rapid population growth, Roswell officials intend to limit the construction of standalone apartments. Not all residents are happy.

Roswell City Council voted unanimously on Monday to approve the first reading of an amendment that would retire two multifamily zoning districts from its Unified Development Code, among other changes. Real estate agents, business owners and other residents gave more than an hour of public testimony against the amendment.

The amendment would make it more difficult for developers to build new apartments unless paired with non-residential uses, a strategy embraced in recent years by Alpharetta. The amendment would not affect the current zoning of existing apartments.

Fulton suburbs making their contribution to more unaffordable housing.

[Atlanta-Native]

Originally Posted by Atlanta Scientist

Fulton suburbs making their contribution to more unaffordable housing.

This shouldn't be a surprise. The lack of affordable housing is exactly why many people move to the suburbs. They like lower density, not to mention the affect it often has on schools and property values.

[Citykid3785]

Originally Posted by Atlanta-Native

This shouldn't be a surprise. The lack of affordable housing is exactly why many people move to the suburbs. They like lower density, not to mention the affect it often has on schools and property values.

Agreed. Different cities are going to stand for different things. Roswell isn't trying to be Smyrna, and I think that's fine for what they are trying to achieve.

[arjay57]

Let Roswell be Roswell.

[Atlanta Scientist]

The suburbs don't have to shoulder the burden of caring for the homeless or people with lower incomes. Those communities can remain exclusive but they need to share the cost burden for fueling the housing crisis our state and nation is facing. That could be done by taxing single family homes at higher county property taxes and subsidizing housing in other parts of the county not hostile to multi-family housing.

[Citykid3785]

Originally Posted by Atlanta Scientist

The suburbs don't have to shoulder the burden of caring for the homeless or people with lower incomes. Those communities can remain exclusive but they need to share the cost burden for fueling the housing crisis our state and nation is facing. That could be done by taxing single family homes at higher county property taxes and subsidizing housing in other parts of the county not hostile to multi-family housing.

But a genuine question, why do we need to insert MORE gov't intervention into an intended free market system? If housing becomes too exclusive for Roswell, then ultimately people won't move there in the long term, and they'll find other places to live that offer a better value. Roswell would ultimately lose if they set their prices too high, and the market would dictate that.

[Atlanta-Native]

Originally Posted by Atlanta Scientist

The suburbs don't have to shoulder the burden of caring for the homeless or people with lower incomes. Those communities can remain exclusive but they need to share the cost burden for fueling the housing crisis our state and nation is facing. That could be done by taxing single family homes at higher county property taxes and subsidizing housing in other parts of the county not hostile to multi-family housing.

Absolutely absurd.

[Atlanta-Native]

Originally Posted by Citykid3785

But a genuine question, why do we need to insert MORE gov't intervention into an intended free market system? If housing becomes too exclusive for Roswell, then ultimately people won't move there in the long term, and they'll find other places to live that offer a better value. Roswell would ultimately lose if they set their prices too high, and the market would dictate that.

Exactly.

[Atlanta Scientist]

Originally Posted by Citykid3785

But a genuine question, why do we need to insert MORE gov't intervention into an intended free market system? If housing becomes too exclusive for Roswell, then ultimately people won't move there in the long term, and they'll find other places to live that offer a better value. Roswell would ultimately lose if they set their prices too high, and the market would dictate that.

Because markets don't operate linearly. By the time the market corrects, people may already be homeless. Roswell is also intervening more rather than allowing developers to decide the best fit for the land they are building upon when they are building multi-family housing. This issue is bigger than Roswell or Alpharetta. Like I said before, communities can remain exclusive but they need shoulder more the burden rather shifting the affordable housing solutions onto other communities.

[Atlanta Scientist]

Originally Posted by Atlanta-Native

Absolutely absurd.

Why?