Key Findings
FRESC: Good Jobs, Strong Communities and Enterprise Community Partners researched transit agency approaches to affordability in joint development in 24 cities in the U.S., and this report summarizes the best practices and outcomes among these agencies.
Transit agencies’ primary mission is to provide transit service; however, most recognize that affordable housing can play a key role in supporting their mission. Many agencies have written policies or plans on affordability that guide their joint development activity while others do not have written policies but achieve joint development with affordable housing in practice based on strong agency and community expectations. Successful transit agencies do not substitute for the role of the local government in creating affordable housing but can play a critical complementary role, often initiating projects that include affordable housing that would not have otherwise been possible.
- At least nine transit agencies have joint development policies that include affordable housing and six others have practices of including affordable units in projects even in the absence of written policy.
- At least 3,408 affordable housing units have been created through transit agency joint development.
- At least 1,813 additional units are in various stages of planning and development.
In 2010, FRESC was active in the coalition that passed legislation giving RTD the authority to include residential housing on its property for the first time. Working with the RTD Board and Enterprise Community Partners, FRESC also helped to develop a new affordable housing policy that the RTD Board adopted in September of 2010.
RTD's 2010 Strategic Plan for TOD
Other Policies passed or updated since the publication:
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