Overcoming Opposition to Multifamily Rental Housing

RR07-14: This paper seeks to examine the nature of that resistance, the reasons behind it, and how it can be overcome. In general, people who support multifamily rental housing tend to want the new benefits that come from responsible development. They may be excited about the creation of new and affordable housing, new community rooms or other public amenities, or new jobs or tax revenues from associated retail. By comparison, people who oppose land use proposals tend to do so because they like their community the way it is and don’t want any change. Opponents don’t want more traffic, lower property values, more children crowding the schools, or a changed community character, and they believe that the proposed apartment project will worsen their existing lifestyles. Potential opponents and potential supporters are completely different audiences, with completely different interests. Sponsors of multifamily rental housing must therefore engage in two distinct community outreach campaigns: one aimed at minimizing neighborhood opposition, one aimed at mobilizing public support. We begin with the former…