Developers are required to make car-friendly houses. Read one Coop’s reply!

Anybody building housing outside downtown is required to make it car-friendly by building or buying parking spaces. ICC Coops is a non-profit with a social mission for providing affordable, democratically-run housing. They ran into these requirements as they’re building out their new affordable student housing in West Campus. Unlike most developers, they decided to fight the requirement by seeking a waiver from the rules. Some of the reasons they cite:

  1. Parking for cars raises the cost of the project, meaning they can’t provide as much affordable housing.
  2. Some students already want to live without cars. This will allow them to live more affordably.
  3. Other students may decide to leave cars behind when they have the chance to get a better, cheaper living situation at the new Coop.
  4. West Campus is a dense walkable neighborhood where students can find most things they need without a car.
  5. Getting a waiver doesn’t stop the Coop from renting nearby parking if they need it.

These reasons really apply to all of West Campus. When the city requires housing to be car-ready at the expense of affordability, we send a powerful message that sustaining car culture is more important than creating affordability. I’m glad these students are fighting back.

Read their full response.