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Mixed-income housing is not a new invention. Through-
<br />out the United States and elsewhere, many neighbor-
<br />hoods, especially in urban areas, historically have in-
<br />cluded a variety of housing types and residents with a mix of
<br />incomes. Such communities often contain larger homes as well
<br />as smaller, more affordable units on a variety of lot sizes. Both
<br />a large home and a small unit may even be part of the same
<br />property—as in the case of a smaller accessory unit over the
<br />garage of or adjacent to a larger home.
<br />Today, newer developments that include a mix of households with
<br />different income levels can take on a variety of forms, from all
<br />market-rate housing to a combination of market-rate and assisted
<br />affordable rental and/or for-sale housing. Though the strategies to
<br />achieve a compatible living environment can vary, mixed-income
<br />households can live comfortably in any of these settings. For many
<br />communities, offering housing that is affordable to local workers
<br />is crucial, as a mix of housing that meets a diversity of needs and
<br />incomes allows teachers, police officers, and retail clerks to live
<br />in the community in which they work. In all varieties of mixed-
<br />income housing, a high-quality development that is well located
<br />and well managed and that offers amenities will appeal to higher-
<br />income residents with a choice of housing options.
<br />A range of housing types and price points also accommodates the
<br />needs of different generations, so that a retired couple on a fixed
<br />income who have downsized to a two-bedroom apartment can live
<br />down the street from their grandchildren who live in a single-family
<br />detached home. Harbor Town, a new urbanist, 136-acre, master-
<br />planned community adjacent to downtown Memphis, includes a
<br />mix of housing types, with apartments that rent for $800 a month
<br />near riverfront houses that sell for $800,000. The development’s
<br />visual guidelines have resulted in an appealing, shared aesthetic for
<br />the community in which lower-priced homes are seamlessly compa-
<br />tible with more expensive homes. The variety of housing options
<br />6
<br />Wellington
<br />As is the case in many popular resort towns,high housing
<br />prices in Breckenridge,Colorado,pose a serious problem
<br />for the local workforce. In 2000,the median cost of a single-
<br />family home rose to more than $800,000—sending workers
<br />50 miles away to buy or to rent housing. To address this
<br />need,Boulder housing developers David O’Neil,John Wolff,
<br />and Tom Lyon formed Poplarhouse,LLC,to build Wellington,
<br />a new urbanist community of 122 homes,of which 98 are
<br />being offered to local workers at moderate,deed-restricted
<br />prices. As a neighborhood populated mostly by year-round
<br />residents,Wellington provides a welcome sense of commu-
<br />nity––a rarity in a resort town where most residences are
<br />second homes with seasonal occupants. To help preserve
<br />the sense of community,market-rate homes cannot be rent-
<br />ed for less than six months.
<br />At Wellington,eligibility for below-market-rate housing is
<br />not based on income,but on employment: homeowners
<br />must work 30 hours per week at jobs in Summit County
<br />and reside in the houses they buy. In addition,appreciation
<br />is limited to 3 percent annually or the percentage increase
<br />in the area median Income (AMI),whichever is greater. The
<br />homes in Wellington,priced at $220,000 for a two-bedroom
<br />duplex and $281,000 for a single-family house with four
<br />bedrooms,sell to people making 90 to 120 percent of the
<br />AMI. The remaining 24 of the planned 122 homes are
<br />priced at market value—close to $375,000 each. The rapid
<br />absorption of the units in Wellington suggests that there is
<br />strong demand for affordable,permanent resort housing in
<br />a traditional neighborhood. Inexpensive land was crucial to
<br />building the development—the development team kept
<br />costs down by acquiring property in unincorporated Summit
<br />County,1.3 miles away from downtown Breckenridge. The
<br />town recently instituted a circulator bus route that links
<br />Wellington to downtown Breckenridge.10
<br />Profile
<br />Myth #1
<br />Mixed-income housing cannot
<br />work—high-income residents will
<br />not live near low-income residents.
<br />Fact #1
<br />Healthy neighborhoods have long
<br />included a blend of incomes—and
<br />new developments can achieve the
<br />same compatibility.
<br />Like many popular resort towns, high housing prices in
<br />Breckenridge, Colorado, pose a serious problem of
<br />affordability for the local workforce.
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