America is short an estimated 5 million homes, and you can see that shortage right here in Charlottesville. Now a group of UVA researchers says the solution requires building more homes and building them better.
Andrew Hayashi, a UVA professor of law, examines how tax law and other factors are incentivizing the construction of lower-quality housing, particularly multifamily rental housing.
“One thing we’re looking at with this project is housing durability and resilience. So how long do mid-rise apartment buildings, as well as single family homes, how long do they last for? And that’s really important because there’s a lot of attention nationally to building more stuff,” Hayashi said.
The initiative is called Building Efficient, Durable, Resilient, Optimizable Communities and Knowledge, or BEDROCK. The project will study how zoning laws, building codes, financing mechanisms and tax law influence developers to construct cheap builds.
The research team includes scholars with diverse backgrounds:
- Andrew Hayashi, a professor of UVA Law School
- Andres Clarens, a professor with UVA’s School of Engineering and Applied Science
- Jeana Ripple, a professor of architecture at UVA
- Laura Buckley, a postdoctoral researcher with a background in environmental health
- Moira O’Neill, a professor with University of California Law San Francisco who previously served as a research associate professor at UVA Law
The project received initial funding from the University’s Environmental Institute. UVA has $584,390 for the research.
The focus areas will be Fairfax, Arlington and Charlottesville.
Jeana Ripple, a UVA professor of architecture, is examining how affordable housing can also be sustainable.
“Our underlying questions are when upfront costs is the primary lens for making decisions, will this housing still meet our needs in 20 or 30 years,” Ripple said.
She said building codes and tax incentives have pushed the market toward multi-story wood frame mid-rise construction, and that raises challenges.
While these buildings are relatively inexpensive to construct, they are also more vulnerable. They tend to be less dimensionally stable and can be more affected by moisture, so they need regular upkeep. Their structure usually depends on many closely spaced supports, which can make it harder to change the interior layout later on.
Beyond durability and flexibility over time, the researchers say the market isn’t offering enough choices.
“I think what we’re seeing is that the reality of affordability is more complex,” Ripple said.
That complexity needs to be addressed in laws, zoning and building codes, the researchers said.
“The housing market is not very good at supplying small units or starter homes right now. And that probably has actually a lot to do with the way housing is regulated,” Hayashi said.
Hayashi and his colleagues are setting their sights on state and local policymakers, hoping their data will spark real reform.