City planners to begin drafting code changes for affordable housing, including smaller homes

photo by: Chris Conde

Lawrence City Hall, 2018.

At its meeting Tuesday, the Lawrence City Commission directed planners to begin drafting changes to city code to allow for more affordable housing options, including dividing existing residential lots to build smaller homes.

As part of its consent agenda, the commission unanimously approved initiating a city code amendment process for affordable housing. Specifically, commissioners approved a request from planners to conduct a broad review of city code to identify changes that could help create permanent affordable housing. Potential changes include a proposal initiated by the nonprofit Lawrence Community Housing Trust to allow developers or nonprofits to build two smaller homes on a single lot as long as they are permanently designated as affordable housing.

The commission’s direction to planners is the first step in the text amendment process. Once potential amendments are drafted, they will go to the Affordable Housing Advisory Board and the Lawrence-Douglas County Planning Commission for approval, and then will come back before the City Commission.

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Lawrence City Commission to consider initiating code changes for smaller homes, other affordable housing

City Commission Meeting 10/16/18

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