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• Mandatory or voluntary ordinance. While many cities and counties require <br />inclusionary housing, many more offer zoning bonuses, expedited permits, <br />reduced fees, cash subsidies, or other incentives for developers who <br />voluntarily build affordable housing. <br />• A percentage of units dedicated as inclusionary housing. This varies quite <br />substantially between jurisdictions, but appears to range between 10 -30 %. <br />• Minimum size of development that the ordinance applies. Most <br />jurisdictions exempt smaller developments, but some require that even <br />developments incurring only a fraction of an inclusionary housing unit pay <br />a fee. <br />• Whether inclusionary housing must be built on site. Some programs allow <br />housing to be built nearby, in case of hardship. <br />• Whether fees can be paid in lieu of building inclusionary housing. Fees -in- <br />lieu allow a developer to "buy out" of his /her inclusionary housing <br />obligation. This may seem to defeat the purpose of inclusionary zoning, <br />but in some cases the cost of building one affordable unit on -site could <br />purchase several affordable units off -site. <br />• Income level or price defined as "affordable," and buyer qualification <br />methods. Most ordinances seem to target inclusionary units to low- or <br />moderate - income households, earning approximately the regional median <br />income or somewhat below. Inclusionary housing typically does not create <br />housing for those with very low incomes. <br />• Appearance and integration of inclusionary housing units. Many <br />jurisdictions require that inclusionary housing units be indistinguishable <br />from market -rate units, but this can increase costs. <br />• Longevity of price restrictions attached to inclusionary housing units, and <br />allowable appreciation. Ordinances that allow the "discount" to expire <br />essentially grant a windfall profit to the inclusionary housing buyer, <br />preventing that subsidy from being recycled to other needy households. <br />Therefore, many programs restrict annual price appreciation, often tying it <br />to inflation plus market value of home improvements, striving to balance <br />92 <br />