Zoning Regulations: A Locational Impediment to the Provision of Low-Income Housing Units in Hamilton

Abstract

<p> The purpose of this paper is to determine whether zoning regulations constrain the builder in his or her ability to provide low-income housing units in Hamilton. It critically reviews five impediments to the provision of low-income housing and the application of urban managerialism to the low-income housing supply problem. An explanation of the degree to which the zoning revision process impedes large and small builders is given. An examination of three specific dimensions of zoning and the extent to which these dimensions constrain the builder follows. These dimensions are (i) inflexibility, (ii) the procedural and temporal framework and (iii) "full-up" zones. The analysis showed insufficient evidence existed to substantiate or falsify the hypothesis that zoning regulations impede the builder's ability to provide low-income housing units. </p>