Mayor John Hamilton announced a new plan Thursday to increase affordable housing in Bloomington during the next year by focusing on various areas such as inclusionary zoning, accessory dwelling units and tiny houses.
Affordable housing is defined as housing serving those whose incomes are up to 130 percent of Bloomington’s median range of $28,660, which is adjusted for family size. Affordable housing will encompass all types of housing, from special needs to senior housing.
“Affordable housing is a fundamental building block of a successful city,” Hamilton said. “We know we have some challenges with housing affordability, and I’m planning that we try several innovative things to address those challenges and see what works best as we develop our longer term plans together.”
Accessory dwelling units and tiny houses are particularly exciting housing options for Bloomington residents, said Mary Catherine Carmichael, communications director for the office of the mayor.
If amendments to the Unified Development Ordinance are passed, zoning laws will be updated to allow for up to 20 accessory dwelling units, which are smaller dwellings on the same grounds as a primary residence. These units will be limited to owner-occupied residences.
The administration also proposed the construction of up to 15 tiny houses. Tiny houses, typically 80 to 400 square feet, have received national media attention in recent years, Carmichael said.
“There are television shows about tiny houses,” Carmichael said. “They’re a neat, trendy thing that we haven’t seen in Bloomington before.”
The average cost to build a tiny house is $23,000 if built by the owner, according to the Tiny Life. Additionally, tiny house owners do well financially. Tiny house owners have a median of $10,972 in the bank, and 55 percent have more savings than the average American.
Hamilton said the new affordable housing initiatives will work with the long-term focused Comprehensive Master Plan and Unified Development Ordinance, currently in development to bring diverse housing options in Bloomington.
“We want this wonderful place to work for people from all walks of life,” Hamilton said.
