The community of Lake County, Illinois suddenly found itself under threat of steep increases for land development permit fees. To combat the fast-tracked ordinance, the local REALTOR® organization stepped in with an analysis by the REALTOR® Party’s Land Use Initiative program, and got the problematic legislation sent back to the…...
REALTOR® Alliance of Greater Cincinnati Advocates for Major re-Zoning Initiative with Help from Land Use Initiative Program
In order to bolster advocacy for the City of Cincinnati’s ‘Connected Communities’ initiative, the REALTOR® Alliance of Greater Cincinnati sought a review by the Land Use Initiative program. With the expert legal analysis in hand, the REALTORS® crafted a position paper, drafted a letter to City Council, and developed talking…...
East Tennessee Association of REALTORS® Taps Land Use Initiative Program to Defeat Proposed Down-zoning in Knoxville
When an unprecedented and arbitrary attempt to over-rule a recently adopted zoning determination was made by a Knoxville County Council member, the East Tennessee Association of REALTORS® turned to Robinson & Cole, LLC for expert analysis of the proposal. The law firm, retained by the REALTOR® Party to review zoning…...
St. Louis REALTORS® Push Back on Questionable Zoning Proposal in the City of Maplewood, Missouri
Using the legal analysis provided by the REALTOR® Party’s Land Use Initiative program, St. Louis REALTORS® discouraged city officials from adopting new Height and Bulk Standards intended to discourage tear-down development, but which would have prohibited any additions in a neighborhood characterized by housing affordability....
With Help from the REALTOR® Party, Northwest Vermont REALTOR® Association Promotes Reforms to the Dated Land Use Policy Stifling Housing Production
REALTOR® Party polling helped the Northwest Vermont REALTOR® Association understand the disconnect between local perceptions about housing supply and affordability, and the impact of Act 250, the state’s longstanding land use regulation. With a Consumer Advocacy Outreach Grant, the association developed a campaign to clarify the issues: Unlock Housing Affordability…...
Phoenix REALTORS® Support Accessory Dwelling Units, Paving Path for Housing Increase
The City of Phoenix has passed an ambitious plan to increase its housing inventory substantially in the next few years, and Accessory Dwelling Units will be a key component. When the City Council rolled out its new ordinance governing ADUs, Phoenix REALTORS® turned to the Land Use Initiative program for…...
North Platte Valley Association of REALTORS® Leverages Housing Opportunity Grant to Promote Financial Literacy Among Local 8th Graders
In partnership with like-minded organizations in rural eastern Wyoming, the North Platte Valley Board of REALTORS® conducted a "Reality Town" program to introduce important concepts of financial literacy to area 8th grade youth. Students from three schools in the region learned about the correlation between grades and earning potential, and…...
Land Use Initiative Helps Bakersfield Association of REALTORS® Defeat City’s Draft Climate Action Plan that Threatened to Worsen the Housing Crisis
The local REALTORS® saw that the draft Climate Action Plan developed by the City of Bakersfield would make real estate transactions more costly and would violate private property rights. With a coalition of concerned partners, they resisted its adoption. A Land Use Initiative review by Robinson & Cole provided the…...
With a Land Use Initiative and Advocacy Everywhere, New Orleans Metropolitan Association of Realtors® Minimize Impact of New Rental Regulations
Under pressure from a sensationalizing tenants’ rights organization, the New Orleans City Council proposed mandatory new fee-based registration and inspection regulations. The REALTORS® knew these would not help the affordable housing shortage; a Land Use Initiative analysis suggested that aspects of the proposal might even run afoul of current policy. …...
East Tennessee REALTORS® Defeats Detrimental Zoning Proposals with Trifecta of REALTOR® Party Resources
In Blount County, Tennessee, severe zoning restrictions on housing development were on the table. To keep the County Council from limiting residential density, the Knoxville Area Association of REALTORS® leveraged multiple resources from the REALTOR® Party: Issues Mobilization, Advocacy Everywhere, and the Land Use Initiative program....