Evidence Matters Features Mixed-Income Communities

Key Findings

• Mixed-income strategies have become increasingly important as the United States confronts growing income equality and residential segregation by income.
   

• Various factors, including income and tenure mix, design, location, amenities, access to services, and property management, are critical to building successful mixed-income developments.
   

• Relocated low-income residents living in mixed-income communities praise their new living spaces and environments; higher-income residents tend to cite their communities’ locations.
   

• The ideal of inclusive, cross-class interaction in mixed-income communities is often undermined by the enforcement of social order, including management actions that restrict social gatherings in public spaces and rules relating to housekeeping and noise levels.
   

• Inclusionary zoning programs vary in their structure; they can be mandatory or voluntary and have different set-aside requirements, affordability levels, and control periods. Most inclusionary programs offer developers incentives, such as density bonuses, expedited approvals, and fee waivers.