Inclusionary Zoning Study Release
Pro-Housing Pittsburgh performed a study examining the effects of Inclusionary Zoning in Pittsburgh. This study delves into details surrounding the 2019 Inclusionary Zoning overlay in Pittsburgh, and made the following findings:
Housing production in Lawrenceville has declined 30% since the implementation of Inclusionary Zoning.
Housing production in peer neighborhoods which do not have Inclusionary Zoning, the Strip District and South Side Flats, has increased by 36% and by 18% over the same time period, respectively
Data suggests that Inclusionary Zoning has had a chilling effect on housing production, and may be driving rents higher in Lawrenceville rather than providing the intended effect of making housing more affordable.
Including proposed units in the analysis does not change the conclusion that the IZ policy is likely harming housing production in Lawrenceville. Our analysis suggests IZ caused Lawrenceville to produce 909 fewer market-rate units than it otherwise would have. This could cause rents to increase in Lawrenceville going forward.
South Side Flats produced more housing than Lawrenceville over all periods of our study and also saw an increase in the Black population over the study period. Meanwhile, Lawrenceville produced less housing than South Side Flats and had the IZ policy implemented in 2019, and subsequently saw the Black population drop precipitously by up to 25%.
We have made updates to the report as of Jan 27, 2025 with additional information, including an analysis on how IZ might be affecting proposed construction (Appendix A) and how IZ might be affecting displacement of Black residents (Appendix B).
