1. A Multifamily Industry Perspective on Impact Fees Presented by Rachel S. Arnold National Apartment Association October 2003 National Impact Fees Roundtable San Diego, California

2. Multifamily housing has a lesser impact on communities than traditional single-family housing Impact fees negatively affect affordable housing Concepts to include in impact fee laws Multifamily development benefits communities

3. Multifamily housing helps to minimize sprawl. Houses more people in a smaller area Preserves open space Uses infrastructure more efficiently Redevelops infill sites Increases neighborhood walkability when designed in conjunction with retail and jobs

4. Multifamily housing has a lower per-housing-unit fiscal impact than single-family homes Privatized trash removal and recycling Efficiencies created for mail service Urban Land Institute, Case for Multifamily Housing, 2003

5. Multifamily communities have a lesser impact on schools than single-family communities NMHC tabulations of 1999 American Housing Survey (Washington, D.C.: U.S. Bureau of the Census and U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, 1999). Owner-Occupied Single-Family Homes All Apartments Mid- to High- Rise Apartments 642119 Number of School-Age Children per 100 New Housing Units

6. Multifamily development typically requires less infrastructure Compact development lends itself to needing less infrastructure than a single-family development - less roads, sewer and water pipes and electricity and gas lines Infrastructure is used more efficiently Sedway and Associates, BART Higher Density Residential Study (San Francisco: author, 1989), p.1.

7. Multifamily housing has many environmental benefits Reduces development pressure on undeveloped land Combats sprawl with density Less land disturbance Fewer impervious surfaces Inclusion of open space and recreation amenities Increased preservation of natural land features Less traffic and air pollution Less electricity used Less water used, both internally and externally

8. Multifamily housing can minimize traffic congestion Multifamily residents tend to own fewer cars People can live near where they work Greater efficiencies for mass transit High-speed Internet and access to business centers allow for telecommuting Multifamily residents average fewer auto trips

9. Multifamily housing helps communities retain economic vitality Multifamily housing is often more affordable than single-family housing Creates a wider-range of housing options, which is more attractive to businesses New development creates an immediate and long- lasting effect on a community’s prosperity Multifamily housing is accessible to a wider range of incomes

10. Effect of Impact Fees on Affordable Housing Average impact fees for multifamily housing now exceed $9,000 per unit (James C. Nicholas, An Update on Impact Fees, October, 2002.) Fees are passed on to residents resulting in a rent increase and depletion of affordable units Declining availability of housing forces people out of the community, increasing sprawl and the need for more infrastructure

11. Concepts to include in impact fee laws Fair and equitable fees Consistent methodologies Set timeframes for expenditures and refunds Use of a capital improvement plan Exemptions and Credits/Affordable Housing Mechanism for appeal