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Contents:

Part 1: Understanding NIMBYism

A. Defining NIMBY

B. The Causes and Key Issues Driving the NIMBY Response

Part 2: Overcoming NIMBYism: Being Prepared

A. Stakeholder Identification & Analysis

B. Using Data to Change Minds: Where to Find it and How to Present it

C. Incorporating compelling materials for success

D. Incorporating the right media outreach

E. Incorporating the right strategies to include local government

F. Developing an Action Plan

Part 3: Overcoming NIMBYism: Changing Minds through Communication

A. Transparency

B. Good Neighbor Relations

C. Communications Strategies

Part 4: Sources of Additional Information

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N imbyism (Not In My Back Yard) is a pervasive and potentially

damaging outgrowth of citizen concerns, both rational and

not, over potential physical and social changes to their di-

rect environment. Many recurring cases in the past and today are due

to opposition to affordable housing within or adjacent to their proper-

ties. This is especially true for developments which are

often designed at higher densities and are intended for

households with incomes at or below the area median.

Often the phrase “affordable housing” alone is enough

to stir public opposition against the best of intentions

and high quality development.

This manual, designed for developers, planners, lend-

ers, and those who advocate for affordability in the

housing landscape, is intended to provide clarity to the

issue of public opposition to affordable housing and

offer workable solutions to the often emotional and

pervasive challenges that planners, developers, and

advocates face as they seek to build the next phase of

the American dream.

NIMBY: noun . , One who

objects to the establishment

in one's neighborhood of

projects, such as

incinerators, prisons, or

homeless shelters, that are

believed to be dangerous,

unsightly, or otherwise

undesirable.

Source: The American Heritage®

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F ear has always played a primary role as a barrier, and is often

the undoing of proposals to construct new homes and com-

munities. Fear of the known and unknown will drive opposi-

tion to vehemently oppose development, using a litany

of tactics ranging from the civil to the extreme. Fear

tactics are often expressed as other concerns. For ex-

ample, sometimes the underlying fear of new and

“different” kinds of people living in the neighborhood

is expressed as concern over increased traffic, or new

infrastructure needs.

The fear of property values declining as a result of the

presence of affordable housing has been a perennial

point of confrontation. However, claims such as these

have been consistently researched and proven to be

false. With the right messaging, this information can successfully com-

municated, even to most fearful property owners.

Multiple academic studies have continually resulted in clear evidence

that, by a wide margin, the introduction of affordable housing into and

adjacent to market rate communities not only fails to depreciate, but in

fact, in many cases has shown to increase the value of properties. See

Part 4 “Sources of Additional Information” for a list of valuable reports

and studies that can provide your project with resources necessary to

build legitimacy to your efforts.

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Typical Fears:

“This Development will... How to respond to NIMBY fears

...increase crime”

For example: Academic research that has proven no links between affordable

housing and increases in crime rates.

1)

2)

3)

...increase traffic”

For example: Connection between higher densities and walkability

1)

2)

3)

...decrease the value of my

home”

For example: examples of redevelopment projects, such as HOPE VI, that have

replaced failed projects and increased the value of the community

1)

2)

3)

...have a negative

environmental impact and

create sprawl”

For example: studies of mixed-income and mixed-use developments that have

consumed less land per capita than conventional suburban sprawl.

1)

2)

3)

…be designed poorly”

For example: a collection of award winning affordable housing developments

that have embraced local community and architectural vernacular.

1)

2)

3)

...overcrowd our schools”

For example: evidence of the variation of housing tenure within affordable

housing developments.

1)

2)

3)

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B eing prepared is critical to overcoming potential NIMBY

threats and ensuring a project is not ambushed by negativi-

ty. Spending some time identifying all potential stakehold-

ers and developing a strategy for collaboration will instill a sense of val-

ue and good will in the community. Creating a Stake-

holder list begins with brainstorming all of the poten-

tial groups and individuals that may potentially be

affected. Stakeholders should be divided into two

groups, Primary and Secondary.

Primary Stakeholders are those groups that are directly

associated with or impacted by your project.

Future residents can be powerful advocates by connecting a human

interest story to the new homes and putting a real face on how homes

can improve the lives of families and contribute to community strength.

New residents should be encouraged to speak at public hearings and

other public meetings in order to maintain a balance in the discussion.

Neighborhood associations are frequently high profile opponents to

new development. These groups should be approached early, openly

and with full disclosure about the project details. When possible, ask-

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ing them to host a neighborhood meeting can often

show good faith, build trust, and begin to diffuse fears

and misconceptions.

Local government offices can play multiple roles in the

success or failure of a project. Having local planning

staff supporting the work will be beneficial when diffi-

cult questions are posed regarding land use and zoning.

Inviting an elected official to introduce the project at a

neighborhood meeting or design session is also benefi-

cial in that the representative may already have many supporters that

have developed a level of trust in their council person.

Additional primary stakeholders may include neighboring community

leaders, local officials, and the business community.

Secondary Stakeholders are those groups and individuals that may be

impacted by the development through changes in the long term, socio-

economic framework of the community. Secondary Stakeholders can

often be strong supporters of a project if it has the potential of assisting

in their long-term missions or organizational goals. These may include:

Housing Authorities are generally supportive of affordable housing de-

velopments. They may be interested in introducing additional pro-

grams such as Section 8 housing.

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These agencies will want to know that facilities or

amenities that will help serve families with children

such as playgrounds, neighborhood and day-care cen-

ters, and affordable health care clinics, have been con-

sidered.

It is always beneficial for new residents to be near good human services

facilities. If not within walkable distances, then access to public trans-

portation will be critical for health and human services organizations to

be supportive of a project. Building a strong relationship with the direc-

tors of these operations will increase a projects’ favorability with a large

constituency.

Probably the most NIMBY diffusing supporters within local government

will be representatives of Law Enforcement. Officers often have com-

pelling anecdotal evidence of the level of safety within affordable hous-

ing. Most importantly will be the presentation of crime statistics that

reveal clear differences between once occupied public housing and

contemporary, affordable housing developments for the local work-

force.

Other secondary stakeholders may include neighboring or regional

property owners, environmental organizations, and civic associations.

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Project Stakeholders

How does this stakeholder view our project?

How would they rate our projects in the past?

What should we be doing to change their opinion?

How could we collaborate in the future?

Primary Secondary

Primary Secondary

Primary Secondary

Primary Secondary

Primary Secondary

Primary Secondary

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W hen looking to compile data to support

a position, there are useful sources.

Below are categories typical in many

NIMBY opponents’ argument.

One of the first stated issues within the NIMBY re-

sponse may likely be the fear and frustration associat-

ed with the prospect of changing traffic patterns. It is

important to prepare with the facts around both ex-

isting and projected traffic patterns. This will include

summarizing the academic evidence that shows how

compact development actually increases walkability

and reduces vehicle miles travelled. Many local Plan-

ning agencies will have, as public record, recent traffic

counts by street and may assist in determining future

traffic patterns that will result from a project.

As mentioned, one of the most common issues that NIMBY groups may

use to oppose new development, especially rental or affordable, is the

belief that their property will lose value. This fear stems from the no-

tion that future buyers will view the proposed project negatively and/or

that the worst fears about the projects’ impact will come true. Fortu-

nately, this issue has, due to years of academic evidence, decidedly

been put to rest. What the research has shown is that when affordable

housing developments have been introduced into existing communi-

For current traffic patterns in your region: Go To:

U.S. Census Department, American Fact Finder, http://

factfinder2.census.gov/faces/nav/jsf/pages/index.xhtml ,

Go To: Advanced Search, type in “Mode of

Transportation to Work”

For current traffic counts by street: Contact: Local

Engineering Department and/or Local Planning Agencies.

For academic evidence de-bunking traffic increases and

high density housing: Go To: Ewing, Reid and Cervero,

Robert(2010) 'Travel and the Built Environment', Journal

of the American Planning Association, First published on:

11 May 2010 (iFirst) http://

dx.doi.org/10.1080/01944361003766766 / Planning

Association, First published on: 11 May 2010 (iFirst)

TRAFFIC RESOURCES

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ties, property values were not negatively affected. Ac-

cording to the Center for Housing Policy in Washington

D.C., what matters more is the density, design, and

aesthetic attributes of the new community. In fact,

the most recent data collected for the Washington D.C.

metropolitan area revealed how, since 2009, the val-

ues for multi-family properties have increased signifi-

cantly.

In the 1970s, author Oscar Newman, in his ground

breaking book “Defensible Space” was one of the first

of many to debunk the notion that higher densities

cause more crime. But this is only part of how afforda-

ble housing is viewed by NIMBY opposition. Much of

the fear has been dominated by the lack of under-

standing of the differences between older, concentrat-

ed, “housing projects” and contemporary affordable

housing communities.

Researchers have struggled to capture conclusive results on either side

of this issue because historically, low-income housing is pushed into

areas with high crime and poverty rates to begin with. But when these

variables are taken into consideration during analysis, studies have

shown that there is virtually no relationship between the prevalence of

Housing Choice Voucher Program beneficiary households and crime

rates in U.S. cities and suburbs.

For current studies on affordable housing’s impact on

property values: Go To:

The National Housing Conference and the Center for

Housing Policy, http://nhc.org/index.html

Obrinsky, Mark, and Stein, Debra,. Overcoming

Opposition to Multifamily Rental Housing ., Joint Center

for Housing Studies, Harvard University ., 2006. http://

www.jchs.harvard.edu/

National Association of Realtors, Field Guide to Effects of

Low-Income Housing on Property Values: http://

www.realtor.org/field-guides/field-guide-to-effects-of-

low-income-housing-on-property-values

PROPERTY VALUE RESOURCES

Source: Center for Housing Policy.; Don’t Put It Here, “Does Affordable Housing Cause Nearby Housing Values to Decline?”.,Insights from Housing Policy Research.,

2014.

Lens, Michael C. "The Impact of Housing Vouchers on Crime in US Cities and Suburbs." Urban Studies 51.6 (2014): 1274-1289. http://usj.sagepub.com/

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Your development proposal is likely to encounter some opposition that

is based on the premise that significant new infrastructure and/or pub-

lic services will be required. This, in turn, leads to the fear that new

public improvements will result in higher property taxes. The truth that

must be conveyed is that affordable housing developments, in most

cases, have a lower impact on municipal services and infrastructure

needs. When compared to homogeneous, single-family

detached developments, the homes of multi-family

affordable housing communities have a diversity of

household types including empty-nesters, singles, and

“dinks”(double-income-no-kids). This results in a over-

all reduction in classroom demand.

When considering the types of issues that may surface

related to land use, projects should try to align with the

local and regional comprehensive plans. This is gener-

ally one of the first sources that NIMBY opposition will

use during public hearings to challenge new develop-

ment. This is where a strong public engagement pro-

cess, including opportunities to contribute to project

design and features, will be very useful in helping to

align with existing goals, build local support, and frame a project in the

right way. Successful affordable housing developments often will align

their project goals and design through a facilitated design charrette or

visioning process. These can be extremely effective tools for bringing

disparate stakeholders together and building support for projects.

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LAND USE / DESIGN RESOURCES

For current information on best practices in affordable

housing design and assistance with land use Go To:

Affordable Housing Design Advisor:

http://www.designadvisor.org/

National Charrette Institute:

http://www.charretteinstitute.org/

Design Leadership Institute:

http://www.enterprisecommunity.com/solutions-and-

innovation/design-leadership/affordable-housing-design-

leadership-institute

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Purpose: Introduce to the public all things positive about

your project and your organization

Advantages: Easy to create, extremely mobile, cheap to

publish and distribute

Possible challenges: Lost easily, ubiquitous, ineffective if

not properly designed.

Purpose: Compel reader to engage in the project on a per-

sonal level

Advantages: Provides a sense of urgency and priority to

your project, cheap to publish and distribute

Possible challenges: May provoke new counter arguments.

Purpose: For use at public meetings and events

Advantages: Semi-mobile; provides dramatic visual representation of project’s positive attributes.

Possible challenges: Awkward; tend to wear over time; inflexible to change; inability to reach large numbers sim-

ultaneously.

Purpose: To bring legitimacy and realism to larger market.

Advantages: Highly effective in conveying emotion; very mobile; Slide Shows easy to create; “A picture is worth a

thousand words”

Possible challenges: Videos can be expensive; can become dated according to market sentiment; time costs

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Purpose: Keep the public aware of updates on the project

details

Advantages: Provides a method of communicating the im-

portance of the project to the community directly; Allows

public to keep up to date on project details, events, an-

nouncements, changes, and progress.

Possible challenges: May invite opposition to create alter-

native website.

Purpose: Promote positive aspects of the project quickly

Advantages: Inexpensive method for reaching a large audience quickly

Possible challenges: May air at an unpopular time; considerable preparation time to ensure clean execution.

Purpose: Incorporate a critical viewpoint of the project

Advantages: Can often bring high level of legitimacy to your efforts; Used as a source in future materials

Possible challenges: Must be able to find compelling writers; May draw counter articles.

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Purpose: Broaden stakeholder knowledge of the beauty of

good design in affordable housing.

Advantages: Low cost method for changing the minds of

critics.

Possible disadvantages: Logistics, scheduling

Purpose: Strengthen ownership and connection between your project and the representative

Advantages: Low cost method for gaining political support

Possible disadvantages: Official may already be an advocate for NIMBY position

Purpose: Strengthen legitimacy around importance of quality design in affordable housing.

Advantages: Unifies stakeholders around common theme of affordable housing as a social good.

Possible disadvantages: High up-front costs and extended planning time required

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A ddressing fear, identifying stakeholders, and understand-

ing the issues surrounding the NIMBY response will help to

frame an Action Plan. The Plan will provide your organiza-

tion with strategic goals, objectives, and implementation details needed

that will be critical to your preparedness in developing

an effective program to diffuse NIMBY opposition.

When developing a plan for overcoming NIMBYism, a

good place to begin is an assessment of the size and

type of challenges you will be facing. Knowing these

will help prevent the unexpected Pandora’s box of un-

foreseen obstacles in the future. Arranging the critical

elements in the right way can help create a stronger

defense against any NIMBY opposition groups that

may arise.

Worksheet 2.2 is a good place to begin organizing these

critical elements. Notice that at the top of the “Action Needed” column

is the need for researching the demand for affordable housing. Having

a foundation of defensible, academic conclusions will help to build sup-

port for, and diffuse NIMBY opposition against, action plan activities

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Action

Needed

Objectives

to Consider

Potential Strategies

(Your “To Do” List)

Create Your Position

Provide your organization and the community with a compelling message about who you are and why your project is valuable.

Draft an initial “white paper” that includes all of the critical elements about the project and why it is beneficial to the com-munity.

Create a brochure that addresses potential NIMBY concerns

Collect positive testimony from community leaders

Develop clear and concise property management practices and a resident screening criteria.

Research the Demand

Thoroughly

Develop a clear under-standing of the context upon which your project is entering and why it is needed.

Recruit academic or trusted analyst to critically examine the overall need and positive impact that your project will bring the community.

Determine all mitigation opportunities to NIMBY concerns including economic, environmental, and community facilities.

Align project goals with existing community plans including comprehensive land use, zoning, parks and recreation, trans-portation, economic development, and environmental sustain-ability.

Include NIMBY Leaders

Change NIMBY leaders’ perspective by gaining their trust through trans-parency, honesty, and openness.

Invite primary community stakeholders for a one-on-one meeting to allow them to vent their concerns to you

Attend local neighborhood association meetings to learn about larger community concerns and to identify most active players

Create an open house and/or charrette where NIMBY leaders can feel included and heard.

Create Local

Government

Support

Develop working relation-

ship with local government

departments involved with

enabling project to move

forward.

Meet with lead planners responsible for interpreting project plans

Meet with Planning Director to discuss viability of project

Invite local representative to open houses and design charrettes

Prepare presentations and white papers for public Council hearings

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Action

Needed

Objectives

to Consider

Potential Strategies

(Your “To Do” List)

Inform Media

Avoid negative publicity by

providing press with clear

goals and positive messag-

ing.

Develop and release a white paper that showcases the positive attributes of new communities

Invite press to all public meetings

Determine how press should describe supporters of your project

Create a media spokesperson that will be ready to respond to negative or false accusations or assumptions about the project

Utilize Existing

Supporters

Draw upon existing sup-

porters’ excitement for the

project to assist with its

promotion.

Create a list of the top 10 most influential supporters and de-termine best roles for them

Create a project support packet for each of your chosen sup-porters to include organizational history, project goals, and the positive impact and attributes it will bring to the community.

Enlist supporters as volunteers and citizen spokespersons dur-ing public meetings, e.g. team leaders during the charrette.

Host an Open

House /

Charrette

Consolidate support by

making your development

a community driven im-

provement project.

Create a charrette task force to help plan the event

Create a budget for public event

Research and develop key message around project

Hire consultant to administer charrette process

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Most project or program planning is done through internal processes and

communicated to funders, partners and supporters once a certain level of

readiness is in place. In dealing with the fear-based thinking that inspires

NIMBY, it is important to incorporate external messaging from the begin-

ning. That messaging must start with a context for why there is a need and

what the value to the community will be in addressing that need. The two

essential parts of transparency are the WHAT and the WHO. From pre-

planning, to formalized planning, to implementation and rollout, there

needs to be restating of what the activity is. With that clarity in mind, key

relationships can then be targeted--- relationships that need to be on-board

or at least in the know of the project.

A chieving success in dealing with NIMBY is not always about the

facts. It’s often about the relationships with decision makers,

stakeholders and influencers. Being inten-

tional to achieve some levels of trust within the rela-

tionships will go a long way in diminishing fear, demon-

strating an honorable intention, and supporting com-

mon goals for the good of the community. As develop-

ers, program administrators and advocates, planners

should start by taking responsibility for their own be-

haviors—both getting comfortable with the conflict,

being true to our promises and keeping the community

in the know.

“If you hang out with

chickens, you're going to

cluck and if you hang out

with eagles, you're going to

fly.” ― Steve Maraboli,

Unapologetically You: Reflections on Life

and the Human Experience

Beyond clarity on the intended activity is the key to relationship building---

achieving trust. The effects that a project or program may have on the

community as a whole or specific target groups should be factored in and

proactively acknowledged. If there will be a potential effect on a neighbor

or a stakeholder community, that effect should be factored in during plan-

ning with a like course of action to address. For example the street scape

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of a building project should uplift or compliment neighboring properties.

Even better, stakeholder conversations should evolve to achieve a common

“win” for both the project and affected stakeholders. This can result in

opponents becoming advocates for the project.

Most project and program developers are so focused

on a quality activity that a communications strategy is

not factored in until time for launch. With proactive

energy directed to communications from the begin-

ning, NIMBY is more successfully managed or deterred.

Understand first where the human connection is need-

ed. Whether large scale community meetings, public

hearings, targeted stakeholder engagements or one-on

-one sit down sessions, the planners need to factor in

time during planning and implementation to clarify in-

tentions, address questions and listen to concerns. The type of interaction

(large scale public meeting, open stakeholder brainstorm or partnering solu-

tion session) will drive both a tone and message.

Beyond what is said in meetings, anti-NIMBY communication strategies

should include ways to document the activity, including tracking project

timelines, showcasing the latest planning documents and clarifying policies

that have relevance to community concerns. Often projects will use a web-

based access point for this documentation, presenting another opportunity

for relationship connections with “For questions on this project, please

call…”

How the story of impact—benefit and risk—is told may not always be from

the voice of the planning organization. Creating communication strategies

that include the media is another way of creating relationship value in sup-

port of the activity. Often utilizing testimonials from previous projects or

beneficiary impact stories can balance the NIMBY-messaging that also may

be tying into the media.

“The smell of coffee was

enough to wake up my

neighbors. In a display of

gratitude, they complained

about my music being too

loud.” ― Jarod Kintz, I love Blue Ribbon Coffee

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Ways to Build

Relationships Key Questions Answers:

Intend Transparency

Do we have a stated purpose, and community value?

Do we understand who is most and least affected by this project? Do we understand their core con-cerns?

Build

Good Neighbor

Relationships

Have we tried to address

stakeholder concerns?

Have we kept our promises and

brought value to the stakehold-

ers?

Have we created connections

with the community that fit both

larger and more targeted needs?

Create a

Communications

Strategy

Have we created accessible docu-

mentation of the activity?

Have we created media connec-

tions to showcase value and im-

pact?

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w w w . h o u s i n g v i r g i n i a . o r g