Does Columbia Care About Inflated Housing Costs?

We’re about to find out.

Residential development in Columbia and Boone County has been controversial for many years, with neighbors living close to proposed development areas shouting, “Not in my backyard” at city and county meetings. As a result of insufficient building to keep up with family formations, Columbia and Boone County now have a housing problem, and it is no longer just a new development issue; it’s a problem — for everyone — that needs quick solutions.

Other college areas around the country tried to control and limit growth, as some in our area would like. However, several of those college towns have realized the housing problems that come from limiting growth and are reversing restrictions, such as Boulder, Colorado, and Chapel Hill, North Carolina.     

 During the last year, the city of Columbia and Boone County hired consultants to review the County Master Plan and housing issues in both areas. The results of the studies could have huge impacts on housing and development throughout the county and Columbia. Our area already is suffering from high rates of home appreciation. Based on the recommendations from these studies, residents of Columbia and Boone will have to decide if it’s really time to solve the growing housing problem the area has been facing for years. 

The Boone County Master Plan Update will help guide future development over the next several years. The current plan has been in place since 1996. Meetings for the plan began late last year, and the plan is expected to be ready for approval in the next few months. One of the key sticking points is balancing a need for housing and preserving rural areas of the County. However, the consultants have estimated that all of Boone County will need 37,000 new homes by 2050 to keep up with population growth during the life of the new plan. 

 The city of Columbia and Boone County together commissioned a housing study as a result of the county’s Upward Mobility Action Plan. The study began early this year, and the results were released in October, followed by an Affordable Housing Summit led by the study consultant. The study’s primary purpose is to recommend solutions that Boone County and Columbia can implement to help create affordable housing and reduce the cost of ownership. Some recommendations could include changes to zoning and development codes to increase density, which are always controversial in our area. 

Columbia also hired a central area zoning and design guidelines study consultant. The study is to assess a majority of neighborhoods that border the downtown area, with the potential of an overlay that could dictate additional development requirements. The recommendations from this study could have big implications for housing in the central neighborhoods because of current zoning and density opportunities that could make Columbia a much more walkable city. However, there are those who prefer the opposite and would like to see a reduction in density limits to maintain the current neighborhoods. 

As the recommendations roll out from these studies in the coming months, Columbia and Boone County will need to make tough decisions. Do we begin to encourage growth and density to foster higher-density development, walkable areas, and improved public transportation — or maintain the status quo?

The latter will continue to drive up housing and infrastructure costs, along with creating urban sprawl into rural areas of the county. The recommendations chosen will be determined by feedback residents provide elected officials. Hopefully, changes will be made to provide more housing options and return housing appreciation costs to sustainable levels.

Brian Toohey is the chief executive officer for the Columbia Board of REALTORS.