We’re here to help you provide more housing for your community.
The MicroLife Method
Understand Your Housing Needs
We are facing a nation-wide housing crisis. Admitting that you have a housing problem is the first step. Learning about what you can do about it is the next.
Helping your community to understand the importance of housing choice is crucial. Creating educational programming can help facilitate communication and engagement.
Educate Your Community
Creating lasting change in the housing landscape can seem like a daunting task; through zoning reform and pilot projects, MicroLife’s team of experts is here to help.
Create Change
Phase I
Understanding Your Housing Needs
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• We are facing a nation-wide housing crisis. Admitting that you have a housing problem is the first step.
• Learning about why it’s important to address housing issues is the next.
• We recommend that you start gathering information by taking our free online course on Housing Choice and Missing Middle Housing, geared towards municipalities but accessible to everyone.
• You can access this course and the many other courses we offer here.
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• Set goals and determine a vision for the housing change your community needs.
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• Connect with representatives from your zoning and planning department.
• Spark a conversation about housing needs and what issues should be addressed in your community.
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• Get community input for a comprehensive housing diagnosis. Determine what community members would like to see or learn, and which areas are of interest for the subject of the study.
• Consider the existing housing stock, demographics of the area, existing and projected population, existing and projected jobs in the area, cost of living, schools, transportation, density, walkability and anything else community members are interested in.
• Review the comprehensive plan for the city or county, and determine what existing zoning laws are preventing the development and growth of the community.
• Conduct capital assessments (cultural, environmental, financial, human, physical, political, and social capitals in the community).
• Assess the tax revenue being generated by the different types of housing in the community. Utilize resources including Urban3.
• Determine where the jobs are, where the workforce lives, and how they commute to work.
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• A Housing Choice Champion is an individual or group willing to commit to the cause to drive housing choice conversations to make a difference in the community.
• Provide tailored education and training for champions about housing choice, community engagement, and potential roadblocks to progress and how to address and move past them.
• Empower your champions by introducing them to organizations and resources including YIMBY Action.
Phase II
Educating Your Community
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• Engage your community and host a Housing Summit.
• Share the results of the housing study, and offer policy change solutions that will incentivize builders to develop the types of housing your community needs.
• Listen to community feedback and offer further ways for community members to be involved in the ongoing housing change process.
• Start the conversation by attending MicroLife’s speaking engagements, such as our Innovative Housing Summit.
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• Create in-person and virtual learning opportunities for community members to educate themselves on existing housing issues, why they are important, and what we can do to create the change necessary to have a healthy and strong community.
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• Research books, websites, and organizations who can provide resources specific to your community needs.
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• Develop robust messaging to explain the goal and mission of the housing change your community is seeking.
Phase III
Creating Zoning and Policy Changes
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• Utilize the results of your housing assessment and community feedback from your housing summit to determine which policies need to be reviewed, amended, or added.
• Ensure that the proposed policy change incentivizes builders to develop the types of housing the community needs.
• Refer to resources including ours for zoning & codes and our online course Zoning 101.
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• Start by assembling a team of local developers, local architects, local builders, local contractors, and local Housing Choice Champions.
• Build your finances through grants, private partnerships, and/or municipal funding.
• Connect the city and any nonprofit organizations within the housing sector.
• Utilize resources including our story creating the Cottages on Vaughan, our pocket neighborhood resources, our online course for Developing Pocket Neighborhoods, and the plans for our cottage houses.
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• Create educational programming including public tours, presentations, or a website around your pilot project to demonstrate the importance and impact of abundant housing and housing choice in your community.
Need Help Getting Started?
The MicroLife Method is a consulting service designed to pinpoint the specific housing needs within your community and ideate on possible solutions.
