Zoning restrictions for houses are detrimental to the well-being of poor people

Urban planning and zoning are pertinent to the development of our cities, especially with the increasing demographic shift from country regions toward metropolitan districts. Providing decent and affordable housing is one of the most important functions of a community, a factor, which needs to be taken into consideration when developing urban communities. However, the stringent aspects and rules of zoning and land use policies can be detrimental to the people who move in the lower income brackets.  Zoning policies can and will create “elitist” suburbs, displacing specific groups such as the low -income earners, possibly some of the minorities and the elderly, into low socio-economic areas.  Current suburban hot spots, illustrate the effects of such displacement of minorities and low-income earners, where factors such as crime and unemployment are most notably higher than the metropolitan average.