VOA慢速英语2019--美国人准备好放弃独户住宅了吗？

For years, many Americans have thought of owning their own home as part of the American dream.

But the idea of whether that includes dividing a single family home into two will soon be tested in some communities. Also up for debate are other housing ideas in dense¹ areas — usually cities and the suburban² neighborhoods around them.

The state of Virginia may help to reduce housing costs by changing zoning rules. These are the rules that govern what kind of housing can be built and where. Virginia may approve changes to permit denser³ housing, and possibly less costly⁴ homes, in areas now zoned⁵ for single-family homes.

Ibraheem Samirah is a Virginia state lawmaker. He represents an area just outside Washington, DC. He proposed a bill to let homeowners divide a single family house into two homes.

"After the local approval process is completed, then they can create their two families' owned property as they see fit," Samirah said.

His proposal would not ban single family homes. But it would let owners set up two homes, like townhouses and cottages, on land now zoned for a single family home.

This is similar to what is happening on the West Coast of the United States. Oregon was the first state in the country to ban restrictive single-family zoning last July.

Planning experts and local officials say there are costs to developing land outside cites. These include harmful effects on the environment, increased demand for public services, isolating⁶ people, and keeping poor people and racial minorities from some communities.

A 2019 Harvard University housing report found a "relative lack of smaller, more affordable⁷ new homes." The same report showed that about half of all renter households nationwide spend almost one-third of the money they earn on housing.

Moving away from single-family zoning will not be easy.

"At some level, that development pattern is really uniquely American," says Robert Parker. He is executive director of the Institute for Policy Research and Engagement at the University of Oregon.

"People who have lived, and grew up, in low-density suburban developments have a strong preference for that," he adds.

The average size of American houses is getting much bigger. Sizes have more than doubled since the 1950s. The National Association of Homebuilders says that in 2019, the average size of a new single family home was 240 square meters.

Americans clearly like their space. That could be changing with millennials — people born from the early 1980s through the middle of the 1990s. They have their own ideas about what the ideal, or best, home looks like, Parker says. He points to a Portland, Oregon study.

He says 80 percent of those questioned said they desire to live in a separate single-family home. So, it really becomes a matter of size and what amenities⁸ it has, he adds.

A lot of those younger households are looking for smaller homes in walkable neighborhoods, he says. "And, increasingly, the development community is beginning to recognize that and thinking about ways they can build those environments."

Ibraheem Samirah, the Virginia state lawmaker, expects some people will worry their neighborhoods could become less desirable.

But he says changing the rules will give people a chance to make money from renting out parts of their home. And for older Americans on a fixed⁹ income, bringing in more money may help them stay in place.

Samirah adds that the suburban way of life is going to be there for generations.

Words in This Story

fit – adj. suitable for a specific purpose

cottage – n. a small house

isolate¹⁰ – v. to be away or separate from others

renter – n. someone who pays money to live in a home owned by someone else

uniquely – adv. very special or unusual

amenities – n. plural¹¹. Something that makes life easier or more pleasant

income – n . money that is earned from work, investments or business, or given by someone

1 dense   

a.密集的，稠密的，浓密的；密度大的

参考例句：

• The general ambushed his troops in the dense woods. 将军把部队埋伏在浓密的树林里。
• The path was completely covered by the dense foliage. 小路被树叶厚厚地盖了一层。

2 suburban   

adj.城郊的，在郊区的

参考例句：

• Suburban shopping centers were springing up all over America. 效区的商业中心在美国如雨后春笋般地兴起。
• There's a lot of good things about suburban living.郊区生活是有许多优点。

3 denser   

adj. 不易看透的, 密集的, 浓厚的, 愚钝的

参考例句：

• The denser population necessitates closer consolidation both for internal and external action. 住得日益稠密的居民，对内和对外都不得不更紧密地团结起来。 来自英汉非文学 - 家庭、私有制和国家的起源
• As Tito entered the neighbourhood of San Martino, he found the throng rather denser. 蒂托走近圣马丁教堂附近一带时，发现人群相当密集。

4 costly   

adj.昂贵的，价值高的，豪华的

参考例句：

• It must be very costly to keep up a house like this.维修这么一幢房子一定很昂贵。
• This dictionary is very useful,only it is a bit costly.这本词典很有用，左不过贵了些。

5 zoned   

adj.划成区域的，束带的v.（飞机、汽车等）急速移动( zoom的现在分词 )；（价格、费用等）急升，猛涨

参考例句：

• This small town has been zoned as a shopping area. 这个小镇已划作商业区。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• They zoned the house into sleeping, sitting and dining rooms. 他们将房子区分成卧室、客厅和餐厅。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 isolating   

adj.孤立的，绝缘的v.使隔离( isolate的现在分词 )；将…剔出（以便看清和单独处理）；使（某物质、细胞等）分离；使离析

参考例句：

• Colour filters are not very effective in isolating narrow spectral bands. 一些滤色片不能很有效地分离狭窄的光谱带。 来自辞典例句
• This became known as the streak method for isolating bacteria. 这个方法以后就称为分离细菌的划线法。 来自辞典例句

7 affordable   

adj.支付得起的，不太昂贵的

参考例句：

• The rent for the four-roomed house is affordable.四居室房屋的房租付得起。
• There are few affordable apartments in big cities.在大城市中没有几所公寓是便宜的。

8 amenities   

n.令人愉快的事物；礼仪；礼节；便利设施；礼仪( amenity的名词复数 )；便利设施；（环境等的）舒适；（性情等的）愉快

参考例句：

• The campsite is close to all local amenities. 营地紧靠当地所有的便利设施。
• Parks and a theatre are just some of the town's local amenities. 公园和戏院只是市镇娱乐设施的一部分。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 fixed   

adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的

参考例句：

• Have you two fixed on a date for the wedding yet?你们俩选定婚期了吗？
• Once the aim is fixed,we should not change it arbitrarily.目标一旦确定，我们就不应该随意改变。

10 isolate   

vt.使孤立，隔离

参考例句：

• Do not isolate yourself from others.不要把自己孤立起来。
• We should never isolate ourselves from the masses.我们永远不能脱离群众。

11 plural   

n.复数；复数形式；adj.复数的

参考例句：

• Most plural nouns in English end in's '.英语的复数名词多以s结尾。
• Here you should use plural pronoun.这里你应该用复数代词。