Impact fees and housing affordability a guide for practitioners impact fees are one time charges applied to new development impact fees are a form of land use regulation designed to assure that communities maintain adequate levels of public facilities in the face of growth. A guide to impact fees and housing affordability nelson phd faicp dr arthur c bowles liza k juergensmeyer julian c nicholas james c arnold craig anthony merriam dwight on amazoncom free shipping on qualifying offers. A guide to impact fees and housing affordability impact fees are one time charges that are applied to new residential developments by local governments that are seeking funds to pay for the. Impact fees are one time charges that are applied to new residential developments by local governments that are seeking funds to pay for the construction or expansion of public facilities such as water and sewer systems schools libraries and parks and recreation facilities in the face of taxpay