Affordable Housing: Connecting Goals of Affordable Housing with Commonly Used Policies and Policy Tools (original) (raw)
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Affordable Housing and its Impact on Communities and Families
The purpose of this research paper is to provide an historical overview of affordable housing and its relationship with the U.S Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), present detailed information on various affordable housing programs, and enlighten the reader as to why affordable housing programs are necessary and beneficial to both communities and families. This paper also addresses the challenges and negative opinions pertaining to affordable housing, such as; decline in property values, growth of neighborhood crime, health, education and employment. Frequently there are negative stereotypes placed upon affordable housing communities and the families that they serve; however, by means of broad proficient research, this paper will deliver to its readers practical information confirming that although there may be obstacles and challengesī affordable housing unquestionably grants those that are underprivileged the ability to access valuable, affordable housing that is essential to everyday life.
2013
The project involved interviews, focus groups and interview-surveys with a range of stakeholders in affordable housing developments, as well as residents located in suburbs affected by them, in Brisbane, Cairns, Melbourne and Sydney. The researchers also statistically modeled the influence of affordable housing on property values, and analysed submissions made against affordable housing proposals by member of the public. Most affordable housing proposals are not controversial but the high-profile opposition to a small number of proposals can give a different impression to the general public. Only 22 per cent of surveyed local residents near recently-completed affordable housing projects in Sydney had noticed negative effects from the development. Most negative effects of affordable housing development identified by residents were to do with parking, and to a lesser extent anti-social behaviour, crime and amenity and much less to do with impact on property values. The modeling showed that the impact of proximity to affordable housing on property sales values can be positive or negative, but it is likely to be minimal either way and to be outweighed by other factors to do with the characteristics of the property and its location. The level of opposition to affordable housing development tends to be greater in neighbourhoods that are affluent or aspirational, and where there is already anger and/or fear in the community. Opposition to affordable housing proposals is usually most fierce and most widespread early on, usually subsiding as time passes and disappearing once a decision has been made. Prejudice also plays an important role. There is widespread confusion about what affordable housing is, with many believing it to be another name for public housing. Objectors to affordable housing development sometimes use planning-related issues (parking, built form etc.) to mask their concerns about the characteristics and behaviours of future tenants. However a perception that governments, developers and politicians are dismissive of community concerns about affordable housing development can increase anger and resentment, intensifying the opposition. While developers can locate developments in areas less likely to face opposition, both developers and governments need to develop a range of strategies for mitigating and addressing community opposition to affordable housing. Developer strategies could include getting positive messages about affordable housing out through tours of projects and the media, recruiting supporters from local councils and the community, and building within planning controls. Governments can ensure compatability between local and state policies, develop parking standards for affordable housing, involve residents in development assessments to improve development outcomes, and provide education about affordable housing for community leaders, council officers and politicians.
This applied research project focuses on Public Housing Authorities as affordable housing providers. There are 3,300 Public Housing Authorities in the United States of which 424 are in Texas. This research project has three purposes 1) to review literature on affordable housing to identify the ideal characteristics of an effective affordable housing program; 2) to assess Texas PHA's using the ideal characteristics; and 3) to provide recommendations for improving Public Housing Authority programs to better meet the affordable housing needs of their communities. The survey research method was used. Surveys were mailed to executive directors of the 424 Texas Public Housing Authorities. Sixty-two of the executive directors completed and returned the survey. The majority of Public Housing Authorities administer Public Housing and the Section Housing Choice Voucher program. Both of these are funded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Devleopment (HUD). HUD evaluates the performance of Public Housing Authorities on how they administer these programs. However, the performance of Public Housing Authorities, as affordable housing providers within their respective communities, is generally not evaluated. Due to a high demand for affordable housing, it is crucial that Public Housing Authorities find new and innovative ways to increase the supply of affordable housing in their communities. The practical ideal type developed in this project will be used to evaluate Texas Public Housing Authorities as affordable housing providers and to provide recommendations for improving and expanding programs to meet the affordable housing needs of their communities. Based on the findings of this research, it was found that there are very few Public Housing Authorities in Texas who are engaged in housing development initiatives to expand the availability of affordable housing.
POLICY APPROACHES IN AFFORDABLE URBAN HOUSING FOR LOW INCOME EARNERS
Thisstudyprovidesavarietyoftheoreticalapproachesthathavebeenusedworldwideintheprovision ofaffordablehousingforlow-incomegroupsinsociety.Mosthousinginitiativesforlow-income groupshavefailedbecauseofalackofasystematicadministrativeandlegalframeworkwithlittle involvement of the beneficiaries. One of the reasons for such failure has been a communication gapbetweenbeneficiariesandthehousingproviders.Inmostcountries,banksandformalhousing agenciesdonothaveadequateknowledgeaboutthefinancialabilityoftheurbanpoor.Thismeans thatthelow-incomeurbanhouseholdsareexcludedfrombenefiting.Therefore,thisstudyfocuseson fourmainpolicyapproachesthathavebeenusedbystakeholdersintheprovisionofurbanhousing. Thesearestatist,WorldBank,mixedsocialmarket,andcollaborativepolicyapproaches.
One Size Fits None: Local Context and Planning for the Preservation of Affordable Housing
Housing Policy Debate, 2018
Affordable housing stock has diminished as communities face oftenconflicting contexts of rising costs and rapid gentrification, and deteriorating housing quality and challenging neighborhood conditions. Research has focused on the loss of subsidized housing, typically in gentrifying neighborhoods. Yet efforts to prevent the loss of affordable housing encompass the broader range of conditions faced across cities. Cities with declining markets may lose units because of a lack of investment in maintenance and/or oversight of conditions Market-affordable housing represents more than three times the number of units of subsidized stock. In this article, we examine the cases of Chicago, Illinois, Washington, DC, and Austin, Texas, to better understand the role of local markets, community conditions, and governance structures in framing the need and developing plans and policies for preservation. We find that preservation policies must be nested within the local context to be effective, responsive, and efficient. Success requires the collaboration of multiple city-and state-level agencies, and must be based on local knowledge and understanding of the market and community at multiple scales. Moreover, through the development of local sources of data and funding, local organizations and agencies shape the mechanisms, focus, and scale of the policies developed.
Making Unaffordable to Affordable: Looking into Affordable Housing Issues and Its Remedies
Architecture and Urban Planning, 2019
Affordable Housing is a critical issue in many developing countries that impacts their potential for sustainability and socioeconomic development. Lack of affordable housing, slower growth of housing stock, and aging housing conflates numerous other problems in Pakistan, including overcrowding, poor indoor air quality, prevalence of preventable diseases, and development of slums and katchi abadies, etc. These challenges lessen living standards in many areas. Unaffordable housing forces low income families in urban areas to live in dilapidated areas. An increase in the construction of affordable housing is needed to mitigate housing affordability challenges in Pakistan. Setting aside land quotas for low-income families in housing development schemes is not sufficient because the households still lack the means to construct housing. This paper attempts to identify the causes of unaffordable housing and solutions for its provision.