Shortage Of Affordable Housing Research Articles

Self-supervised learning unveils urban change from street-level images

Cities around the world are grappling with multiple interconnected challenges, including population growth, shortage of affordable and decent housing, and the need for neighborhood improvements. Despite its critical importance for policy, our ability to effectively monitor and track urban change remains limited. Deep learning-based computer vision methods applied to street-level images have been successful in the measurement of socioeconomic and environmental inequalities but did not fully utilize temporal images to track urban change, as time-varying labels are often unavailable. We used self-supervised methods to measure change in London using 15 million street images taken between 2008 and 2021. Our novel adaptation of Barlow Twins, Street2Vec, embeds urban structure while being invariant to seasonal and daily changes without manual annotations. It outperformed generic pretrained embeddings, successfully identified point-level change in London's housing supply from street-level images, and distinguished between major and minor change. This capability can provide timely information for urban planning and policy decisions towards more liveable, equitable, and sustainable cities.

The decommodifying capacity of tenancy law: comparative analysis of tenants’ and landlords’ rights in Austria, Germany, and Switzerland

Tenants all over the globe face the challenges of increasing rents and even forced evictions, particularly in the private urban rental sector. Affordable housing shortage and displacement have become severe societal problems for the lower- and middle-income segments. Certain legal institutions, including tenancy law, provide a decommodifying capacity for more tenure security and stability. This paper studies this capacity of tenancy law by comparatively examining the tenants’ and landlords’ rights in Austria, Germany, and Switzerland through the lens of decommodification. The focus is (1) on the rules of access to housing for new residents entering the housing market and (2) the rules of exit that govern the ability of the occupants to continue living in their apartments. Findings show that while tenants’ rights in Switzerland are weakly protected by law, tenants in Austria and Germany receive robust protection. Austrian and German tenants cannot be evicted at short notice, nor are landlords allowed to dismiss them unless they declare legitimate self-usage. Also, tenants remain protected from arbitrary rent increases in case of rental upgrading. Conclusions help practitioners to consider tenancy law as an influential way to counteract the market-driven dynamics in housing and to enhance the protective capacity within renting property.

Embodied Energy and Thermal Performance of Alternate Walling Materials in Affordable Housing in the Composite Climate of Delhi

Meeting the affordable housing shortage in India in a short time has its environmental and social challenges. It not only requires huge resources but is also a big social responsibility to provide economical and comfortable housing for the marginalized section of society. Improper selection of construction materials may lead to the locking up of massive energy as embodied energy of materials and uncomfortable indoor living conditions. The present study focuses on the need for consideration of both embodied energy and thermal performance in the selection of materials for the building envelope in naturally ventilated affordable housing in India. Walling materials form a major part of the building envelope and thus it's crucial to assess their performance. This paper presents an analysis of embodied energy and thermal performance of fly ash Bricks, AAC blocks, and RCC precast panels as walling options in comparison to conventional walling material of burnt clay brick in the composite climate zone of Delhi. This analysis is being carried out for the alternate walling solutions in practice or emerging for mid to high-rise EWS housing construction in this region. The embodied energy values per cubic meter are compared for each wall assembly for the lifecycle stage cradle to gate. Thermal simulation results are presented in terms of indoor operative temperatures achieved by each wall type material and compared with the comfort temperature range prescribed by the comfort model IMAC-R, 2022 to find out the ‘discomfort degree hours’. The results of the study underscore the suitability of fly ash bricks and AAC blocks as sustainable alternatives due to their lower embodied energy compared to traditional burnt clay bricks base case. Fly ash bricks even outperform the base case in terms of thermal comfort. The study discourages the use of burnt clay bricks due to very high embodied energy. The study also strongly discourages the use of RCC panels in the composite climate as they exhibit both poor thermal comfort and high embodied energy. The study findings would help government agencies to make environmentally and socially conscious decisions about the use of walling materials on a large scale in meeting the affordable housing demand.

How do local governments respond to central mandate in affordable housing policy? A qualitative comparative analysis of forty-one Chinese cities

Countries in developed and developing worlds have faced growing challenges to solve affordable housing shortages for lower-income households, prompting the adoption of various types of mandates to compel local implementation of affordable housing policy. A large volume of literature has focused on whether and how such top-down mandate indeed improves local supply of affordable housing. Insufficient understanding has been provided regarding the multi-faceted nature of local strategic responses to a top-down housing mandate. This research addresses this intellectual gap with an empirical study of local strategic behavior in response to the affordable housing mandate that was announced by the central government during the Twelfth Five-Year Plan (2011–2015). Through systematic content analysis of local news reports on affordable housing from 41 Chinese cities from various provinces, we describe the multiple-dimensional characteristics of local policy actions as cities were compelled to complied with the mandate. We further employ a fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis method to investigate how top-down political pressure combines with local policy interpretation, resource mobilization capacity, and local public pressure lead to more diverse policy actions in affordable housing. This research enriches the understanding of how city governments respond to top-down housing mandate, as well as offers valuable policy implications for affordable housing policy.

Profiling Housing Co-operative Models in Addressing Shortage of Affordable Housing in Nairobi City County, Kenya

Profiling Housing Co-operative Models in Addressing Shortage of Affordable Housing in Nairobi City County, Kenya

Adaptive Reuse of High-Rise Buildings for Housing: A Study of Istanbul Central Business District

The abrupt shift to remote work due to the Covid-19 pandemic increased vacant office spaces globally, especially in high-rent central business districts (CBDs). These vacant office spaces offer the potential for conversion into housing, addressing the shortage of affordable housing in central areas. Additionally, this topic presents a unique experimental ground for architecture students. This study focuses on the Istanbul CBD as a case study, examining the historical developments that led to a rise in office vacancy rates and housing inequality, and exploring the potential for adaptive reuse of these vacant office buildings. A key focus of this study is to underline the pedagogical value of adaptive reuse, highlighting how such projects can inspire more diverse and equitable housing models, fostering experimental and sustainable design approaches. It systematically evaluates the outcomes of a 4th-year architectural design studio that focuses on the adaptive reuse of the Tat Towers in the Istanbul CBD, a structurally vacant high-rise office building, and asks: How does the context of adaptive reuse enable a different design approach, and, potentially, new spatial norms and standards to emerge, and how might this hold a pedagogical value for architecture education? Following these questions, the article discusses how norms and standards are not only culturally but also typologically contextual, and how the students have explored how norms and standards might change, outlining new design approaches to adaptive reuse.

Bridging Housing and Climate Needs: Bamboo Construction in the Philippines

The Philippines faces a significant shortage of affordable housing, and with the growing urgency brought by climate change, there is a pressing need for more sustainable and affordable building solutions. One promising option is cement bamboo frame buildings, which blend traditional bamboo building methods with modern materials. This approach is already being implemented in social housing projects in the Philippines. Dynamic lifecycle assessment (DLCA) calculations show that these bamboo buildings can effectively reduce overall CO2 emissions. Before a building’s end of life, biogenic effects offset approximately 43% of its total production emissions, while the temporary carbon storage afforded by these biogenic materials further reduces total emissions by 14%. In comparison to concrete brick buildings, bamboo constructions reduce emissions by 70%. Transforming an unmanaged bamboo plantation into a managed plantation can potentially triple the capacity for long-term CO2 storage in biogenic materials and further reduce net emissions by replacing concrete with bamboo as the main construction material. Thus, bamboo construction offers a potent, economically viable carbon offsetting strategy for social housing projects.

Healthy ageing in a gentrified city: perspectives of older adults from Porto

Abstract Background Neighbourhood transformations like gentrification can affect health outcomes. Gentrification is understood as a set of processes of sociospatial change driven by investments in the built environment oriented to the preferences of affluent people. However, little is known about the impact of gentrification on older adults. We aimed to understand how older people perceive gentrification how it relates to healthy ageing. Methods This qualitative study, conducted in 2022, was based on nineteen semi-structured interviews of older adults (≥60 years) from the EPIPorto cohort living in Porto, a hotspot of gentrification. Individuals were selected through purposive sampling based on four features: sex, education, homeownership, and area of residence. Inductive thematic analysis was performed using NVivo. Results Most respondents identified changes in the physical environment and how it is used due to gentrification, namely concerning green and leisure spaces, food and beverages outlets, housing and commerce. It was also mentioned that gentrification leads to a shortage of affordable housing and weakens social cohesion. Participants described that changes in the physical environment due to gentrification can contribute positively to their well-being, while others admitted a higher cost of living and increased vulnerability to worse mental health. Yet, some interviewees revealed little or no influence of gentrification on healthy ageing. Conclusions Gentrification has dual and disparate effects on older adult's health and well-being. Policies should maximize the health benefits of gentrification, while protecting citizens from the negative effects. Key messages • Considering people’s perspectives on gentrification and healthy ageing is essential to plan age-friendly cities and achieving better health outcomes.

The permanent regime of temporary solutions: Housing of forced migrants in Europe as a policy challenge

Periods of forced migration to and in Europe have been common in the past decade and show no expectation of stalling due to ongoing armed conflicts, global inequalities and the adverse effects of climate change. Nevertheless, the provision of accommodation for asylum seekers and refugees continues to depend on temporary, ad hoc solutions. In the context of housing financialisation and shortage of affordable housing across European cities, this decreases opportunities for integration and securing other needs, such as jobs, language acquisition and childcare, but increases the risk of refugee homelessness and social exclusion. Based on cross-national Urban Living Labs exchanges in Leipzig, Riga, Lund, Helsingborg and Vienna, this commentary argues for a European agenda for long-term housing solutions for forced migrants in the arrival and settling phases that tackle issues from discrimination to access, to belonging. Importantly, creating long-term housing solutions for refugees would benefit whole housing systems as instruments of social inclusion.

Rent affordability after hurricanes: Longitudinal evidence from US coastal states.

Climate change is expected to increase the frequency and intensity of natural hazards such as hurricanes. With a severe shortage of affordable housing in the United States, renters may be uniquely vulnerable to disaster-related housing disruptions due to increased hazard exposure, physical vulnerability of structures, and socioeconomic disadvantage. In this work, we construct a panel dataset consisting of housing, socioeconomic, and hurricane disaster data from counties in 19 states across the East and Gulf Coasts of the United States from 2009 to 2018 to investigate how the frequency and intensity of a hurricane correspond to changes in median rent and housing affordability (the interaction between rent prices and income) over time. Using a two-stage least square random-effects regression model, we find that more intense prior-year hurricanes correspond to increases in median rents via declines in housing availability. The relationship between hurricanes and rent affordability is more complex, though the occurrence of a hurricane in a given year or the previous year reduces affordable rental housing, especially for counties with higher percentages of renters and people of color. Our results highlight the multiple challenges that renters are likely to face following a hurricane, and we emphasize that disaster recovery in short- and medium-term should focus on providing safe, stable, and affordable rental housing assistance.

Designing a Habitat for 3D Concrete Printing in Permafrost Regions

3D concrete printing has the potential to provide solutions to the global shortage of affordable housing. The technology may be particularly suitable for remote regions, where the shortage of labor and materials present challenges. While most projects have focused on the use the technology to fabricate a structure’s walls, this article describes a research effort aimed at printing the entire structure, including the enclosing surface using only 3D concrete printing. The design of a habitat for the permafrost regions of Alaska is used as a case study. The design approach was to conceive a parametric housing system based on modular units whose form are inspired by traditional vault design and amenable to 3D concrete printing. The proposed design is based on features and reach of the robotic arm printer, the desire to avoid formwork, withstanding applicable loads on the structure, and thermal requirements. While the size of each modular unit is determined by spatial requirements, its exact shape is defined using optimization following structural, thermal, and printing considerations. The printing of a reduced-scale version of the proposed unit validated the design showing its printability.

Automated minimum-weight sizing design framework for tall self-standing modular buildings subjected to multiple performance constraints under static and dynamic wind loads

In recent decades, the shortage of affordable housing has become an endemic issue in many cities worldwide due to the ongoing urban population growth. Against this backdrop, volumetric steel modular building systems (MBSs) are becoming an increasingly compelling solution to the above challenge owing to their rapid construction speed and reduced upfront costs. Notwithstanding their success in low- to mid-rise projects, these assembled structures generally rely on a separate lateral load-resisting system (LLRS) for lateral stiffness and resistance to increased wind loads as the building altitude increases. However, additional LLRSs require on-site construction, thereby compromising the productivity boost offered by the MBSs. To this end, this paper proposes a novel optimisation-driven sizing design framework for tall self-standing modular buildings subjected to concurrent drift, floor acceleration, and member strength constraints under static and dynamic wind loads. A computationally efficient solution strategy is devised to facilitate a meaningful sizing solution by decomposing the constrained discrete sizing problem into a convex serviceability limit stage (SLS) and a non-convex ultimate limit stage (ULS), which can be then solved using preferred local and global optimisation methods, separately. The framework is implemented by integrating SAP2000 (for structural analysis) and MATLAB (for optimisation) through SAP2000′s open Application Programming Interface (API), and demonstrated using a 15-storey self-standing steel modular building exposed to three different levels of wind intensity. A comprehensive performance assessment is conducted on the optimally designed case-study building to investigate its elastic instability behaviour, geometric nonlinear effects on wind-induced response, and impacts of global sway imperfections on member utilisation ratios under wind effects. It is concluded that tall self-standing modular buildings can be achieved economically using ordinary corner-supported modules without ad hoc structural provisions, while consuming steel at similar rates to conventional building structural systems. Furthermore, the proposed sizing framework and solution strategy have proven to be useful design tools for reconciling the structural resilience and material efficiency in wind-sensitive self-standing modular buildings.

A Perspective on Four Emerging Threats to Sustainability and Sustainable Development

Plastics are a precious, versatile set of materials. The accumulation of plastic waste threatens the environment. Recycling plastic waste can produce many new products. The many opportunities for using plastic waste create pressure for a strategy to develop or improve current waste management systems to reduce the negative impact on humans, fauna and flora. The objective of this review paper is to consider an opportunity to recycle plastic; to convert plastic waste into plastic sand bricks. This would reduce the impact of the four emerging crises (plastic pollution, unemployment, the shortage of affordable housing and climate change) identified in South Africa as a threat to sustainability. This paper reviews studies utilising plastic waste to manufacture materials for the construction industry. The feasibility of using plastic waste to manufacture bricks revealed high compressive strength, low water absorption and weighed considerably lower compared to traditional bricks. Plastic sand bricks, therefore, can provide a solution that can be used to curb the four emerging crises and contribute to sustainability.

Addressing housing shortage through energy and space-efficient retrofitting: The case study of a Swedish Single-Family house

Sweden's shortage of affordable housing has been evolving into a major in recent years. A 2021 report by the Swedish National Board of Housing, Building, and Planning (Boverket) stated a need for 60,000 new homes by 2030. In addition, the Swedish building stock is responsible for 39% of the country's total energy consumption and 21% of its greenhouse gas emissions. Therefore, solutions to address the housing crisis should go hand in hand with the need for increased building retrofits to meet Sweden's 2045 energy and climate targets. In this context, re-densification of the existing building stock is a possible option. This study examines possible space- and energy-efficient options for densifying the housing supply in Sweden's existing single-family home (SFH) segment. Using a case study in Kronoberg, Sweden, occupied by an elderly household, options for converting the unused space into new additional dwelling units (ADUs) and reducing per capita living space are explored. Most SFHs in Sweden are old, in poor condition, and in urgent need of structural and energy retrofits. In addition, about one- third of homeowners are over 60 years old and report living in homes that are too large compared to their needs - an excellent environment to study the proposed intervention. Revenues from renting the newly created ADUs suggest that the proposal is financially attractive because it capitalizes on the high initial investment costs of energy retrofits. In addition, spatial interventions combined with energy-efficient measures result in a 40 percent lower energy use and environmental impact per capita compared to energy retrofits alone due to a reduction in per capita living space. Finally, the study aims to initiate a discussion on sufficiency, innovative energy regulations, and housing policy tools needed to transition to the low-energy single-family housing stock.

From Gentrification to Sterilization? Building on Big Capital

In a period of extreme inequalities, the speed and scale of capital flows into London constitutes a new economic process qualitatively different from that of gentrification. It is underpinned by the financialization of housing introduced in the 1980s, the policy of Quantitative Easing, the influx of corrupt money into the city and the growing role of private equity in real estate markets. Since the 2008 financial crash the “trickle-down” of land and property price rises has built on the existing shortage of affordable housing to create an acute crisis. Combined with the commercialization of housing benefit, inflationary pressures both top-down and bottom-up are the consequence. While the current influx of capital shares key characteristics with economic gentrification, its speed and scale is unprecedented. I propose that, since the 2008 crash, we have been witnessing a new phenomenon, which I liken to sterilization rather than gentrification.

Examining Health Care Access And Health Of Children Living In Homes Subsidized By The Low-Income Housing Tax Credit.

Although stable, high-quality housing improves children's physical and social-emotional health, little is known about the health of children living in buildings financed by the federal government's primary tool for constructing and renovating affordable rental housing: the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC). Using data from the National Health Interview Survey (2004-16) linked to data on LIHTC properties (1987-2016), this study provides national estimates for health care access and health status among low-income children living in LIHTC properties compared with low-income children not living in LIHTC properties. Children living in LIHTC properties were more likely to have had a well-child visit in the past twelve months and a dental visit in the past six months. These children also had a higher likelihood of chronic school absenteeism and current asthma. These exploratory findings suggest that policy makers should consider features of LIHTC policy as possible mechanisms to improve low-income children's health care access and health status while addressing the shortage of affordable housing in the US.

UNDERSTANDING ISSUES OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN MALAYSIA TO ATTRACT INVESTMENT

This study attempts to investigate the issues that impede the provision of affordable housing for Malaysian population. These issues need to be identified and addressed, as they hinder potential private investments in affordable housing projects. In order to achieve this aim, a qualitative method was adopted, in the form of interviews with several developers and institutional investors. Seven areas were recognised to be the sources of major problems with affordable housing in Malaysia namely, the lax policy; poor urban design and planning; supply and demand; property overhang, financing, and price; lacking innovation and research and development; escalating development costs; as well as obsolete quota and subsidy programmes. These findings may provide invaluable insight for policymakers in identifying and resolving the issues of affordable housing, which may then create potential avenue for private investment to alleviate the issue of shortage of affordable housing.

IDENTIFYING INFORMAL SETTLEMENTS IN SATELLITE IMAGES FOR SUSTAINABLE URBAN PLANNING: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW OF METHODS AVAILABLE

The current urbanization trend, along with a shortage of affordable housing, has led to the proliferation of informal settlements in most cities in the global south. The variance in spectral, spatial image resolution, texture, colours, and complex physical shapes of informal urban settlements has made it difficult to provide accurate evidence for urban planners to achieve sustainable urban planning. In this article, the PRISMA methodology was used to thoroughly investigate various techniques used to classify informal settlements from satellite imagery between 2010 and 2021, as well as identify the methods' strengths and weaknesses, along with image indicators used in generating adequate information for sustainable urban planning. According to the study, the dominant models and approaches used to identify or detect informal settlements in satellite imagery for urban planning purposes are remote sensing, GIS, and artificial intelligence (machine learning) applications, as well as quantitative indicators. It was also revealed that without an integrated methodology, the proposed approaches used in different studies could not accurately detect and classify informal settlements. This is due to similarities in the texture of buildings of both formal and informal settlements, as well as variations in image spectral and spatial resolutions, as reported in previous studies.

Die Wohnungsfrage als Teil der sozialen Frage

The housing question in German cities manifests itself in the shortage of affordable housing for an ever-increasing section of inhabitants. It is part of the new social question: the growing divide in German society. The housing issue exacerbates the social consequences of the inequal development of income and wealth. It is to be observed in the inequality of rental levels, restrictions in the choice of housing and includes exposing individuals to the risk of eviction. In addition, low-income households are concentrated in neighbourhoods that contribute to their disadvantages. The article argues that issues of housing, employment and income, public infrastructure and services together constitute the housing question and have to be tackled accordingly. It also discusses the responsibilities which the local authorities will be faced with when having to deal with the situation.

Threats to and Opportunities for Low-Income Homeownership, Housing Stability, and Health: Protocol for the Detroit 2017 Make-It-Home Evaluation Study.

Few studies have examined the combined effects of affordability, housing conditions and neighborhood characteristics on the housing stability and health of low-income homeowners. We begin to address these gaps through a mixed-method study design that evaluates the Make-it-Home program (MiH) in Detroit, Michigan, aimed at helping low-income tenants become homeowners when their landlords lose their homes to tax foreclosure. We compare the ‘intervened group’ of MiH homeowners to a ‘comparison’ group of similarly situated households whose homes experience property tax foreclosure at the same time. The comparison group represents the likely outcomes for the participants had they not participated the program. Participants will be surveyed twice (intervened group), or once (comparison group) per year over a three-year period, regarding their housing and neighborhood conditions, health, life events, and socio-economic status, including income and employment. We will use property and neighborhood census data to further examine the conditions experienced. The findings for policy and program development from this study are timely as the nation faces a chronic shortage of affordable housing for both purchasers and renters. The results suggest ways to improve the MiH program and lay out approaches for researchers to navigate some of the complexities associated with this type of research.