Demand For Affordable Housing Research Articles

Contested issues surrounding social sustainability and self-building in Italy

The paper examines the potentiality of collective self-building as a feasible policy option to address the growing demand for affordable housing. It first provides an overview of the Italian scenario, concerning both housing policies and the development of collective self-build. It will examine the evidence of completions in practice and critically discuss one initiative developed in the city of Senigallia, Italy, building on issues raised from the debate on self-building derived in other developed countries. In particular, the main social benefits will be appraised. The success factors as well as other hindrances will be considered. Lastly, we will try to tease out some contested issues drawing on the tension between the dimensions of ‘responsibility’, ‘participation’ and ‘choice’ underpinning the idea of self-organised housing provision.

The Impact of Affordable Housing Developments on Sustainability in Gulf Cities

The recent construction boom has led to new urban development dynamics in Gulf cities driven by real-estate speculations and large infrastructure investments. While in the past affordable housing for medium income migrants and their families was integrated within the fringes of old downtown areas and compound developments in the suburbs, recent investment patterns have led to an increasing challenge of these economically highly engaged social groups to find residences. In recent years, a newly emerging trend in the Gulf region has been the establishment of large scale mass housing projects as new dormitory settlements to address the growing demand for affordable housing. This paper presents an overview of current development patterns by exploring two major affordable housing projects and their impact on sustainability in Doha and Dubai. This is undertaken by establishing a preliminary assessment framework that involves relevant sustainability parameters. The assessment reveals the major differences between both projects and their impact on environment, economy, and society.

Suburbanisation, homeownership aspirations and urban housing: Exploring urban expansion in Dar es Salaam

This paper offers an exploration of urban expansion from the point of view of the individual residents buying land, settling and living in new, rapidly growing peripheral settlements of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. The findings suggest that the demand for affordable housing is the primary motivation for residents moving to the periphery. The demand for self-built, owner-occupier housing is especially significant initially, while the demand for non-ownership housing increases in importance later in the process. Income-related motives, on the other hand, are strikingly absent from settlement considerations. Urban residents settle in the periphery, even though income-generation is often tied to working somewhere else, namely in the central parts of the city. The paper proposes that the processes of urban expansion depicted in this study are usefully conceptualised as suburbanisation processes, though it is a type of suburbanisation that has some peculiarities given the particular context, where expansion happens informally and largely unguided by planners.

미국 지방정부의 저소득층을 위한 부담가능주택 수요분석 및 정책사례 연구 - 미시건주 및 랜싱도시권을 사례로 -

This paper introduced the affordable housing support programs and system of the State of Michigan and Lansing Metropolitan Area and reviewed the affordable housing plan of Lansing area. This paper also examined their challenges and efforts to solve the affordable housing issues with additional analysis. The affordable housing planning process was also presented with a comprehensive analysis and future prediction of demographic characteristics and housing supply and demand for affordable housing. Especially, the trend and future forecast of the elderly and low-income households who have a significant impact on the affordable housing demand are considered. The U.S. and South Korea have different housing characteristics and situations. A part of the plan and suggestions of Lansing are somewhat unfamiliar, and it is difficult to introduce their suggestions into our policies. However, the affordable housing plan of Lansing Metropolitan Area suggested various solutions to solve the issues, and some of them deserve to be considered on our housing policy making.

Prediction of Low Cost Housing Demand in Malaysia Using ARIMA Model

Among the key challenges in construction industry sector faces are matching supply of and demand for affordable housing. It is very crucial to predict low-cost housing demand to match the demand and supply so that the government can plan the allocation of low cost housing based on the demand. In Johor, housing provision is very crucial due to urbanization. The supply of houses seems to be swamping the demand for luxury condos and houses especially in Johor Bharu. Thus the aim of this study is to predict low-cost housing demand in Johor, Malaysia using ARIMA model. Time series data on low-cost housing demand have been converted to Ln before develop the model. The actual data and forecasted data will be compared and validate using Mean Absolute Percentage Error (MAPE). After that, the results using ARIMA method will be compared with ANN method. The results show that MAPE analysis for ARIMA is 15.39% while ANN is 18.27%. It can be conclude that ARIMA model can forecast low cost housing demand in Johor quite good.

Facilitating Technology Transfer in Offsite Construction Between India and the UK: Drivers and Challenges

The increasing demand for affordable housing in developing countries such as India which mainly uses traditional construction technologies begs the need of technologies that are efficient, low cost, and at the same time high quality. Technologies used by developed nations can meet that need if the transfer could be accomplished efficiently. The purpose of this research is to present findings of a survey and follow-up interviews of senior managers from UK and India to explore the drivers and challenges to facilitate technology transfer in offsite construction between the two countries.

SYSTEMATIC ANALYSIS OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING DEVELOPMENT AND PRICING STRUCTURE IN SHENZHEN, CHINA

As a result of urban housing reform in China, it has become increasingly difficult for low and middle income families to purchase a house. In response to the growing demand for affordable housing, the Chinese Government has developed a specific housing policy to enable families to purchase properties from the private sector. The pricing mechanism of such housing is completely based on the family affordability and the profit margin of developers. To ensure the provision of housing for low and middle-income families, the future trend of affordable housing prices has become a concern for developers, consumers and may adversely influence the implementation of the current national housing policy. In this paper a systematic analysis of affordable housing development and its pricing structure is undertaken for the city of Shenzhen. As information pertaining to the factors influencing house prices is imperfect, a Grey model, which requires a limited amount of data to reflect unknown behavior, is constructed to provide a forecast for affordable house pricing. The analysis indicates that the government should adjust their current affordable housing policy to accommodate the forecasted upward trend in house prices.

The Changing Role of Public Housing Authorities in the Affordable Housing Delivery System

As the great recession began, public housing authorities (PHAs) were just beginning to experience the full effects of neoliberal policy implementation and devolution. Using 13 case studies of the largest PHAs in the Pacific Northwest, this paper outlines activities that PHAs undertook to balance public mission with private-market means. PHAs made trade-offs among five paths that emphasize agency survival, producing housing for the poorest households, identifying as a nonprofit housing provider, poverty alleviation, or gaining other public powers. This diversity of responses points to the under-valued attribute of PHAs as local organizations with diverse mandates. Dependence on the federal government, local charter, and the degree of integration with local government likely contributed to PHAs' propensity to develop non-US Department of Housing and Urban Development-assisted affordable housing. Even with this creativity, adequate resources are necessary to meet the demand for affordable housing for the poorest households as market conditions change.

UK Social Housing and Housing Market in England: A Statistical Review and Trends

Around 80% of the 63 million people in the UK live in urban areas where demand for affordable housing is highest. Supply of new dwellings is a long way short of demand and with an average annual replacement rate of 0.5% more than 80% of the existing residential housing stock will still be in use by 2050. A high proportion of owner-occupiers, a weak private rental sector and lack of sustainable financing models render England’s housing market one of the least responsive in the developed world. As an exploratory research the purpose of this paper is to examine the provision of social housing in the United Kingdom with a particular focus on England, and to set out implications for housing associations delivering sustainable community development. The paper is based on an analysis of historical data series (Census data), current macro-economic data and population projections to 2033. The paper identifies a chronic undersupply of affordable housing in England which is likely to be exacerbated by demographic development, changes in household composition and reduced availability of finance to develop new homes. Based on the housing market trends analysed in this paper opportunities are identified for policy makers to remove barriers to the delivery of new affordable homes and for social housing providers to evolve their business models by taking a wider role in sustainable community development.

Tenants’ campaigns for tenure neutrality and a general needs model of social housing: making universal claims

The policy of tenure neutrality championed by the International Union of Tenants as essential to a right to adequate housing advances a model of general needs or, in other words, universal social rented housing provision unrestricted by income limits or needs-based rationing. Support for this model has been severely undermined by recent European Commission rulings that have restricted access to social housing to those least capable of coping in a competitive market place. As general needs demand for affordable housing continues to swell, the challenge for adherents of tenure neutrality is to demonstrate that universal social housing can meet both the needs of the most vulnerable and the demands of those excluded from homeownership by price inflation and credit limits. This paper examines the promotion of universal social housing by tenants’ organisations and challenges the extent to which this model is intended ‘for all’. In a case study of the defence of municipal housing by English tenants’ movements, it identifies the exclusionary narratives that render the particular housing needs of advantaged social groups as universal. The paper concludes by reviewing strategies to resolve the tensions between the universal and the particular to reinvigorate support for tenure neutrality in arguments for widening access and supply of social housing.

Evidence Matters Summer 2013

The articles in this issue of Evidence Matters explore a range of strategies designed to promote affordable housing preservation at the national, state, and local levels. The lead article, “Preserving Affordable Rental Housing: A Snapshot of Growing Need, Current Threats, and Innovative Solutions,” reviews the economic and demographic trends prompting increasing demand for affordable housing, the threats to the existing housing stock, and the programs and tactics used by governmental and nonprofit organizations to preserve affordable housing. “Research Spotlight: How Research Tools Are Assisting Communities To Preserve, Plan Affordable Housing” considers the efforts of New York University’s Furman Center and the University of Florida’s Shimberg Center to map affordable housing subsidies and availability to better target areas most in need of preservation. And “In Practice: Models for Affordable Housing Preservation” examines the role that preservation compacts and state housing trust funds play in protecting affordable housing and economic diversity.

도시형생활주택의 입지별 분양가격 및 수익률 결정요인

부동산 경기의 하락과 소형가구가 증가함에 따라 소형주택에 대한 수요가 증가하고 있다. 특히 도시형생활주택은 소형가구의 생활패턴에 맞는 주택형태와 지리적 위치에 입지하고 있기 때문에 수요가 증가하고 있으며, 높은 수익률을 앞세워 투자 부동산으로 홍보 되면서 많은 투자자들이 분양을 받고 있다. 반면, 도시형생활주택의 분양가격과 수익률을 고려한 실증연구는 전무한 실정이다. 따라서 본 연구는 서울의 도시형생활주택을 조사하여 분양가격과 수익률에 대하여 실증분석 하였다. 이를 통하여 공급주체 및 투자주체들에게 다양한 가이드라인과 시사점을 제시하고자 하였다. 본 연구에서는 서울의 50세대 이상의 도시형생활주택 51개 단지를 조사하였으며, 실증분석을 위하여 선형회귀분석과 PLS(Partial Least Square Regression) 분석을 활용하였다. 분석결과, 분양가격 결정요인을 위한 선형회귀분석에서는 주변 주택가격과 역세권 변수가 유의한 것으로 나타났으며, 수익률 분석에서는 주변 주택가격과 역세권, 주변 편의시설이 수익률에 영향을 미치는 것으로 나타났다. The demand for small-sized housing has been increasing due to the recession of real-estate price and the increase of small-sized households. Especially, the demand for affordable housing has been increasing since the style of housing and the location fits the lifestyle of small-sized household. In addition, many investors have been buying it because it has advertised as an investment property holding high-return ratio. However, an empirical analysis about the selling price and the return ratio has not been done yet. Therefore, the purpose of the research is having the empirical analysis based on the selling price and return ration by examining the affordable housing in Seoul. The urban-life housing more than 50 generations of the Seoul was irradiated for the analysis. And the linear regression analysis and PLS(Partial Least Square Regression) analysis was used for the empirical analysis. The result of analysis, based on the linear regression analysis, showed that factors including neighboring housing price and subway catchment area have a significant effect to the determinant factors of housing price. The analysis for return ratio showed neighboring housing price, subway catchment area and amenities affects the ratio. Especially, the fault of using small sample was covered by using the partial least square regression in this research.

Indicator based sustainability assessment tool for affordable housing construction technologies

With the growing worldwide demand for affordable housing and the importance of supporting and stimulating sustainable development, the need for sustainable solutions in the affordable housing sector is at a peak. The present paper screened about 75 construction technologies and assessed 46 of them. The present paper presents the first results of a step wise approach to identify, assess and recommend most promising technologies for affordable housing projects. A database was developed to store detailed technical information about each of the technologies. A grading and ranking scheme was developed to identify the most promising construction technologies from a sustainability perspective. The main challenges for affordable housing production and most relevant assessment indicators were identified from the literature, interviews and meetings with experts. An indicator based assessment system was developed by cross-referencing the identified eight challenges with ten selected indicators. The final ranking demonstrated that a wide variety of technologies perform strongly overall, and these range from bio-based materials, such as bamboo and timber, to industrialized technologies, such as concrete. Moreover, the possibilities for improvement are vast, and the option of combining different technologies seems to be the most promising approach.

Homelessness in Alberta: The Demand for Spaces in Alberta's Homeless Shelters

Homelessness in Alberta is overwhelmingly concentrated in Calgary and Edmonton, with almost two-thirds of total provincial shelter usage in the former. Calgary also experiences much greater fluctuations in shelter use. Three interconnected economic factors — the supply of rental accommodations, the state of the labour market and the inward flow of jobseekers — go a long way toward explaining both Calgary’s unusually large share of Alberta’s homeless as well as the swings in shelter use. Calgary has proportionately less than half as many rental units as Edmonton and this gap is widening. Simultaneously, Calgary, more than any other Canadian city, attracts a significant share of migrants during times of economic growth increasing demand for affordable housing and then shelter space when the availability of housing approaches zero. The recent fall in shelter use in Calgary (and so Alberta) may therefore prove temporary should a recovering economy attract more arrivals and so drive up shelter use again. The provincial government’s recent efforts to increase the stock of affordable housing are appropriate but greater progress could be made if it devised ways to enlist the energy and efficiency of the private sector to expand Calgary’s rental market.

Affordable Housing Solutions: Affordable Housing Providers’ Perspective

Accessibility to housing for low to moderate income groups in Australia has experienced a severe decline since 2002. On the supply side, the public sector has been reducing its commitment to the direct provision of public housing. Despite strong demand for affordable housing, limited supply has been generated by nongovernment housing providers. This paper identifies and discusses some current affordable housing solutions which have been developed by non-government housing providers to ameliorate the problem.This study utilises case studies generated from nineteen housing providers during in-depth interviews in South East Queensland in 2007–2008. The case studies are classified into four categories which relate to the nature of their product: affordable rental housing, mixed housing, affordable housing for people with special needs and low cost home ownership. Each category is discussed on the basis of the characteristics typical of that organisation of housing provider, their partnership arrangements and main target market. In addition, the special design and facilities required for people with special needs which include high care accommodation and aged care are highlighted. Finally, this study recommends offering a continuum of solutions to affordable housing for low income people by means of a rent-to-buy scheme.

Finance for incremental housing; current status and prospects for expansion

Appropriate finance can greatly increase the speed and lower the cost of incremental housing – the process used by much of the low/moderate-income majority of most developing countries to acquire shelter. Informal finance continues to dominate the funding of incremental housing. However, new sources have developed including housing microfinance, community-based finance savings and loan groups, and consumer credit for building materials. This paper examines informal and formal finance for incremental housing and makes recommendations for the vast expansion necessary to meet the affordable housing demand from the huge urban wave in developing countries projected over the next three decades.

Mixed Communities: A New Approach to Spatially Concentrated Poverty in England

AbstractThis article examines the adoption, by the New Labour government, of a mixed communities approach to the renewal of disadvantaged neighbourhoods in England. It argues that while there are continuities with previous policy, the new approach represents a more neoliberal policy turn in three respects: its identification of concentrated poverty as the problem; its faith in market‐led regeneration; and its alignment with a new urban policy agenda in which cities are gentrified and remodelled as sites for capital accumulation through entrepreneurial local governance. The article then draws on evidence from the early phases of the evaluation of the mixed community demonstration projects to explore how the new policy approach is playing out at a local level, where it is layered upon existing policies, politics and institutional relationships. Tensions between neighbourhood and strategic interests, community and capital are evident as the local projects attempt neighbourhood transformation, while seeking to protect the rights and interests of existing residents. Extensive community consultation efforts run parallel with emergent governance structures, in which local state and capital interests combine and communities may effectively be disempowered. Policies and structures are still evolving and it is not yet entirely clear how these tensions will be resolved, especially in the light of a collapsing housing market, increased poverty and demand for affordable housing, and a shortage of private investment.Résumé Le gouvernement New Labour a adopté une démarche de mixité des communautés dans le cadre de la rénovation des quartiers défavorisés anglais. Si certains aspects de la politique antérieure persistent, la nouvelle approche prend une tournure plus néolibérale à trois titres: en identifiant les concentrations de pauvreté comme étant le problème, en se fiant à une régénération par le marché, et en s'associant à un nouveau programme de politiques urbaines dans lequel les villes sont ‘gentrifiées’ et remodelées en tant que lieux d'accumulation de capital à travers une gouvernance locale de type entrepreneurial. En s'appuyant sur les premières phases d’évaluation de ces projets de démonstration sur la mixité, il est possible d’étudier l'exécution de la nouvelle approche à un niveau local, où elle s'ajoute aux actions, politiques et relations institutionnelles existantes. Des tensions entre intérêts des quartiers et intérêts stratégiques, entre communauté et capital, sont manifestes, tandis que les projets locaux s'efforcent de transformer les quartiers tout en cherchant à protéger les droits et intérêts des résidents en place. D'importants efforts de consultation des communautés se déroulent pendant qu'apparaissent les structures de gouvernance dans lesquelles les intérêts du capital et des autorités territoriales se combinent et où les communautés risquent bien de perdre toute capacité. Actions publiques et structures continuant d’évoluer, on ne peut pas encore voir comment ces tensions vont être réglées, compte tenu notamment d'un effondrement du marché du logement, d'une progression de la pauvreté, d'un accroissement de la demande d'habitations accessibles financièrement, et d'un manque d'investissement privé.

Memento Mori: The “Death” of Youngtown

Youngtown, Arizona, was founded in 1954 as the nation's first retirement community, presaging the original Sun City (1960) and subsequent proliferation of active-adult communities across America. Youngtown, whose attractiveness waned owing to competition from more upscale, amenity-rich communities, suffered a fatal blow in 1998. Legal issues led to the loss of age restrictions, ushering in a swift and dramatic transformation of Youngtown from retirement enclave to working-class community, as Youngtown was overwhelmed by powerful social currents coursing through the Phoenix metropolitan region: explosive population growth, suburban sprawl, Latinization, and voracious demand for affordable housing. We tell the story of the life and death of Youngtown as a retirement haven, including the response of seniors to the loss in community identity: out-migration, anger, depression, and eventual acceptance among older people who linger. Insular, freeze-frame dreams of community identity and stability common among seniors in retirement enclaves ultimately prove chimerical in the face of urban change. The death of Youngtown as retiree haven, viewed in the sweep of shifting cultural attitudes about aging, may be a harbinger, the opening notes in a requiem for de jure retirement communities.

Passivity Was Not Working: Taking the Housing Supply Lag Head-On in San Luis Obispo

The attractiveness of the San Luis Obispo region reflects in sky-high real-estate prices and a demand for affordable housing that is increasingly harder to meet. Despite recent changes in regional and local policies, much more action is still needed. The author discusses the efforts of the County Workforce Housing Coalition and his own involvement with the issue, particularly through his CRP graduate lab projects.

Engineered Lumber Products: Taking Their Place in the Global Market

Abstract World demand for engineered lumber products is driven by a shift to performance-based building codes; the changing nature of the softwood fiber supply; worldwide demand for affordable housing; and advances in resin technology and wood conversion systems. From structural composite lumber to prefabricated wood I-joists and glulam, these products extend the forest resource by allowing higher product recoveries and using conversion technology that facilitates broader use of underutilized species and sizes. They also enable higher stumpage prices as markets are created for a wider range of species, grades, and sizes of timber. And sustainable forestry objectives are enhanced as markets for small-diameter, low-grade fiber are developed throughout the world.