Provision Of Affordable Housing Research Articles

Can Fair Share Policies Expand Neighborhood Choice? Evidence From Bypassing Exclusionary Zoning Under Massachusetts Chapter 40B

Opening up neighborhoods that offer greater opportunities for social mobility to low- and moderate-income households remains a challenge in the United States. Exclusionary zoning practices act as a barrier to current efforts by restricting the supply of affordable housing. In this paper, we examine whether fair share policies that seek to bypass these restrictive zoning practices offer one potential solution. Focusing on Massachusetts Chapter 40B, we find clear evidence that such policies build affordable housing in neighborhoods with strikingly greater opportunities for social mobility than are otherwise available to low- and moderate-income households. Leveraging novel data on 40B development addresses linked to a wide range of public and administrative records, we find that 40B produces affordable units in neighborhoods with greater economic mobility, higher performing schools, greater social capital, less pollution, better health outcomes, and lower incarceration rates than both the typical neighborhood in Massachusetts and those available to beneficiaries of the state’s Low-Income Housing Tax Credit, Housing Choice Voucher, and public housing programs. Consistent with previous research on policies that have segregated affordable housing and opportunity, we also find that neighborhoods with affordable 40B units are whiter and more affluent than average. An examination of underlying policy mechanisms suggests that 40B’s ability to bypass exclusionary zoning plays a central role in explaining differences in neighborhood characteristics between 40B and other programs. We further find little evidence to support concerns that 40B’s zoning override leads to affordable 40B units being built in the least advantaged areas of municipalities, in polluted zones, or near highways, though a non-trivial share of units are located in industrial zones. These results suggest that policies like 40B may be valuable complements to other major housing programs in the United States.

The impact of housing insecurity on mental health, sleep and hypertension: Analysis of the UK Household Longitudinal Study and linked data, 2009–2019

BackgroundHousing insecurity is an escalating problem in the UK but there is limited evidence about its health impacts. Using nationally representative panel data and causally focussed methods, we examined the effect of insecure housing on mental health, sleep and blood pressure, during a period of government austerity. MethodsWe used longitudinal survey data (2009–2019, n = 11,164 individuals with annual data) from the UK Household Longitudinal Study. Outcomes were probable common mental disorder (GHQ-12), sleep disturbance due to worry, and new diagnoses of hypertension. The primary exposure was housing payment problems in the past year. Using doubly robust marginal structural models with inverse probability of treatment weights, we estimated absolute and relative health effects of housing payment problems, and population attributable fractions. In stratified analyses we assessed potentially heterogeneous impacts across the population, and potential modifying effects of government austerity measures. A negative control analysis was conducted to detect bias due to unmeasured confounding. ResultsHousing payment problems were associated with a 2.5 percentage point increased risk of experiencing a common mental disorder (95% CI 1.1%, 3.8%) and 2.0% increased risk of sleep disturbance (95% CI 0.7%, 3.3%). Estimates were larger for renters, younger people, less educated, households with children, and people living in areas most affected by austerity-related cuts to housing support services. We did not find consistent evidence for an association with hypertension (risk difference = 0.4%; 95% CI -0.1%, 0.9%). The negative control analysis was not indicative of unmeasured confounding. ConclusionsHousing payment problems were associated with worse mental health and sleep disturbance in a large UK sample. Households at risk of falling into rent or mortgage arrears need more support, especially in areas where housing support services have been diminished. Substantial investment is urgently needed to improve supply of social and affordable housing.

Mainstream housing and the Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability

The Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability’s Final Report identified multiple barriers preventing people with disabilities in Australia from living in suitable housing, and from being able to choose where they live, with whom they live, and how they live. The issues discussed in the Report include tenancy insecurity, difficulties accessing social housing, difficulty finding physically accessible homes, poor response to high rates of homelessness among people with disabilities, and substandard housing and living conditions in supported boarding houses. Addressing these concerns, the Report makes a number of important recommendations that span a range of housing tenures and both housing and disability policies and strategies. Focusing primarily on “mainstream” housing options, where the majority of people with disabilities live, in this article I argue that if implemented, these recommendations will have a transformative impact on housing for people with disabilities, and on people with intellectual disabilities more specifically. However, I also argue that for this to happen, a new supply of affordable housing needs to be developed and delivered at scale, and note the Commission’s aversion from directly tackling this issue in its recommendations.

Effective affordable housing provision in developing economies: A deductive analysis of informal housing strategies in Lagos, Nigeria

In the face of numerous research efforts and policy interventions, housing the urban poor in a suitable manner has been a persistent challenge across the world. This prevailing difficulty calls for more resourcefulness in addressing affordable housing (AH) provision. To achieve this, this study thoroughly investigated the informal housing strategies of the urban poor, examining their informal housing solutions along the three main components of housing supply value chain (HSVC) - housing finance, land acquisition and housing construction. The methodology was semi-structured interviews of 40 randomly selected respondents from 5 strata of largest slums in Lagos, Nigeria. Following thematic, content, descriptive and deductive analyses of data, findings show that there are insightful lessons within the informal housing strategies of the urban poor that can inform suitable approaches to AH provision. Findings are that the urban poor are actively involved in trade unionism, microfinance institutions and cooperative societies as AH finance strategies within their informal means. The urban poor resolve their desperate housing needs through self-help incremental housing, cheap rental housing among others. Findings show that the urban poor needs shelter, which alternative housing and rental housing provide more affordably than homeownership. Insights are provided in this study on how these informal strategies of the urban poor can influence HSVC for effective affordable housing provision approaches. If these strategies inform policies with deliberate efforts made to modify and institutionalise the approaches, suitability of AH provision can be improved. Findings from this study are informative for future pro-poor housing studies. Recommendations are that informal strategies across the entire HSVC identified in this study can be modified and incorporated into housing policies towards making cities of developing economies more sustainable and inclusive.

Spatial Disparity and Residential Assessment of Housing Cost-Burdened Renters

With the expanding rental sector and rising housing expenses, this research aims to compare the socio-demographic, economic, and housing statuses of renters burdened by housing costs in four regions, and also to explore predictors affecting their residential assessment. Using data from the 2020 Korean Housing Survey, this cross-sectional study identified 245 cost-burdened households whose housing expenses accounted for more than 25% of their total gross income and living expenses. The results revealed that the majority of renters were single-person households residing in single-room occupancy units of multifamily housing, primarily comprising unemployed older adults aged 50 and over. While earning less than half of the minimum wage, the renters’ living expenses fell well below the minimum cost of living, and more than 40% of the expenditure was spent on housing costs, resulting in cost-overburdened households. With the correlation between income, deposit, and rent, the burden of housing costs and the quality of the residential environment varied among regions. Indeed, the residential assessment of the renters was significantly influenced by urban amenities, and both income deficits and excessive housing cost burdens required inclusive and prompt housing interventions including housing assistance, provision of affordable public housing, income transfer, and transitions from renting to Chonsei arrangements.

Market approach to provision of housing to low-income households in urban Malawi: a panacea or further dispossession?

Purpose The purpose of this study is to examine the effects of market-based approach to provision of housing to low-income households in urban Malawi. Design/methodology/approach This study was conducted in Blantyre, Malawi, between 2019 and 2022 and used both quantitative (household survey) and qualitative (in-depth interviews and document study) methods of data collection. Interviews were conducted with key players and investors in the housing sector. Household survey data were analyzed through descriptive statistics, which allowed the generation of descriptive housing valuables, whereas qualitative data were analyzed through content analysis. Findings This paper demonstrates that, rather than ameliorating the housing problems facing low-income households, the market approach to provision of housing in Malawi has worsened the housing situation in the country. This is so because the market approach to the provision of housing in Malawi is not only enforcing the logic of capitalistic accumulation in the housing sector but also supporting mechanisms of exclusion based on economic stratification within the community. Research limitations/implications Completeness of data over time as there is no market data bank available in the country. Practical implications The findings from this study suggest that some degree of state intervention in addressing the housing problem in Malawi is required. Social implications The study findings suggest that a market approach to the provision of housing can increase social inequality as low-income households face challenges in accessing housing. Originality/value There is a paucity of research on the effects of the market approach on the provision of affordable housing to low-income households in Malawi. This paper assesses this important policy gap and provides significant policy directions.

Addressing Housing Issues Among People With Kidney Disease: Importance, Challenges, and Recommendations

Kidney disease disproportionately impacts people with low socioeconomic status, and low socioeconomic status is associated with worse outcomes for people with kidney disease. Unstable housing, which includes housing insecurity and homelessness, is increasing due to rising housing costs. There is mounting evidence that unstable housing and other health-related social needs are partially driving worse outcomes for people with low socioeconomic status. In this perspective, we consider challenges to addressing housing for people with kidney disease, such as difficulty with identification of those with unstable housing, strict eligibility criteria for housing support, inadequate supply of affordable housing, and flaws in communities' prioritization of affordable housing. We discuss ways to tailor management for people experiencing unstable housing with kidney disease, and the importance of addressing safety, trauma, and emotional concerns as a part of care. We identify opportunities for the nephrology community to surmount challenges through increased screening, investment in workforce dedicated to community resource navigation, advocacy for investment in affordable housing, restructuring of communities' prioritization of affordable housing, and conducting needed research. Identifying and addressing housing needs among people with kidney disease is critical to eliminating kidney health disparities.

Differences between the Affordable Housing Supply Systems in China and the UK - The Examples of Shenzhen and London

In the process of rapid urbanization, the problem of housing and declining affordability of residents has gradually become severe, and affordable housing has become a method to improve the housing problem among residents. However, many large cities face the problem of insufficient affordable housing. Therefore, many governments have been improving their regulatory and supply systems to facilitate the development and construction of affordable housing. This paper compares the similarities and differences between the affordable housing supply systems in China and the UK under different political environments, using Shenzhen and London as examples.

Living arrangements and housing affordability issues of young adults in Canada: Differences by nativity status.

Housing prices in Canada have increased dramatically, giving rise to a housing affordability crisis. Young adults have been disproportionately affected by this crisis. To cope, many young adults have had to alter their living arrangements, contributing to the diversification of their living arrangements. Young adults' diverse living arrangements are the product of growing inequalities in young adults' economic prospects and access to family support. Extant work has yet to document how young adults' risk of having unaffordable housing varies according to their living arrangements. Our comparison of young adults' risk of having unaffordable housing according to their living arrangements reveals that co-residence with parents, relatives, or roommates reduces young adults' risk of having unaffordable housing. This protective effect is smaller for the foreign-born than the Canadian-born. The National Housing Strategy should allocate more resources to increase the supply of affordable housing earmarked for young adults, particularly the foreign-born who live alone or with children.

Homelessness And Health: Factors, Evidence, Innovations That Work, And Policy Recommendations.

On a single night in 2023, more than 653,000 people experienced homelessness in the United States. In this overview, we highlight structural and individual risk factors that can lead to homelessness, explore evidence on the relationship between homelessness and health, discuss programmatic and policy innovations, and provide policy recommendations. Health system efforts to address homelessness and improve the health of homeless populations have included interventions such as screening for social needs and medical respite programs. Initiatives using the Housing First approach to permanent supportive housing have a strong track record of success. Health care financing innovations using Medicaid Section 1115 waivers offer promising new approaches to improving health and housing for people experiencing homelessness. To substantially reduce homelessness and its many adverse health impacts, changes are needed to increase the supply of affordable housing for households with very low incomes. Health care providers and systems should leverage their political power to advocate for policies that scale durable, evidence-based solutions to reduce homelessness, including increased funding to expand housing choice vouchers and greater investment in the creation and preservation of affordable housing.

Has Housing Filtering Stalled? Heterogeneous Outcomes in the American Housing Survey, 1985–2021

Filtering of housing units—the process through which housing units over time serve occupants with lower or higher incomes—is a primary source of low-cost housing supply in the United States. However, the extent of filtering can vary widely in response to local housing market conditions, and this variation carries implications for the affordable housing strategies used in different areas. This paper uses the American Housing Survey (AHS) panels for 1985–2013 and 2015–2021 to construct repeat income measures of filtering. The analyses then describe the extent of variation in filtering outcomes across time periods, price points, and metropolitan areas. The results show significant variation across all three domains. Temporal analyses document significant changes in the estimated filtering outcomes across multiple time periods. In particular, the estimates for 2015–2021 suggest that downward filtering of housing units stalled or reversed as housing markets tightened in recent years. The direction and extent of filtering is also shown to vary significantly across metropolitan areas with higher and lower home price appreciation. These findings highlight the importance of heterogeneity in filtering outcomes to the conclusions drawn for policy. They also provide insight into the potential limitations of filtering as a source of affordable housing supply.

Critical Success Factors for Affordable Housing Projects in Nigeria

Housing plays an important role in socio-economic development of any country. However, access to affordable housing is a challenge to many people in developing countries. The purpose of this study is to establish critical success factors for affordable private sector housing projects in Nigeria.  Twenty-six (26) success attributes for affordable housing were identified from literature. A survey questionnaire was designed, and pre-tested, subsequently main survey was performed in which two hundred and eighty (280) questionnaires were administered to experienced researchers, senior managers in public housing agencies, developers and consultants with knowledge and experience in affordable housing. One hundred and seventy-six (176) completed questionnaires were returned completed representing 62.86% response rate. The data collected were analyzed using mean score, factor analysis and stepwise multiple regression analysis. The findings from this study produce four critical success factors for affordable housing projects namely, effective land policies for affordable housing, availability of effective financial institutions, good governance of housing systems, and political will. The results suggested that a well-functioning housing sector must satisfy these factors. It has been concluded that, government has an important role to play in the supply of affordable housing in Nigeria. Thus, government should be committed to supporting affordable housing development through the provision of policy solution and implementation. The study can assist policy makers to understand important factors that influence the success of affordable housing development, and thus include them in the formulation of housing policies in their countries.

Affordable housing through the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit program and opioid overdose emergency department visits

IntroductionThe United States continues to experience an opioid overdose crisis. As a key social determinant of health, housing insecurity may contribute to initiation of substance use and can threaten outcomes for those with substance use disorders by increasing stress, risky substance use, discontinuity of treatment, and return to use, all of which may increase the risk of overdose. The Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) program supports access to rental housing for low-income populations. By facilitating access to affordable housing, this program may improve housing security, thereby reducing overdose risk. MethodsWe used data from LIHTC Property Data and the State Emergency Department Database (SEDD) to identify the number of LIHTC units available and opioid overdoses discharged from the emergency department (ED) in 13 states between 2005 and 2014. ResultsBetween 2005 and 2014, mean opioid overdose ED visits were higher in states with fewer LIHTC units (<28 LIHTC units per 100,000 population) at 26.5 per 100,000 population as compared to states with higher LIHTC units (≥28 LIHTC units per 100,000 population) at 21.1 per 100,000. We find that greater availability of LIHTC units was associated with decreased rates of opioid overdose ED visits (RR 0.94; CI 0.90, 1.00). ConclusionsGiven the importance of housing as a key social determinant of health, the provision of affordable housing may mitigate substance misuse and prevent nonfatal opioid overdose.

Can affordable housing supply exclusively stop urban sprawl?

Can affordable housing supply exclusively stop urban sprawl?

Social Housing - A Key Part of Past and Pandemic Impacts

This Social housing represents a crucial facet of social welfare policy and affordable housing provision, constituting over 28 million residences, accounting for approximately 6% of the total housing inventory in OECD and non-OECD EU nations. Considerable variations exist among countries regarding the definition, scale, extent, target demographic, and provider types within the realm of social housing. Although social mixing remains a primary goal in many countries' social housing sectors, there's a growing concentration of lower- income and vulnerable occupants, leading to a diminished diversity of income levels. This trend poses challenges to the economic viability of the sector, fostering an increased spatial clustering of poverty and disadvantage. The size of the social housing sector has dwindled in recent years in nearly all countries with available data, except for six, while the absolute count of social housing units has declined in just four countries with available data. This decline can be attributed, in part, to reduced public investment in housing stock. The pandemic has significantly disrupted construction, rendering it challenging for numerous households to afford shelter and adversely impacting the housing sector. Many countries have initiated substantial revitalization projects to enhance the quality of social dwellings and their surrounding neighborhoods, aiming to address persistent challenges associated with social housing, such as segregation. Policymakers must ensure that renovation efforts do not displace low-income households. Key Words: Social housing, OECD, crisis, response, Finance, Pandemic.

Scenario Planning Analysis for Commercial Housing Developer Company (Case Study: PT. TRIFECTA ADI PERKASA)

Indonesia’s Law no.1 (2011) necessitates the provision of affordable housing by the government, implicating both public and private sectors. Intermediate commercial housing enterprise, PT Trifecta Adi Perkasa, navigates such a mandate amid various unpredictable elements using scenario planning. This approach involves exhaustive external and internal analyses using PESTEL, Porter’s Five Forces, and Resource-based methods, viewed through a SWOT framework. This multi-phase strategy incorporates first-hand and secondary data assessing current and impending property-related issues. The process culminates in four prospective strategies and an ensuing five-year operational plan, buffering against future uncertainties.

‘Not All Fun and Games’: The Case of the Victoria 2026 Commonwealth Games

Summary In April 2022, the Australian state of Victoria was confirmed to be the host of the Commonwealth Games 2026. The proposal placed a strategic emphasis on leveraging legacy to benefit local communities, particularly through the provision of affordable and social housing and sporting facilities in regional Victoria. The Games were to take place across five regional cities to showcase Victoria globally, while generating economic growth for the regional economies, creating local jobs and boosting inclusion and participation of regional communities. However, in July 2023, the Premier of Victoria announced the cancellation of the Games, primarily justified by the increase in the initial cost of running the event. This conceptual case study provides an analysis of the factors that influenced the cancellation and identifies several significant challenges that contributed to that outcome, including lack of infrastructure, logistical complexities, and budgetary constraints, as well as the intricate dynamics among these aspects. It also discusses the potential opportunities and challenges for the state of Victoria and its brand as a host of sporting events. Information © The Authors 2023

Housing Experimentation and Design Guides: Affordable Housing in Guangzhou since 2006

This paper examines the recent growth of government-led affordable housing in Guangzhou, addressing a paucity of global housing studies that explore experimental and contextual policy approaches in China. It also addresses the lack of Chinese housing studies recognizing the impact of housing design governance, including regulatory controls and design standards, on housing preferences, supply and lifestyles. Since 1995, the supply of affordable housing has surged, now surpassing that of market housing for the first time. This response to failures in the private housing market and a lack of equitable access to housing signifies a significant shift, acknowledging the need to re-establish a state-led and long-term public housing supply after decades of housing marketization. Employing an architectural design research perspective, this paper investigates the interplay between affordable housing supply and the emergence of housing standards, examining resulting housing design outcomes. It poses the question: What changes in housing policy and interventions in housing markets are necessary to increase public rental housing supply, and how do these changes affect housing outcomes? The paper explores these questions through a discussion of the key moments in affordable housing policy and housing estate development in Guangzhou that facilitated the creation of widely accessible public housing and long-term housing assets. This provides new insights into China’s unique approach to translating central government social welfare and housing policy through contextual design experimentation and pilot housing projects, departing from the conventional top-down policy implementation found in most other countries.

Trends in solo living among young adults in Canada

AbstractSolo living among young adults has increased in recent decades. Past studies seldom examined the impact of geographic contexts on trends in solo living. We compared trends in solo living across Canadian communities along the rural/urban continuum and identified factors contributing to these trends. The percentage of Canadian young adults living alone increased between 1981 and 2021. The increase was larger in rural and small urban areas than in medium and large urban areas. Irrespective of community type, the decline in marriage rates was the most salient factor contributing to this trend. Rising shelter costs suppressed increases in the percentage of young adults living alone, but only in medium and large urban areas. These findings highlight the need to increase the supply of affordable housing earmarked for young adults in medium and large urban areas.

The impacts of rent burden and eviction on mortality in the United States, 2000–2019

Investments in stable, affordable housing may be an important tool for improving population health, especially in the context of rising costs and evictions for American renters. Still, a lack of longitudinal data linking these exposures to health outcomes has limited prior research. In this study, we use linked administrative data to estimate the associations of rent burden and eviction with all-cause mortality. We constructed a novel dataset linking renters in the long-form 2000 Census (N = 6,587,000) to mortality follow-up through 2019 from the Census Numident file. To measure exposure to eviction, we further linked this dataset to 38 million eviction records between 2000 and 2016 using names and addresses. For a subsample of renters, we also measured within-individual changes in rent burden between 2000 and 2008–2012 by linking to the American Community Survey. We estimated the associations of rent burden and eviction with mortality using Cox proportional-hazards models and discrete-time hazard models adjusted for individual, household, neighborhood, and state characteristics, examining varying associations by cohort, race, gender, and eviction risk. Higher baseline rent burden, increases in rent burden during midlife, and evictions were all associated with increased mortality. Compared to a baseline rent burden of 30%, a burden of 70% was associated with 12% (95% confidence interval = 11–13%) higher mortality. A 20-point increase in rent burden between 2000 and 2008–2012 was associated with 16% (12–19%) higher mortality through 2019. An eviction filing without judgment was associated with a 19% (15–23%) increase in mortality and an eviction judgment was associated with a 40% (36–43%) increase. Associations were larger for those at lower predicted risk of eviction. These findings reveal how rising costs and evictions are shaping mortality for American renters. Policies designed to increase the supply of affordable housing and prevent eviction may lead to widespread improvements in population health.