Q: What’s the difference between community economic development and traditional economic development ?
A: A lot! In fact, they are so different that the Democracy Collaborative, which made the chart below, has coined the term “community wealth building” to set apart the truly community-oriented practitioners of economic development.
Q: Do Section 8 voucher holders increase crime in a neighborhood?
A: No! This is a perennial fear, but research shows that additional voucher holders don't change the crime rate at all. However it does show that . . .
Q: Is scattered-site rehab always more expensive than new construction?
A: No! A long-running program in Philadelphia is showing that scattered site rehab can be cheaper and have a larger revitalizing effect at the same time.
Q: Does affordable housing development lower nearby property values?
A. No. No. No. Are 56 studies enough no for you?
Q: Can Including Rent and Utility Payments in Credit Scores Reduce Racial Disparities in...
Including rent and utility payments in credit reports and scoring models can increase credit scores, and reduce racial disparities in credit scores.
Q: What Do All These Housing Affordability Terms Mean?
While we use terms like "affordable housing," "moderate income," "housing poverty," and "area median income" often, we thought it'd be helpful to explain what all these housing affordability terms mean. Make sure you're using these 19 terms correctly.
Q: Can Prohibiting Source-of-Income Discrimination Help Voucher Holders?
A: Yes. Currently landlords in most places can discriminate against voucher holders, and many do. For example:
An African-American female tester using a voucher was denied...
Q: Why Don’t People Who Get Rental Assistance Get a Job?
A: More than half are elderly or disabled. Of the rest, most of them do have a job! Ninety-four percent of rental assistance receipts are ...
Q: Do inclusionary zoning requirements halt development?
A: No! Research shows that hasn't been the case. And here's what local officials in places that have implemented it had to say . . .
Q: Can Supporting Community Development Improve Outcomes for the Health Sector?
Yes! Over 50 percent of premature deaths in the U.S. can be attributed to preventable non-medical factors, specifically behavioral, environmental, and social conditions.
Q: Can Nonprofits Get Out the Vote?
A. Yes! Nonprofits are often uncertain about what they can legally do, but they can get out the vote among their residents, clients, and staff.
Q: What Do All These Rent Regulation Terms Mean?
As rents have been rising, organizing for rent regulations have gained steam. However, the terms used to describe rent regulations can be unclear.
Q: Is It Time to Bury Racially Loaded Planning and Development Terms?
Shelterforce has gathered some racially loaded terms that are common in our field. We suggest you use these sparingly and carefully, if at all.
Q: Is Rental Housing a Rural Issue?
Yes! Although homeownership rates are higher in rural areas, there is still a significant rural population that needs rental housing.
Q: Why doesn’t the market produce enough affordable housing where people want it?
A: The market is supposed to meet demand, but the importance of location, location, location, plus other factors, keep this from working for affordable housing.
Q: Do inclusionary housing requirements make housing prices go up for everyone else?
A: No, they do not. Market-rate developers are business people. They charge as much as the market will bear. When housing prices go up . . .
Q: Did Extending More Credit to Subprime Borrowers Cause the Foreclosure Crisis?
There are people who believe that the foreclosure crisis occurred because too many unqualified borrowers became homeowners. What actually happened was ...
Q: Does Shared-Equity Homeownership Build Assets?
A: Yes! And keeps them safer than traditional homeownership does.
Q: Why don’t low-income families save?
A. Actually they do! However, they tend to be saving for the short term, rather than the long term.
Q: Do Rent Regulations Make the Housing Crisis Worse?
A: No! Despite common fears, decades of evidence shows that rent regulation doesn't restrict housing supply and quality.
Feel free to print and distribute! Click...