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The Answer

The Answer is a one-page response to questions many of our readers find themselves being asked over and over, whether by colleagues, potential partners, funders, policymakers, or the public. It’s easy to download and print and it’s free to distribute with our credit on it.

Let us know how you are using The Answer, and also to get your suggestions for other questions to address.

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A poster: Q: What Does "Community Benefit" Mean? A: This term means different things to people in the health sector and the community development or organizing sectors, which can get confusing. Two sections of text titled "Hospital Community Benefit Requirement" and "Community Benefits Agreements," with clip art to illustrate. Image links to PDF version

Q: What Does ‘Community Benefit’ Mean?

January 23, 2024 | Shelterforce Staff

A: This term means different things to people in the health sector and the community development or organizing sectors, which can get confusing.

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One-pager reads Do Section 8 voucher holders increase crime in a neighborhood? No! Shows two graphs illustrating the point. Image links to pdf version.
Neighborhood Change

Q: Do Section 8 Voucher Holders Increase Crime in a Neighborhood?

February 5, 2015 | Shelterforce Staff

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 . . .

One-pager showing differences between municipal land banks and community land trusts. Image links to pdf version.
Community Control

Q: Is a Land Bank the Same as a Land Trust?

October 2, 2014 | Shelterforce Staff

A: Nope. They are totally different, though complementary tools. This chart will walk you through the differences.

One-pager shows a repeating image of a manufactured home down the center, with myths on the left about why they are bad, and facts on the right. Image links to pdf version.
Housing

Q: Are Manufactured Homes a Bad Form of Affordable Housing?

March 26, 2014 | Shelterforce Staff

A: Not any more! There are many myths out there about manufactured (or “mobile”) homes, but in fact they can be a very important source of quality affordable housing…

A four-person family stands in a maze leading to a house. Around the maze are various answers to the question "Why doesn't the market produce enough affordable housing?" Image links to a pdf version.
Housing

Q: Why doesn’t the market produce enough affordable housing where people want it?

October 16, 2013 | Shelterforce Staff

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.

One-pager starts with "Does affordable housing lower property values? No!" Image shows 56 green document icons, 5 striped, and 1 gray to represent research that found positive, mixed, or negative effects and a map of the United States with dots to represent where those studies took place. Includes citations. Image links to pdf version.
Housing

Q: Does Affordable Housing Development Lower Nearby Property Values?

July 18, 2013 | Shelterforce Staff

A. No. No. No. Are 56 studies enough no for you?

A drawing of a house with a red roof and a red path leading from door is accompanied by text explaining reasons why shared-equity homeownership makes sense in weak-market areas. Image links to pdf version.
Community Control

Q: What’s the Point of Shared-Equity Homeownership in Weak Market Areas?

February 12, 2013 | Shelterforce Staff

Shared-equity homeownership is best known as a tool to fight displacement in hot-market areas. But in fact, it has many advantages in weak-market areas too.

Does shared-equity homeownership build assets? Yes. And keeps them safer than traditional homeownership does. Various graphs and charts follow to back up this assertion. Image links to pdf version.
Housing

Q: Does Shared-Equity Homeownership Build Assets?

October 10, 2012 | Shelterforce Staff

A: Yes! And keeps them safer than traditional homeownership does.

Did the housing crisis prove that low-income people can't be successful homeowners? No! Infographic follows showing delinquency and foreclosure rates for two at-scale low-income homeownership lending programs, which are below the general population. Image links to pdf version.
Homeownership

Q: Did the housing crisis prove low-income people can’t be successful homeowners?

July 22, 2012 | Shelterforce Staff

No! Two at-scale, long-term lending programs show that if the process is done right, low-income homeowners can be as successful as prime borrowers–or more.