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affordable housing

Dedicated from the beginning to everyone working to empower and support low-income communities, Shelterforce provides a venue for conversations that need to be had—on topics such as housing affordability, homeownership, and lots more.

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A young family of three seen from the back as they look at a house. From right: A light brown-skinned man with shaved head and chin whiskers in a blue chambray shirt and khakis points to the house, at something out of frame. His other arm is around a black-haired woman in a narrow-striped button-up white shirt over blue jeans. One of her arms is around the man's waist; with the other she holds a small dark-haired child in a pale blue top and black leggings and no shoes. The house is white with brown window trim, and a sold sign in one window.

Targeting First-Generation Homebuyers Is a Great Way to Direct Downpayment Assistance—And It Could Be Better

The proposed program could shrink the racial homeownership gap while serving a wide cross-section of people. But it only addresses some of the results of past discrimination.

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Tents line a Skid Row street in Los Angeles in 2015.
Housing

To Save On Medi-Cal Costs, a Bid to Help Homeless Patients With Rent Money

California lawmakers consider devoting an additional $90 million to subsidize rent for homeless patients.

A calculator and black pen lie upon a double ruled notebook.
Housing

After Paying for Housing, How Much is Enough for Basic Necessities?

We need some standards to explain what “enough” means. Here’s a breakdown of the Family Budget Calculator, the Self-Sufficiency Standard, and the Housing Poverty Measure.

A grey-colored apartment building in Oakland California.
Housing

Thoughts on the Unnatural Occurrence of Cheap Housing

There are two major issues with NOAH, better known as Naturally Occurring Affordable Housing. One is semantic, and one is practical.

A black and white photo of a dozen or so residents of a multifamily building standing outside with a "Save Chinatown Housing" sign.
Housing

Will Limited-Equity Cooperatives Make a Comeback?

Federal programs and cultural attitudes that helped launch a majority of the large limited-equity co-ops across the nation are long gone, but at a smaller scale, this model of resident-controlled, long-term affordable housing may be experiencing new interest.

A woman who attended the 2016 National Housing Conference's event in New York City speak at the microphone.
Housing

How to Build a Case for Community Development and Affordable Housing

In the new administration, housing programs will feel the pressure of budgetary cuts and tax reform. Advocates should be careful not to put down other programs in the process of defending their own, or everyone will lose.

Rancho Lindo, an apartment complex in the San Joaquin Valley in California.
Housing

When Deep-Income Targeting Doesn’t Hit the Mark

Deep-income targeting, where the focus is on housing those with the lowest incomes, can mean dramatically different things to affordable rental housing developers in different states, and even in different market areas within the same state.

A multi-story home in Highland Falls New York, a wealthy suburb.
Housing

The Secret History of Area Median Income

AMI is typically used to determine whether a person is eligible for housing assistance. But in a large and wealthy area like the New York City metro, the resulting definitions of “low income” are often skewed, leaving out those who really need the help.

Housing

Housing Need Is Even More Skewed by Income Than We Thought

Measuring only for cost burden overstates the housing needs of higher-income people and understates the extreme need at the lower end.

Housing

In Defense of the 30 Percent of Income to Housing Affordability Rule–In Some Cases

At an individual level, the 30 percent standard and the residual-income standard can produce very different results. But as a regional measure of affordability problems, they’re not so far apart.

A concept piece of scales, on on side, a hand is shown placing money, on the other side, a home raises.
Housing

Affordability: The 30 Percent Standard’s Blinders

Using a simple cost-to-income ratio to measure affordability doesn’t give us a good picture of who is really burdened by housing cost. We need a different approach.

A white hand puts a silver colored key into a door lock.
Housing

How Should We Measure Housing Affordability?

The simplicity of the 30 percent standard is also its downfall. We don’t expect people of differing incomes or family sizes to pay the same percentage of their income in taxes—why would the same percentage work for housing costs?

Affordability

Vision, Not Just Critique

In the Spring 2017 issue of Shelterforce, we talk about something that comes up daily for many people working in the community development field—what does housing affordability mean? Crafting practical policies to back up our vision requires that we be thoughtful about all of the pieces.