USA TODAY’s Post

Did you know that Vienne regularly comes top in surveys of the world's most livable cities? 🤔 It's no wonder, given their housing policy, which ensures all people live in dignified circumstances at affordable rents. This policy also ensures they can keep these homes for their lifetime and even pass them on to their children. Housing experts and political leaders from California have been trying to figure out how this approach could benefit their 40% rise in people living on the streets in the last five years. It would also be interesting to consider whether this approach could help the UK housing crisis. What do you think? Read more here: https://lnkd.in/exZQAwEh #ukhousing #affordablehousing #movingsoon

What is affordable housing? Research has shown us that broad public understanding of what affordable housing is and how it serves our community is greatly lacking. A shared definition is critical to advance efforts around increasing affordable housing and ensuring all of our neighbors have a safe, stable, affordable home. This three part definition addresses some of the most frequently asked questions about affordable housing - use it as one or take one part of it depending on the conversation. Our hope is you will use this definition and share it widely! All content provided by Silicon Valley at Home. #affordablehousingis #definingaffordablehousing #forusforyouforall #whatisaffordablehousing #affordablehousing

There is a clear north-south split in terms of housing affordability. Housing in Oxford is three times less affordable than it is in Burnley 🧭 And housing has become less affordable in almost every city since 2010, and cities in the Greater South East, where the affordability challenge was already most acute, have tended to see the greatest increases – eight of the 10 cities with the largest deterioration were in this part of the country (with London having the biggest change). Exeter and Bristol also made the top 10. Just five cities have seen an improvement. All three cities in the North East – Middlesbrough, Newcastle and Sunderland - along with Blackpool and Aberdeen, saw housing become slightly more affordable. See our 12 charts to inform the election debate 📊👇 https://loom.ly/5ex4AxI

New York City is the costliest city in the U.S. for renters. Development of dynamic, supply-side affordable housing solutions could stabilize population trends and support long-term economic growth. Read our report: https://okt.to/zcJ69M

It’s inobvious unless exposed - housing affordability is often about outdated city bylaws. My recent investigation involves one such policy, passed in 1989 in Vancouver. Now, it’s a big contributor to sky high housing costs in downtown. Together, we can change this. City council needs to act now. Watch the investigation here: https://lnkd.in/eMj_Y7f9

Public housing policies, like building homes or such as rent capping, aims to provide affordable housing to those in need, but their implementation has led to unintended consequences. Rent fixing discourages property owners from offering their properties for rent, reducing the supply of available housing and making it more challenging for vulnerable populations to find affordable accommodation. It also deters investment in property maintenance and improvements, contributing to urban blight. In Australia, rent fixing has led to a shortage of affordable rental properties, pushing low-income families into a highly competitive market. Geographical and economic factors limit the availability of affordable housing, leading to precarious living situations. The broader implications of these policy failures extend beyond the immediate housing market to social cohesion, economic productivity, and community well-being. Failing public housing policies exacerbate social inequalities, as those unable to afford decent housing face barriers to employment, education, and healthcare. The lack of affordable housing drives up living costs, deters investment, and stifles economic growth. To address these challenges, policymakers must re-evaluate public housing initiatives, considering both short-term benefits and long-term sustainability. Real-world examples from Australia highlight both successes and failures of public housing policies. For instance, the slow pace of redevelopment in Melbourne and the challenges faced by Indigenous communities in the Northern Territory highlight the complexity of public housing policies and the need for a nuanced approach. #housing #realestate #interventionism #properties #homes #economics #sustainability https://lnkd.in/gQkfKQuq

25% of residents in Paris live in subsidized housing units. In Massachusetts, wrangling towns into complying with a mere 10% affordable housing expectation is like herding cats. And when some communities do manage to surpass that benchmark, they pat themselves on the back and declare they've done their civic duty. But wait, there's more! Apparently, accommodating extremely low or low-income households will supposedly bankrupt local businesses faster than you can say 'disposable income. However, if we take a peek at the numbers, it's crystal clear: investing in tactics to keep rents reasonable across the board and ensuring that the folks who actually keep your towns ticking are adequately housed benefits everyone - especially local businesses and and their workforce. https://lnkd.in/enuAvVwm

It's nice when you write a blog about something and then a big newspaper picks up the same theme a couple of months later and comes down roughly on the same side that you did! https://lnkd.in/gQeE53dj Ultimately, new towns are fine. If they are the politically viable way to get large volumes of new homes built, then we should all back them. But, if we are really serious about improving growth, or reducing regional inequalities, then we really should put the bulk of our new homes in our regional cities. See more of my thoughts here: https://lnkd.in/giZVcxUb

How to solve a housing affordability crisis:

Let's change our attitude about public housing. Yes, it's failed in the past. It worked, but then failed. Architecturally, financially, and emotionally. It failed. BUT that does not mean we need to have a negative attitude towards public housing projects. For instance, 25% of Parisians live in public housing. Shocking, eh? There is something to be said about maintaining the character of a city by allowing for working-class, and lower-income brackets to live within the city limits. Emphasis on working-class here, as we do not want to pack thousands of welfare-depended individuals into any complex, as was demonstrated throughout the latter part of the 20th century with the Chicago Housing Authority. This leads to disarray. We can all take an example of Paris. By investing $$ into quality, affordable public housing developments across a range of incomes - Low, Middle, and High. Or what Parisians refer to as Mixite Sociale. Yes, public housing needs to change. But so does our attitude and approach to it. This is where it starts ... and maybe it starts by referring to it as Mixite Sociale to get everyone on board. Tuesday morning thoughts. #ChicagoHousing #AffordableHousing #PublicHousing https://lnkd.in/gXiRby5P