I’m trying to get a handle of the issue of “affordable housing.”
First, it is an issue? I haven’t done any hard research into it, but through conversation I’ve heard of people that cannot afford to live anywhere near where they work, that rents are skyrocketing, that rent control is broken, that homes are in foreclosure, and that there are high eviction rates. I’m sure these are all true to an extent, but to what extent and where, I don’t know.
Of course, it’s a problem for those affected by the lack of affordable housing, but what percentage of the population is affected? Is it significant enough to warrant attention and resources at the expense of other more pressing issues? Does it disproportionately affect only certain segments of the population? Is it a regional issue or a national issue? It seems that one of the first things to do is to figure just how much of an issue it is.
Along those lines, answer the question “is anything being done about affordable housing?” If the answer is yes, then that goes a long way towards establishing there is an issue…
So, what is being done?
[Need to identify what is being done where, by who. Need to know who is being served, how they are being served, and by whom are they being served. Need names, contact info, dates of incorporation, legal structure and status, websites, etc.]
How do these efforts coexist with the need for private sector profits? How are they supported by the local real estate industry and home builders? How do their municipalities feel about the impact on their tax base? How do these efforts fit with the public perception? Is affordable housing a NIMBY issue?
What other roadblocks and obstacles are there to affordable housing initiatives?
I have an idea that, on one hand, is fairly simplistic; on the other hand, though, it is seriously disruptive to the status quo of housing in America.
It involves streamlining the process of getting people into a custom-built home while eliminating as much cost and overhead as possible without cutting any corners. It provides the new homeowners not only with a home, but the tools and resources necessary to ensure its long-term ownership and appreciating value.
If this was poised as anything but “affordable housing,” there would be few issues or pushback. However, when you get into the specifics, you quickly see the perceptual issues that will create roadblocks.
For any locality, ask,
Is there an affordable housing problem here?
Is it possible to solve inside the city, or is the solution out in the county?
If the solution I describe could work logistically, what would be the objections?
What would have to be done to overcome those objections?
