Not just three years ago creating new and renovating properties into affordable housing was a high priority for community development departments. In this very short time, there’s little mention and not much more attention to this important element of our communities. Maybe because of the economy (as the elephant in the room) no one is talking about affordable housing as much these days. The CDBG program continues to chug and churn-out additional affordable units but where is the impelling force?
As it could be, creating affordable housing programs is important for two reasons:
1) Serving affordable housing needs demonstrates commitment to residents. Experience is such that there seems to be a current disconnect within a community where we’re all willing to provide decent, safe and sanitary housing for seniors but not so much for other low-income families (and we as a country have been providing public housing for decades: Housing Act of 1931);
2) Maintaining a solid housing inventory within your community is vital. The residential sector within many communities represents a very significant portion of property tax revenues which fuels municipal operations.
Affordable housing programs have been undertaken chiefly by housing authorities; (operating with federal U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development [HUD] funding) communities using HUD funding under the HOME and CDBG programs; private developers/investors with continuing federal help via the Low Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) Program; by groups of local housing supporters who advocate for disabled residents, veterans, seniors, women and families, homeless; and the vital list goes on. Instead of focusing on various special populations and meeting established program income limits we could re-define what role housing can play in our communities. Maybe local governments (more than many communities do currently) could/should focus on investing in housing developments where there exists a public policy beyond just producing affordable housing units; like investing in a proposed housing development for purposes of redeveloping blighted or deteriorated areas, expanding onto vacant land or to locate in areas to increase tax increment and support downtown business. There’s lots of housing history and need existing in many communities. Let’s all rethink affordable housing and take some new ideas out for a spin.
