Cape Cod 's Housing Crisis

For the past fifty years the shift from meeting the housing needs of the poor through government projects-based housing to a more individual approach, has been slowly implemented. Housing vouchers now enable underprivileged populations to move from high-poverty, segregated neighborhoods to more un-segregated, low-poverty neighborhoods. Low-poverty neighborhoods have less crime, better opportunities for employment, and more diverse schooling options. Some housing advocates however, contend that housing assistance is unnecessary and is an income subsidy that should be combined with other social safety nets (Clark, W. 2008).

Affordable housing: Rental housing or property that costs no more than 30% of one’s income. This is the long-established criterion for housing affordability (Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University, 2013).

It is often easy to castigate large cities or third world countries as failures in the field of affordable housing, yet the crisis, like an invisible cancer, manifests itself in many forms, plaguing both urban and suburban areas. Reformers have wrestled passionately with the issue for centuries, revealing the severity of the situation in an attempt for change, while politicians have only responded with band aid solutions. Unfortunately, the housing crisis easily fades from our memory, replaced by visions of homeless vets, or starving children. Metropolis magazine explains that “…though billions of dollars are spent each year on housing and development programs worldwide, ? At least 1 billion people

The increasing homeownership rate in the United States is a worthwhile policy goal. The housing economy creates jobs for American citizens as well as brings down the competitive qualities to purchasing a home allowing more middleclass citizens to spend money on houses. In doing so this drives the overall economy up in the United States.

The Fair Housing Act impacts all family functions from single to two parent households. The policy affects any family that is seeking to purchase or rent housing. However, there are exemptions to the act for multifamily units referred to as Mrs. Murphy exemption (Powell, 2009). The exemption states that if a dwelling has four or fewer rental units and the owner lives in one of those units, that home is exempt from the FHA. In addition, the economic characteristics of families that are greatly affected by this policy are those in poverty. After the passing of FHA, “the poverty rate rose between 1999 and 2005, in the nation's 100 largest metro areas (which encompass two-thirds of the U.S. population), poverty rates rose by 52[%] for residents living below the poverty line. This was the first time in modern history that more poor people are in the suburbs than the city” (Powell, 2009, p.148).

Shortage of housing supply, especially in the coastal areas, is the critical issue that drives housing affordability crisis in California. California’s major coastal metros (such as Los Angeles, San Francisco and San Diego), where about two-thirds of Californian live, is lacking in sufficient housing to accommodate all the people who want to live there . For example, in 2015, there were 133,000 jobs created in the Bay Area while only 16,000 units of housing added there . In addition, the construction of new housings in California’s coastal metros, from 1980 to 2010, was low from both national and historical standpoints. During the past three decades, the number of housing units in the typical U.S. urban center grew by 54%, compared with 32%

A bill, SB 35, written by Senator Scott Wiener, streamlines the home building action by removing roadblocks to development. Instead of putting roadblocks in the way, we should be offering incentives for housing development. “The explosive costs of housing have spread like wildfire around the state,” said Senator Scott Wiener. This is not a problem with elite housing along the coast. This is a problem that covers huge areas of the state. It’s damaging the economy. It also damages the environment, as people are forced into longer commutes.

In looking at the City of Dallas Affordable Housing Programs, the focus of this report will be in the form of a two-part series. The first part will be a program evaluation that examines the quantitative numbers or measurable objectives, goals, & achievements as established by the City of Dallas Community Development & Housing Department over a five-year consolidated plan period; and the second part will be a program analysis that seeks to take this quantified data of the program evaluation and really measure how effective these Dallas housing programs have been in not only achieving pre-determined objectives and goals but in changing low-income area housing buying trends; through creating more housing choices for low-to-moderate income families; in bringing about more mixed-income neighborhoods; improving infill affordable housing development opportunities; thru providing financial and training opportunities of minority businesses; etc.

This all started with the rise of “Affordable housing”, where a local nonprofit buys a piece of land and build a house for the needy in it. Now that might sound like a great idea for those who are faced with rising house prices in the downtown area, but it is just what those builders want. To push the poor

The affordability of housing is one of the most critical factors that determine the well being for Californians. Housing affects people’s lives in terms of education, recreation and choices for jobs. On the state level, the cost of housing has important impact on California economy, affecting the extent to which employers are able to hire and retain workers and influencing their preferences on whether to work and remain in California.

Meanwhile, yearly house price inflation rates in the top 20 cities are running in line with the national trend. The cities with the highest rates of increase are Seattle (+12%), Portland (+10%) and Dallas (+9%). Lower tier property prices appear to be more volatile than their high end counterparts in both Seattle and Portland. Meanwhile, the three cities with the lowest rates of house price inflation are New York (+3%), Washington (+4%) and Cleveland (+5%). Furthermore, rising house prices appear to be having an adverse impact on affordability. According to the National Association of Realtors, rising prices are offsetting higher disposable incomes and stable mortgage rates, and affordability has consequently been declining since January 2015. Partly driving the increase in prices is a lack of available supply of existing single family homes for sale. The number of months’ of unsold inventory was just below 4 in March and availability has been gradually falling since 2014. Additionally, there is a relatively tight supply situation for new single family homes for sale, which is also helping to support prices.

When placing my life into the context of the world around me, it can be rather difficult to examine upon the struggles I’ve had upon my life. Particularly profound instances have scarred me to a certain degree, and for quite a while I’ve maintained an unhealthy manner of total repression from these happenings. However, as I move forward in my journey in life, battling to ward off the demons which have infiltrated my psyche since my youthful days, I hold the knowledge that I am not alone, and there are always people that care for me and my well being. This is where Affordable Housing has emaciating themselves in my heart forever. Without Affordable Housing, there is a fantastic chance that I am not the same happy, hard-working individual that I am today, and for that, I will forever be indebted to Affordable Housing. The impact

The cutting of funding for housing services has resulted in less housing stability for individuals and families while putting families at risk to face poverty and homelessness. The government and housing providers are no longer making the needs of individuals and families a priority or even attempt to address the housing needs and challenges these individuals face. Instead, the government, market housing owners, and management have been tearing down housing complexes and replacing them with condominiums, rather than investing in repairs, renovations, and restructuring of the housing properties.

The lack of affordable housing in the United States is a problem that doesn 't receive nearly the attention that it necessitates. This absence of affordable housing became especially prevalent following World War II when suburbanization spread across the country like wildfire. Although the sheer number of homes increased, Jim Crow segregation influenced housing policy, meaning that white institutions prevented blacks from obtaining the mortgages needed to afford such homes. Therefore, rather than accept subprime loans, which often result in foreclosure, many black people have been pigeonholed into paying exorbitant rates for dilapidated rental properties located in inner-cities, thereby creating the affordable housing problem. Although the situation seems bleak, with careful planning and execution, we can solve the affordable housing problem. Specifically, my proposal involves the following two components: the government must first revise and draft three forms of legislation that create strict yet concise standards that landlords must follow, and then allocate federal funding to health and wellness programs within poor communities. By examining the contributing societal factors to the lack of affordable housing in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and then implementing the proposal mentioned above, one could potentially solve the affordable housing problem there and transpose the plan to other impoverished cities across the country.

Affordable housing is where it all begins, it is important to have affordable housing in nicer neighborhoods, like McKinney in