Currently the entities developed to increase the success of at-risk populations in San Antonio are dependent upon local, state, federal, and private funding. Research shows that stable housing is an essential part of creating a positive and fluid transition. Although the federal and state governments have created legislation and programs to assist state and local governments ability to provide services for at-risk populations, they are not complete. As a part of community development, Traditional Neighborhood Developments (TNDs) and Transit-Oriented Development (TODs) have been used to revitalize the neighborhood/community through the enhancing the built environment. The idea is that by enhancing and transforming one’s physical environment, you are creating an environment that promotes and nurtures healthy, sustainable, and affordable living. Aside from those services devoted to alleviating current community afflictions, this paper illustrates the possible benefits that combining the elements of TNDs and TODs may have for at-risk populations.
INTRODUCTION
The purpose of this exploratory study is to demonstrate the use of green, affordable, housing as a way to provide at-risk populations with a community of their own but at the same time assisting them in establishing stability. I review current literature that explores affordable, green, and transit-oriented housing. I then highlight the examples of green affordable housing, transit-oriented housing, and how integrating the
Living in communities that are run down, neglected and forgotten takes a toll on all members of the community. This is especially true when residents witness new properties being erected around the city as their own neighborhoods are deemed “ghettos” and not receiving the investment necessary for improvements. Many of the low income housing that is available to city residents aren’t the most desirable properties as they may have structural deficiencies, lead paint, rats and roaches running amuck. Many older properties also do not have adequately functioning heat or hot water availability. The housing projects also do not have air conditioning. On hot days, having no cool break in addition to all the other negative social factors, this can be a deadly combination that may perpetuate frustrations and ultimately lead to violence.
As part of our final report we are expected to select a planning issue within the City of Boston and undertake an analysis of the issue from a planning perspective. An issue that the City of Boston is dealing with that caught my attention was the lack of affordable housing available to its current and future residents. As cities start to evolve and attract large amounts of people, they also face some drawbacks that can affect where and how city residents can live. Our trip to Boston, Massachusetts opened my eyes to the city’s housing issue and its increasing housing and land values. An issue of this nature often causes residents to be pushed out of the city, into the suburbs or can cause homelessness. Low to moderate income families and youth across the City of Boston are struggling to pay rent and make ends meet. After our meeting with the Boston Housing Authority, I wanted to further explore the issue of housing affordability so I reached out to the City’s Department of Neighborhood Development for more information This paper will look into some topics such as when housing became an issue in the city, if Boston’s student population plays a role, if there any shortcomings in terms of how the city plans for affordable housing, if there are any specific programs in place that deal with affordable housing and if Boston is looking into what other cities may be doing.
When a neighborhood is gentrified it will not only change the image of it, but also the services available there (Al-Kodmany 2011, 62-63). In other words, gentrification does not only have an impact on the physical aspect of the land, but also the resources that lie there. During the 90s, the Near West Side neighborhood located near Loop, an up-scale neighborhood, sought drastic changes within the area. The changes in racial demographics in the Near West Side indicated that the health risks that affected minorities dropped in the past decade (1992-2002) (Al-Kodmany 2011,
My proposal will benefit only families of the local communities mentioned previously. These communities have been afflicted with a new interest for gentrification of more affluent residents. We need to protect the low income families from displacement of their neighborhoods. Data that must be collected to initiate the proposal is the family’s income, financial issues, and household size. We are also going to gather data regarding housing prices, rentals and the impact of gentrification within the
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).
The DC government has been implementing Rapid Re-Housing programs in response to the homelessness crisis that the nation’s capital has been facing for years. The Rapid Re-Housing models were implemented across the country through the Homeless Prevention and Rapid Rehousing Program (HPRP), as part of the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act (ARRA) of 2009 (Anderson, 2015). Rapid Re-Housing is mainly an intervention, informed by a Housing First approach. Housing First is a critical part of the community’s effective homeless crisis response system (Anderson, 2015). The program attempts to connect families and individuals experiencing homelessness to permanent housing through personalized programs of assistance that may include the use of limited-time
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
However through urban planning and development, solutions can be discovered and put into action to allow easier flow into urbanism. Transportation issues for example can be resolved by planning for the future of Los Angeles and by investing in the public transportation system. An example of this would be investing in bike paths, lanes, and routes so that people with low income, such as Hispanic immigrants, can travel to their locations in an easier manner through biking. An investment “to fill in gaps and complete the citywide bike plan” for this method of transportation “calls for nearly 1,700 miles of new and upgraded paths and lanes before 2035,” which can seem difficult but possible (Laura J. Nelson). Biking as a new main method of transportation “can help reduce crashes of all types and assist in reaching an ambitious new city goal of eliminating traffic deaths by 2025” (Laura J. Nelson). A solution to gentrification through urban planning is to instead focus on a new method of development called Asset Based Community Development. Through this different urban revitalization process, an inside out approach is taken where development occurs by focusing on the communities’ assets and building upon them, unlike gentrification. When the community is dedicated and determined to rebuild their torn down neighborhoods, it is possible to bring new life to the neighborhood by focusing on assets such
“I took a trip to Oakland, California and fell in love with the area. We stayed at an Air B&B for the three days of our stay and the house was absolutely beautiful, it looked like my dream home. Despite all the glitz and glamour around us we noticed a large amount of homelessness compared to Columbus. We found out that this property is not someone’s home but a house used strictly as an Air B&B. When you hear something like that and see the amount of homelessness it makes you wonder how many of these homes are strictly for show? So after researching I found out, the reason for the rampant homelessness can be attributed to large increases in rent. Even worse, the cause for the increase is due to Silicon Valley” (Kasongo, 2017). Unfortunately, rent increasing virtually overnight is the reality of many low-income families. This situation is called gentrification and is felt throughout the world, from the Midwest, East coast or even Western Europe, no region is immune to this process. Gentrification in the Midwest is extensive and wide causing the displacement of many low-income minority residents which can lead to even bigger issues.
In urban cities, access to public transportation can mean access to better schools and higher paying jobs. However, this sort of housing can be costly for many families so research would look into Transit Oriented Development (TOD) and usefulness of this to created more affordable housing. Sources would include academic articles on TOD, studies on affordable housing, and research into the effectiveness of projects that have done this combination.
Gentrification is a problem that is plaguing cities all over the United States. Within the past decade, there has been an influx of people moving to Washington D.C., causing gentrification to become a prominent issue in the nation’s capital. People who have lived in certain parts of the city for generations are now being pushed out because of “escalating rents and real estate taxes associated with rising property values” (Duggan). And while it may be a positive thing that some areas of the city are experiencing revitalization, it’s a problem that the people who have been there are unable to experience it. Furthermore, there are certain areas of the city such as Anacostia, where poverty remains prominent. Gentrification is an issue in Washington D.C. that doesn’t seem like it is going to go away any time soon.
Charity Productions in partnership with the College of Architecture’s Texas Target Communities Program at Texas A&M University have collaborated together to develop a set of solutions in response to the pre-existing neighborhood conditions throughout Harris County in Houston, Texas. The conditions of these particular neighborhoods have created a pattern of disparities throughout Harris County to be recognized as constraints to residents in impeding their ability to become affluent members of society. Texas Target Communities and Charity Productions have taken a step further to not only provide an analysis of evidence for these disparities but to identify the assets present in these communities to formulate feasible and cost effective solutions.
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.
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.
In today’s society, it may seem that gentrification can eliminate poverty and increase neighborhood opportunities. Low-income residents and property owners will be the first to be altered by gentrification. In an email to the editor at the Atlantic, Freeman, the director of the Urban Planning program at Columbia states “ Gentrification brings new amenities and services that benefit not only the newcomers but long term residents too. Full service