This beautiful neighborhood is defying Section 8 housing stereotypes - take a look

April 1, 2018                                                        By: Leanna Garfield

Today's stereotypes of what public housing looks like originated four decades ago.

In 1978, the Jimmy Carter administration created the Housing Choice Voucher program, also known as Section 8, which provides assistance to low- and moderate-income families to rent affordable housing built by local housing authorities.

Westlawn Gardens, a public-housing development in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. HUD/APA

You've likely seen some of these 1980s-era apartment buildings — characterized by their boxy shapes and shabby brick facades — which come with a number of negative stereotypes. A 2010 analysis points to five major public concerns around Section 8 units: a lack of maintenance, expectation of crime, disapproval of housing as a handout, reduction of property values, and physical unattractiveness.

A redeveloped public-housing neighborhood in Milwaukee, Wisconsin could defy those old attitudes. Called Westlawn Gardens, it features green lawns, a community garden, new sidewalks and stormwater drains, and attractive apartment units with bright exteriors and modern interiors. Milwaukee's housing authority contracted the architecture firms Torti Gallas & Partners and Kindness Architecture & Planning to redesign Westlawn....................Read More

A Bipartisan Victory for Affordable Housing

March 28, 2018              By: Bob Moss & David Gasson

Bob Moss and David Gasson write that the LIHTC is a priority for both parties

The affordable housing industry is celebrating a significant victory in our never-ending pursuit of additional resources to address the nation’s growing affordable housing crisis. With the passage of the fiscal year 2018 omnibus budget, Congress has restored some of the resources to the low-income housing tax credit (LIHTC) that had been diminished with the passage of the Jobs and Tax Cuts Act of 2017 in December.

Inclusion of a 50% cap increase to the 9% LIHTC over four years (2018-2021) and the permanent initiation of the income-averaging provision will provide much-needed financial and housing resources to communities across the country. In addition, appropriators recognized the damage inflicted on the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) budget, and thus those Americans that rely on HUD’s assistance, by repeatedly reducing resources to much-needed programs as recently noted in reports by both the Joint Center for Housing Studies at Harvard University and the National Low Income Housing Coalition. Acting on this information, as well as countless meetings with housing advocates, the appropriators increased the fiscal 2018 HUD budget by 10% over fiscal 2017 numbers. Credit for this abounds but special mention must go to Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine), chair of the Appropriations THUD (Transportation, Housing and Urban Development and Related Agencies) subcommittee, for her steadfast support for affordable housing. More on the ongoing budget battle at a later date...........................Read More

9 challenges affordable housing needs to overcome

March 24, 2018                     By: Aliens Group

Affordable housing has become a popular term in India for more than a decade now with several governments trying to provide for the shortage of houses for the mid and low income people. Are governments really successful in reducing this gap of demand and supply for affordable homes in the country? Has affordable housing been able to meet its goals and deliver to as per expectations?

The recently launched FICCI- CBRE whitepaper on 'Affordable Housing – The Next Big Thing?' highlights that "the segment hasn't really gained the required momentum to address this gap. A major reason has been the lack of private participation in the segment."

Under the Modi government, the past few years have seen maximum activity on Indian real estate scene, such as the launch of Mission Housing For All by 2022, imparting infrastructure status, implementation of RERA, revision of REIT guidelines, PPP policy, and a dedicated fund for affordable housing as a budget provision.

Speaking at the Conference on 'Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana - Housing for All by 2022', organised by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) in association with the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs in Delhi, Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Housing and Urban Affairs, Hardeep Singh Puri said that PMAY is not just successful but is roaring and hence brings the opportunity for the private players to be the part of the scheme......................Read More

The LIHTC Continues to Serve Those Most in Need of Affordable Housing

March 26, 2018                    By: Peter Lawrence

The low-income housing tax credit (LIHTC), continues to serve the nation’s most vulnerable households, according to “Understanding Whom the LIHTC Program Serves: Data on Tenants in LIHTC Units as of December 31, 2015,” a U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) report released March 20, 2018. The report provides insight into households in LIHTC rental homes including information about race, ethnicity, family composition, age, income, use of rental assistance, disability status, and monthly rental payments.

There are several caveats to consider about HUD’s data. First, not all data reported by housing finance agencies (HFA) are collected in a manner consistent with HUD’s demographic data collection standards. Second, what’s reported does not capture all LIHTC households because some HFAs did not submit 2015 data. In addition, the information is requested at the household level or for individual household members, but reporting is not consistent. Still, the data submitted is significantly large enough to be a representative sample and provides useful information about the economic and demographic profiles of households residing in LIHTC properties...................Read More

Affordable Apartments Lost

By: Multifamily Executive           Sponsored by PNC Bank

Every year, thousands of apartments are demolished - often by owners who can no longer pay to make the repairs needed to keep the apartments habitable.

Every year, thousands of apartments are demolished, often by owners who can no longer afford the repairs needed to maintain them.

These units are often among the most affordable homes in their respective markets, with the people living in them frequently having few other housing choices. The elimination of these apartments from the housing stock only exacerbates the already critical nationwide shortage of low-income housing. However, new financing tools are helping recapitalize these units, repair their problems, and keep them affordable.

“We’re not going to be able to build our way out of the affordable housing crisis … something needs to be done to preserve the existing stock, as well,” says Caitlin Sugrue Walter, senior director of research for the National Multifamily Housing Council (NMHC).................Read More

Housing as a hub for health, community services, and upward mobility

March 15, 2018                       By: Stuart Butler & Marcela Cabello

There is a growing recognition that, for people and neighborhoods to be healthy and successful, different sectors must work together and that investments in one sector can bring dividends in others. Housing, for example, is increasingly understood to be an important determinant of success in life, affecting health, access to education, and the opportunity for upward mobility.

The condition and location of a family’s home can affect such things as respiratory health and “toxic stress” among children, which can have lasting effects on individuals throughout their lives. The availability of good social services, positive social networks, and job opportunities can determine whether a family achieves the American Dream or not.

In “Housing as a hub for health, community services, and upward mobility” (PDF), Stuart Butler and Marcela Cabello explore the ways in which housing can affect the lives and success of individuals, and how the effect varies for different segments of the population. But, the authors find that in many instances there are a number of policy and other issues obstructing the capacity of housing to serve this vital purpose........................Read More

The Gap: A Shortage of Affordable Rental Homes

No State Has an Adequate Supply of Affordable Rental Housing for the Lowest Income Renters

Widespread Shortage of Affordable Housing

The U.S. has a shortage of 7.2 million rental homes affordable and available to extremely low income renters, whose income is at or below the poverty guideline or 30% of their area median income. Only 35 affordable and available rental homes exist for every 100 extremely low income renter households. Extremely low income households face a shortage in every state and major metropolitan area, including the District of Columbia. Among states, the supply of affordable and available rental homes ranges from only 15 for every 100 extremely low income renter households in Nevada to 59 for every 100 extremely low income renter households in Maine. For the 50 largest metropolitan areas in the U.S, the supply ranges from 10 affordable and available rental homes for every 100 extremely low income renter households in Las Vegas, NV to 47 in Providence, RI.................................Read More