Redefining Affordability: The Housing and Transportation Affordability Index Linda Young, Research Manager July 31, 2008

30 year old Chicago-based non- profit organization Promote economic development that is environmentally sustainable through: –Research –Advocacy –Demonstration projects Co-developer of the Location Efficient Mortgage SM Founding Partner of Center for Transit-Oriented Development, with Reconnecting America and Strategic Economics Center for Neighborhood Technology

CNT Neighborhood Green Think Tank Research & analyze urban problems to develop information resources, including web-based tools, to change how residents, policymakers and market actors understand and act in response to those problems. Design and operate demonstration projects and ventures to address those problems in innovative ways. Build coalitions to advocate for public policies that could help solve those problems.

H + T Affordability Index Defines housing affordability in a new way to include transportation costs Latest iteration of our ten years of work inventing, defining, and refining the science of location efficiency

Brookings Launch New interactive website provides H + T affordability costs at the neighborhood level for 52 metro areas Launched April 9, 2008 at Brookings in DC –through their Metropolitan Policy Planning Urban Markets Initiative

New Interactive Mapping Site Interactive map – users can move around web site to different cities Compare two views of affordability Zoom in on neighborhoods Click to get neighborhood data Review 21 different data points

Applications of the H + T Index Public planning Transit planning Housing affordability planning Analysis of different geographies (states, Congressional districts, etc) Advocacy and Public Education Tool for researchers

Public Planning London, The Prince’s Foundation - planning and analysis to achieve low auto dependent neighborhood Southern California Area Governments – analyzed affordability, land use, and transportation in relation to Compass Blueprint Plan to focus future development in 2% of land area Champaign Urbana, IL – predicting H + T based on future land use development scenarios Montgomery County, MD - using for land use and transportation planning Additional cities requesting H + T analysis and to be added to website

Transit Agency Planning Bay Area MTC –First transit planning agency to set a benchmark for lowering H + T costs (10% below 2000 levels by 2035) –Using H + T for planning and analysis Minneapolis-St.Paul –Used for planning new light rail lines and TOD

Housing Planning Atlanta, GA –Making the case for mixed-income TOD Philadelphia –Metro Philadelphia Indicators Project Developing H + T calculator for individuals with Center for Housing Policy –pilot in Washington DC area

Advocacy Campaigns US PIRG – national campaign to promote transit development and funding –June 2008 media kickoff – cited comparative T costs in US cities –Use of materials in national door-to-door campaign

Climate Mitigation Planning Potential use of H + T model and data –Use modeled VMT data to understand travel patterns and associated emissions –Target areas of low household VMT and location efficiency for future growth –Measure current and future household VMT calculations for all trips, to monitor and evaluate climate mitigation strategies

Applications of Current Data Gas Costs Maps –New maps with current gas prices to show geospatial variation of costs Foreclosure Analysis –mapping Chicago metro foreclosure data to identify comparative geographic impacts with H + T New analysis planned for other geographies – states, Congressional districts Release of CO2 and VMT maps imminent

Chicago: Driving up the Cost of Living: Annual Household Gas Expense

Memphis: Driving up the Cost of Living: Annual Household Gas Expense

Implementation Goals General acceptance of the redefinition housing affordability to include transportation expense Screening public investments for location efficiency values Widespread consumer understanding of transportation costs associated with location

Thank You For More Information: htaindex.cnt.org Or Contact: Linda Young Peter Haas Barbara Lipman