Housing Policies Overview
Federal Housing Policies Housing Assistance to Homeowners Housing Policy for Low-Income folks
http://www.nlihc.org/doc/cp04.pdf
Housing Policy – An Historical overview 1. Housing Act of 1937 public housing program
Housing Policy… 2. Housing Act of 1949
Housing Policy… 3. Efforts to Desegregate This photo is a family moving into Detroit public housing after the war – strictly segregated housing.
Housing Policy… 4. Move away from “project-based housing” --- early 1970s
Housing Policy… 1974 – Section 8 program Rent subsidies to low-income tenants in private housing
Housing Policy 5. HOPE VI and other public housing redevelopment efforts
Overall: Remarkable improvement in housing quality Remarkable retreat from addressing housing AFFORDABILITY Shortfall in affordable housing
Housing Policy 6. NOW: Greatest policy emphasis for low-income folks: home ownership. (we can praise or critique this on MANY levels – but in context of discussion near homelessness ----- not so relevant.)
Why hasn’t low-income housing policy been more successful? cultural argument Poor don’t value their housing, neighborhoods People don’t value “hand outs” Mean spirited architecture Political economic argument Compromised policy favoring real estate, business Housing policies as stimulus to trades and housing market