What do we mean by improving the quality of housing?
___Improving the quality of housing refers to increasing the quality and quantity of affordable housing for low- and moderate-income community members, as well as encouraging environmentally responsible construction
___Affordable housing costs no more than 30% of household income
Livable housing should be:
___Decent
___Big enough
___Free of hazardous materials
___Safe
___Accessible for all residents
___In appropriate locations
___Convenient to transportation and services
Housing should be well-designed so that:
___It meets the needs of its users
___It responds to its context
___It enhances it neighborhood
___It is built to last
___Housing itself and its construction and site should be environmentally responsible
___Housing should be built with its social effects in mind (mixed income, mixed use, etc.)
___Improving the quality of housing takes a concerted and collaborative effort, resources, and the use of incentives and regulations
Why improve the quality of housing?
___It adds to the physical and social attractiveness of the area
___It increases property values
___Improved housing increases pride in the neighborhood for everyone
___Well-built housing is kinder to the environment
___Improving the quality of housing is cheaper for both the developer and the community in the long run
___Improved housing can increase the potential or actual workforce in the area
___It can preserve open space and/or reuse unused, previously-built space
___It can replace or restore an aging housing stock
___Improving the quality of housing can be part of a plan for anticipating the growth of the community
___Improving the quality of housing is the right thing to do
When should you try to improve the quality of housing?
___When there’s a community planning or development effort in progress
___When there’s an outcry about the lack of decent housing
___When there’s a crisis
___When there’s funding available from a federal, state, or foundation initiative
Who should be involved in improving the quality of housing?
___The developer
___The business community, particularly lenders
___Local officials
___Funders
___Neighbors
___Potential renters or buyers
How do you improve the quality of housing?
___Assessment
___Participation
___Consider diversity
___Plan, design and build as if this were upscale housing
___Address the impact, especially of a large development, on its area
___Plan, design, and build around the needs of residents
___Be creative
___Plan for recruiting tenants or buyers
___Use incentives for developers
___Expect and specify the returns for those incentives
___Enact regulations and limits on development
___Use public financing or building where it’s appropriate and will be well-managed
___Engage banks and work with low-income renters and buyers
___Use a collaborative development process
___Advocate
___Continue working indefinitely to improve the quality of housing