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
