Cattle_Aromatic t1_j8oqehk wrote
I think we need an all of the above strategy that combines policies that foster much greater housing construction of all types with all the tools in the toolbox for preventing displacement. I'd recommend the affordable city by Shane phillips, which I think does a much better job of articulating this case than I could!
bww37 t1_j8ovszl wrote
This is my favorite answer here so far. I’m currently taking a housing policy course and if there’s one main theme throughout, it’s that every housing policy has its pros and cons. Discussing housing solutions requires a LOT of nuance that gets lost here on Reddit discussions.
Based on what I’ve learned so far in my class, adding more supply is in my opinion the best way to go about addressing the housing crisis in the long run. There are studies that have shown that building more market rate housing does lower the price of buildings in the new housing’s immediate surroundings. Of course, that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t use the tools we already have like LIHTC and inclusionary zoning to ensure that low-income families have housing options. (And even then, LIHTC and IZ don’t help extremely low income families so that’s an issue)
However, new developments take a LONG time and the LIHTC buildings have expiring requirements (only require affordable housing for a certain amount of time and then they can charge market rate rent). For families who are faced with no-cause evictions as an example, they need a place to live now, not three years from now. That’s why housing choice vouchers are so important. And for families whose income hasn’t grown as much as their rent, they need housing now and rent stabilization is the quickest way to ensure they’re not gonna be on the streets.
All that to say, housing is a huge clusterfuck, and no one solution is going to be perfect. I just wish people would talk about this topic with more humility, openness to learning and new ideas, and compassion for families who are victims of the shitty housing crisis.
SuckMyAssmar t1_j8oxkcd wrote
Thank you so much for your comment. I have already learned a lot!
I also wished that commenters on this post would engage in more stimulating discussion rather than saying displacement of families is just “life.”
Can you please share what LIHTC and IZ mean? The first one being low-income housing….
bww37 t1_j8p1x5c wrote
Of course! And I agree with you. I wish more people would approach the topic with nuance rather than just “rent control = bad” “more supply = good”
And on your point about displacement/gentrification being just “life”, absolutely agree with you. If you take the time to learn about redlining, urban renewal, white flight, etc you’ll learn that there is nothing natural about the housing market. The government has intervened in the past to fuck things up and they can intervene now to help fix what they messed up.
As for LIHTC and IZ, here are some links! (Since they’re complex and I won’t do it justice)
https://inclusionaryhousing.org/inclusionary-housing-explained/what-is-inclusionary-housing/
SuckMyAssmar t1_j8p281e wrote
To clarify, I was referring to another commenter talking about how “life is life” in regards to gentrification and displacement of long-term residents.
I am veryy familiar with those policies and the history of real estate, but I hope others on this sub can learn about them!
Thank you for the links!
SuckMyAssmar t1_j8ota8z wrote
Agree! I will look into Shane Phillips.
Like why build more housing if more people are going to be displaced? We have to help everyone, not just those with money.
dtmfadvice t1_j8pn92h wrote
Philips puts together a pretty good 3 legged stool analogy: supply, stability, subsidy.
Supply: Unless there are enough homes for everyone, people will get priced out. The region has added jobs faster than housing for decades, and we have a serious supply problem. Adding to the total quantity of homes is necessary but not sufficient.
Stability: tenants need protection. Even when there's enough supply, people can still get screwed by landlords, and we need to have good protections.
Subsidy: even when there's lots of homes and tenant protections, not everyone can pay market rent. So we need subsidies.
Now, the subsidies go further when there's more supply. The tenant protections are bolstered by the ability of tenants to go "f this I'm moving" and find another apartment.
All three reinforce each other.
SuckMyAssmar t1_j8q8mc3 wrote
Thank you
dtmfadvice t1_j8qau2j wrote
Amateur housing wonk, glad to talk about it, DM me if you want to know about local housing advocacy groups. :)
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