Panelists participating in a recent webinar hosted by the Urban Institute discussed various actions that could help alleviate the nation’s affordable housing crisis.
Among the possible remedies: inclusionary zoning policies, various reforms to increase local affordable housing stock, fees on new development to offset the impact on public infrastructure, increased support for first-time homebuyers, and granting tenants the right of first refusal to match offers when a landlord is considering selling their property, according to a report by SmartCities Dive.
Some panelists advocated for more investment in public housing, social housing, and shared equity models such as community land trusts, where residents collectively own property through an independent body.
Such models are examples of “decommodified housing” — a term panelists used to describe housing that supports collective well-being and economic mobility over its role as an individual financial asset. One panelist noted that the collective ownership of land is not foreign, as a condominium is a well-known type of collective ownership with individuals owning units within a property that is jointly owned.
The challenge to spurring more innovative options for home ownership is getting the public and banks to believe that decommodified housing is worthy of investment, a panelist said. Goals should include moving people from public housing into affordable rental properties and eventually into home ownership. More alternative ownership models would make the latter more achievable.
Related Stories
Products and Materials | Jan 18, 2023
6 innovative products for multifamily developments
Here are six innovative products for various multifamily developments, including a condominium-wide smart electrical system, heavy-duty aluminum doors, and prefabricated panels.
Modular Building | Jan 9, 2023
How modular solutions can help address skyrocketing construction costs
Modular builder Joshua Mensinger details three ways modular solutions aid in lowering construction costs.
Modular Building | Nov 22, 2022
FullStack Modular prepares to begin work on its first California project
It will supply 200 complete modules for Treehouse Hotel’s first U.S. property.
Giants 400 | Aug 29, 2022
Top 110 Multifamily Sector Contractors + CM Firms for 2022
Suffolk Construction, Clark Group, AECOM, and Whiting-Turner top the ranking of the nation's largest multifamily housing sector contractors and construction management (CM) firms for 2022, as reported in Building Design+Construction's 2022 Giants 400 Report. Note: This ranking includes all multifamily sector work, including apartments, condos, student housing, and senior living facilities.
Daylighting | Jul 15, 2022
Tubular system provides daylight for modular school with small windows
Tubular system provides daylight for modular school with small windows.
Healthcare Facilities | Jun 20, 2022
Is telehealth finally mainstream?
After more than a century of development, telehealth has become a standard alternative for many types of care.
Modular Building | Mar 31, 2022
Rick Murdock’s dream multifamily housing factory
Modular housing leader Rick Murdock had a vision: Why not use robotic systems to automate the production of affordable modular housing? Now that vision is a reality.
Hotel Facilities | Sep 22, 2021
Will hotel developers finally embrace modular construction?
Last May, MiTek, a construction software and building services company that’s part of Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway conglomerate, formed a partnership with Danny Forster & Architecture to promote modular design and construction.
Hotel Facilities | Aug 26, 2021
Building hotels with modules, with citizenM's Menno Hilberts
In this exclusive interview for HorizonTV, Menno Hilberts, Managing Director of Project Management with hotelier citizenM, explains how the company is employing modular construction to help double its presence in the U.S.
Resiliency | Aug 19, 2021
White paper outlines cost-effective flood protection approaches for building owners
A new white paper from Walter P Moore offers an in-depth review of the flood protection process and proven approaches.