Many U.S. churches are taking dedicated action to assist those in need of affordable housing by building developments on their properties. "There's so much land owned by houses of worship anywhere you go in the country," David Bowers of Enterprise Community Partners, a nonprofit focused on housing solutions, said in a speech at the World Economic Forum (WEF). Churches and religious institutions are among the country’s largest landowners. Many of them have additional unused land or adjacent sites that are suitable for development. The current lack of affordable housing in America has substantial implications for many Latinos and dramatically impacts their quality of life.
Religious Institutions' Role
Places of worship usually offer a variety of amenities that make them ideal ...
A bipartisan effort led by Senators and Representatives alike proposes a new plan to help solve America's widespread lack of access to homeownership. The Affordable Housing Credit Improvement Act of 2019, also known as the Low Income Housing Tax Credit, would expand and strengthen the Affordable Housing Tax Credit. Senator Maria Cantwell introduced the bill on the Senate floor last week, urging fellow-legislators to act in this issue. "We know that this challenge of moving forward on affordable housing is something that is a bipartisan issue," Cantwell, one of the bill's sponsors, said. "The tax credit has had bipartisan support for many years in the United States Congress. We just need to put the pedal to the metal and provide more of the tax credit so we can get more ...
Some houses, apartments, and other living spaces can remain unoccupied for most months in the year. Meanwhile, America faces a dilemma of affordable housing options. As government officials grapple with potential solutions that will ensure people can afford a physical home, one study suggests implementing an empty-house tax can change the housing crisis status quo. Cities that have implemented such legislation have seen positive results in their economy and rates of unoccupied homes. “Housing prices are impacted by supply, and if there are thousands of homes that sit unused, even a fraction of that becoming available will have a real impact on prices,” Alex Tran, Housing Community Development Commissioner of San Jose told the San Jose Spotlight. “We are looking at these ...
The threats posed by climate change are growing every day, and they threaten severe impacts on public health, society, and housing. As climate change causes more powerful storms like Hurricane Harvey with increased frequency and intensity, housing developers are increasingly interested in disaster resilience.
How Does Climate Change Affect Housing?
Some of America's most significant cities face the highest risks, as most are near a coast. Worse, these urban hubs contain high populations, capital assets, and ports that influence the national economy. Protecting the nation and the world's most populated areas should be at the forefront of every government official's mind in the immediate future. Recently published assessments of Califonia cities' carbon footprint found that, ...
This is part of the Salud America! The State of Latinos and Housing, Transportation, and Green Space: A Research Review » Summary
Two forms of intervention could improve the current state of housing instability in Latino communities. First, devoting more resources toward keeping renting families in their homes, and second, increasing the number of affordable housing initiatives with the ultimate goal of increasing the stock of affordable housing in Latino communities.
Keep Renters in Their Homes
Toward the first goal, development of a program that could provide aid to renters who experience drastic, but temporary, loss of income due to job loss, medical emergency, or other unexpected financial burden could prevent many forced displacements. In 2009, Milwaukee tenants facing ...
The American housing market is at its least affordable in 10 years. Home prices in California (39.1% Latino), which are among the highest in the U.S., have risen due to the state's rapid population growth and construction efforts being unable to keep up. In Los Angeles County (48.6%), more than 15,000 individuals live in cars, vans, and mobile homes — it is home to the country’s highest number of unsheltered homeless people. Yet, more than half the land Los Angeles and San Fransisco is filled by neighborhoods in which 90% of housing units are single-family homes, according to a recent New York Times report. In hopes of helping reduce these problems, the California state legislature passed numerous reforms reducing regulations on accessory dwelling units over the past two ...
Many senior citizens live on fixed incomes. Unfortunately, programs such as Social Security aren’t always enough to pay for living expenses — including housing. U.S. housing costs are at its least affordable in 10 years. The rising price and the lack of affordable options strain the well-being of the seniors, especially Latinos.
The Issue of Housing Affordability for Seniors Many seniors are not as financially prepared for retirement as they would like. Their income may be reduced, and their lifestyle costs may increase as well. The house where they raised their kids may no longer fit their needs or their budget.
An increase in home prices could provide opportunities to relocate for retirement.
In fact, housing is often a terrible investment if not planned wisely. ...
Demand for affordable housing is high, but supply is down in many U.S. cities. More than 11 million renters and 8 million homeowners spend more than half their income on housing; this results in extreme cost burdens and jeopardizes individual health, according to a Salud America! research review. “A lack of federal action and cash-strapped state and local budgets have contributed to the affordable housing crisis,” writes Teresa Wiltz for Pew Trusts. “Citizens are showing up at town halls and city council meetings demanding action.” Cities must find a way to boost affordable housing, but how can they make a difference? Here are six solutions to help improve affordable housing:
1. Create Affordable Housing Trusts.
Housing trust funds are established, ongoing, and ...
Big Tech helps drive the economy. It also influences where and how people live. In fact, the biggest tech companies like Facebook are increasingly diving into housing policy. They're starting housing projects and investing in philanthropic affordable housing projects. This creates quite the contrast, Ankita Rao recently wrote for Vice. "On one hand, tech companies have helped fuel the housing crisis—sprawling across cities that are bursting at the seams with little investment in public infrastructure, and avoiding taxes that might help the poor and homeless at virtually every turn," Rao wrote. "On the other, they're positioning themselves as postmodern Robin Hoods, announcing plans to build apartments for rent and subsidize others" that look like "company towns."
How Big ...
