Why do we need more housing?
Housing comes in many forms. The concept of housing itself is a social construct and what qualifies as ‘decent’ and ‘affordable’ housing has changed drastically over time and between jurisdictions. Generally speaking, a house is a living space used for permanent or semi-permanent residence for an individual, family, household and should provide privacy, space, accessibility, stability and durability, lighting, heating, and ventilation as necessary and adequate for the health of its residents. As part of its basic infrastructure, it should also include sufficient water supply, as well as sanitation and waste facilities. Moreover, housing should be located in suitable and safe environmental conditions with access to work, food, education, medical, and other basic facilities and free from environmental contaminants and hazards. A house should be a healthy place to live.
A house (the structure) should provide the necessary components to be a good home (the social space) which is favorable to the psychological, social, economic and wellbeing of its residents. Stable and affordable housing is central to this wellbeing.
Unfortunately, in North Carolina not everyone has access to safe and healthy homes. Disproportionately, low-income communities are found in housing that is unhealthy and unconducive to the welfare of residents. Inequity, moreover, is directly linked to durable policies of discrimination and segregation that have created neighborhoods of color where home ownership is low, public assistance is high, food security precarious, health fragile, and poverty deeply entrenched. Mental health, social welfare, physical health, economic security, social mobility, and overall wellbeing are strongly correlated with how well a house proves to be a good home.
The lack of affordable choices in neighborhoods with goods schools, nearby employment, full-service supermarkets, and low crime rates is an underlying issue causing those with low incomes to be further segregated and concentrated in precarious communities with few assets. The Fair Housing provisions of the Civil Rights Act of 1968 and subsequent Fair Housing Amendments of 1988 put an end to the legality of discriminatory practices, but the reality of housing discrimination and segregation persist.
Developing more affordable rental housing options requires a cooperative approach between private developers, non-profits, county and municipal governments, and social impact investors like hospitals and insurance companies. In their “policy toolkit” Allerbe et al (2015) recommend increasing residential density, creating permanently affordable housing stock through deed restrictions and long-term covenants, removing development barriers, and facilitating revolving loan funds with capital available at low interest to nonprofit developers to acquire and build in markets experiencing increases in rent and home prices. Similarly, Anthony (2018) recommends increased funding for federal low-income rental housing programs, reducing inequities in federal housing subsidies (like mortgage and property tax deductions), continued support for cost-burdened homeowners, and improving access to affordable housing for minorities.
By providing low-interest funds to for-profit developers, impact investors and the government may help to off-set the high cost of building affordable units in high market-value neighborhoods. Simultaneously, pushing for local inclusionary ordinances and revising single-family zoning preferences may open new opportunities for development. Aligning land-use policy, significant funding, political will, and public support will take a coordinated effort but the reward is a healthier population with more resources for education, transportation, food, and healthcare improving long-term economic outcomes and quality of life.
Excerpted from:
Sills, S. (2020). Affordable and Healthy Homes in North Carolina, Context and Opportunities for Innovation. Blue Cross Blue Shield Foundation of North Carolina White Paper available at: http://www.bcbsncfoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Affordable-and-Healthy-Homes-in-North-Carolina.pdf
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