Article Abstract:
The private rental market by itself cannot be expected to meet the needs for affordable housing for all citizens, particularly the elderly, the poor, and the disabled. Median rents tripled between 1970 and 1983, while renters' income barely doubled. Waiting lists for public housing have been sharply enlarged, and two-thirds of US cities have been forced to shut down lists for new applicants. The conservative approach to unmet housing needs blames zoning, planning, and rent control as major causes for shortages in affordable housing, but free enterprise is not enough to generate needed units. Liberal strategies of large tax breaks with subsidies for landlords and builders have been shown to be too expensive and mostly ineffective. Options discussed in addressing the issue of available housing include: homesteading, limited equity cooperatives, and the use of block grants.
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Article Abstract:
Since the inception of federal public housing programs, the definition of a low-income family has been debated. Much of the concern was occasioned by legislators' desires that public housing not compete with private housing. Since the early days of public housing, legislation governing the programs has been based on varying policies that focus on various income groups as policy recipients. In the 1980s, the emphasis has returned to the very poor. An overriding reason for this change in emphasis is found in the cuts made in funding the housing programs. Still, the goals of the housing programs have remained unclear, leaving managers to deal with the particulars. Past and current public housing legislation and administration are analyzed.
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Article Abstract:
The goal of public housing policy should be to first ensure that the housing needs of the economically disadvantaged are met in a fair manner. Only then should home ownership for the needy become a goal. The policy of selling public housing to resident management corporations established by the US Department of Housing and Urban Development contains flaws and should not be followed. Public housing residents would not qualify for residency if they could afford to own housing. A more reasonable public policy would be to upgrade extant housing units for current residents, then build additional units for those needing them.
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