Public Development and the Promise of Social Housing: Assessing New Government-Led Housing Models in the U.S.

• In Event: Revisiting Public Housing as a Potential Solution to America’s Housing Crisis

Abstract

Amid a national housing crisis, and running counter to a decades-long shift towards increasing reliance on the private market to produce affordable housing, government agencies at the state and local levels are revisiting their own capacity to directly develop and own housing. These public development initiatives vary widely in their approach to development, with differences in the degree and type of agency involvement and the public inputs and financing tools used. They also differ in the kinds of housing they produce, in terms of scale, amenities, affordability, and income mix; the level of insulation from market forces through regulations, public ownership, or other means; and the degree of resident engagement and control. As such, these models also vary in how well they map onto the concept of “social housing,” which commonly refers to publicly or collectively owned housing that removes housing from the speculative market and fosters resident engagement and social integration. Above all, social housing emphasizes the role of housing as a place to live, rather than a vehicle for investment. 

In this paper, we draw on in-depth interviews with practitioners to better understand the emerging strategies for publicly developing housing in the United States and examine the degree to which the housing they produce (or expect to produce) meets key criteria for social housing. Case studies of initiatives in Montgomery County, MD; Atlanta, GA; Colorado; Boston, MA; Dakota County, MN; and Idaho elucidate the potential advantages and drawbacks of different approaches. Our findings can inform localities weighing where, how, and what type of housing to produce, as well as policies at the state and federal levels that could bolster or expand on local efforts.

Keywords: social housing, development, public

Author

• Claudia Aiken, New York University
  Presenting Author