References
NAR Library & Archives has already done the research for you. References (formerly Field Guides) offer links to articles, eBooks, websites, statistics, and more to provide a comprehensive overview of perspectives. EBSCO articles (E) are available only to NAR members and require the member's nar.realtor login.
Housing Pulse Surveys
National Association of REALTORS®
Source: Housing Pulse Surveys (National Association of REALTORS®, 2017)
Impacts of Low-Income Housing on Neighboring Properties
Affordable Housing Has Positive Effect on Home Values (The Denver Channel, May 26, 2022)
“Community members in a specific community will say, ‘Oh, well, they only found those results because that’s in Portland, Oregon. It’s so different from here.’ or, ‘You know, that’s in a whole different state,’” Stacy said. “The arguments you hear are, ‘It’s going to cause more traffic. It’s going to overcrowd our schools. But I think on a lot of cases, those are just kind of excuses for saying, ‘I don’t want people that aren’t like me to live near me.”
What Does Affordable Housing Do to Nearby Property Values (Bloomberg CityLab, May 2, 2022)
“I think the point here is that it’s not a negative impact,” said Stacy. She stresses that the analysis doesn’t prove the relationship is causal, only correlated. But it adds another finding to the growing body of research on what adding housing for lower-income people does to the community around it. “There’s so much evidence about the positive impacts of affordable housing: on reducing homelessness, lifting people out of poverty, improving health outcomes, improving long-term outcomes for kids... There are so many benefits.”
What is Affordable Housing and Why It Matters (Common Bond Communities, Jul. 12, 2021)
“Affordable housing is defined by the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) as a dwelling that a family or household can obtain–whether through rent, purchase or other means–that costs 30 percent or less of the household’s income. This metric looks at the cost of residing in the dwelling, including utilities.”
Affordable Housing and How to Participate (National Association of REALTORS®, Apr. 8, 2021)
“The need for affordable housing exists in communities across the country. This episode's guest, William Baylor, joins Monica to talk about current federal affordable housing initiatives, as well as the personal initiatives he's involved with in his own market of Birmingham. This episode will provide ideas and resources for how agents can help find rental and purchase opportunities in their marketplaces that are affordable for people with a lower median income.”
Busted: 7 Myths About Affordable Housing (Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity, Feb. 18, 2020)
Affordable housing is often misunderstood, resulting in the following myths: affordable housing drives down property values, affordable housing doesn’t look nice, affordable housing lowers the quality of schools, affordable housing a taxpayer burden, affordable housing increases crime, affordable housing is a handout, and affordable housing only benefits the very poor. Read this article from Habitat for Humanity to find out why these myths are not true.
Opposition to Public Housing (NIMBYism)
Four Years Among the NIMBYs (The Atlantic, May 12, 2022)
“I look for cases where San Francisco’s progressive ideals don’t match up,” Fruchtman, who is a software engineer and volunteers with the local YIMBY group, told me. One time, he called in to a planning-commission meeting to hear a debate on proposed changes to an apartment building in his neighborhood. “I guess it was lucky I logged in a little early,” he said. An established ice-cream shop, Garden Creamery, was attempting to prevent a prospective soft-serve shop, Matcha n’ More, from moving onto the same block, using a provision of a state law designed to protect against environmental degradation.”
Seattle “Social Housing” Initiative Faces Opposition from Established Housing Providers (The Seattle Times, May 6, 2022)
“The Housing Development Consortium argues that Seattle should focus its resources on the existing system for developing and operating affordable housing, which involves a collaboration between the largely federally funded Seattle Housing Authority, local public development agencies and other nonprofit organizations. “
L.A. Built a Tiny-House Village for Homeless Residents, and Some Aren’t So Sure About It (Curbed, Apr. 27, 2021)
“The villages mark a puzzling shift in L.A.’s strategy, which had previously declared tiny homes insufficient for housing. Just a few years ago, three dozen of them — also painted in bright primary colors — were built around the city through a crowdfunding campaign led by activist Elvis Summers, but the city attempted to seize the occupied homes. “Mayor Eric Garcetti does not favor tiny houses for homeless people,” a spokesperson said in 2016.”
NIMBYism and the Language of Affordable Housing (U.S. News & World Report, Apr. 8, 2021)
“But the largest hurdle to overcome continues to be the stigma and prejudice surrounding affordable housing and low-income housing tax credit projects. NIMBY-ism, or Not-In-My-Backyard bias, now spans race, wealth status and geography. Simply put, whether you are poor or rich, you don't want "them" in your backyard.”
Websites
Housing Opportunity Program (National Association of REALTORS®)
NAR's Housing Opportunity Program helps REALTORS® become leaders in promoting home ownership at local, state and national levels
HUD User (U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development)
Numerous reports, articles, data sets, and other information on affordable housing from HUD's research department
National Low Income Housing Coalition
Includes numerous studies and reports on the state of affordable housing in the U.S., including the monthly NIMBY Report.
A national nonprofit affordable housing advocacy organization, featuring an Affordable Housing Clearinghouse, affordable housing publications and studies, and more
eBooks & Other Resources
eBooks & Audiobooks
The Affordable City (eBook)
Making Housing More Affordable (eBook)
Missing Middle Housing (eBook)
Books, Videos, Research Reports & More
As a member benefit, the following resources and more are available for loan through the NAR Library. Items will be mailed directly to you or made available for pickup at the REALTOR® Building in Chicago.
The Effects of Subsidized Housing on Property Values: A Survey of Research (California Department of Housing & Community Development, 1988) HD 1387 C12e
Growth Management and Affordable Housing: Do They Conflict? (Brookings Institution Press, 2004) HT166 G74
Impacts of Social Housing: Final Report (Canada Mortgage & Housing Corporation, Jan. 1994) HD 1387 C16
Low-Income Homeownership: Examining the Unexamined Goal (Brookings Institution Press, 2002) HD 7287 L68
Why Not in My Backyard? Neighborhood Impacts of Deconcentrating Assisted Housing (Rutgers University - Center for Urban Policy Research, 2003) HD 7293 W52w
Why Not in Our Community? Removing Barriers to Affordable Housing (HUD, 2005) HD7293 Un3wn
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