Affordable housing is housing created for people who have a certain median household income labeled as “affordable” by a local government. During the early 2000s, housing prices has started to rapidly increase, but the question is why? “Over the last decade, average rents have climbed 15%” (Ennis, 2016), becoming unaffordable for a numerous of reasons. One being the demand for apartments is high, but the supply is low. The land, where apartments are built on, is becoming limited (Rampell, 2013). New York is attracting new visitors and residents, due to the many attractions and job opportunity that the city has to offer. Therefore, New York does not have enough land to meet the needs of these people and provide them with new homes. The land
The average price of the condos on the waterfront went from $219,000 to $200, 000 in the past few months (Seward pg.2, 2015). This decrease in housing prices is not common, though. It is found that when gentrification occurs, the average rents in a neighborhood rises. This is due to new renters who come to these neighborhoods who can afford to pay higher rents which raises the rent (ICPH pg.2, 2009). Resultantly, this causes people to move due to the increased rent.
The seizing of land by the government provides communities for schools, as well as roads and infrastructure to be built. This in turn either creates jobs for individuals inside these neighborhoods, or provides them with necessary infrastructure to continue their lives. On the other hand, many argue against the government for using eminent domain in which all land is seized without worthy compensation, and as a way to further damage the environment. In the past, the process of eminent domain caused groups of people to lose their homes and culture without any form of compensation. Due to the impacts that eminent domain is responsible for, we must reevaluate whether the failures of eminent domain in the past define the overall process as productive and beneficial or if that is not the
With proper planning and wise judgment eminent domain can be used to make our cities into greater places
Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2015/01/07/us/politics/ap-us-obama-housing.html McConnell, C. R., Brue, S.L., & Flynn, S. M. (2012). Economics: Principles, Problems, and Policies. (19th Ed). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill. U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, “National Income and Product Accounts: Gross Domestic Product: Fourth Quarter and Annual 2014 (Advance Estimate),” (2015).
Wealth is one of the factors why residential segregation is an increasing problem. Golash- Boza explains, “Residential segregation happened when different groups of people are sorted into discount neighborhoods” (271). It is because of housing segregation
In the early 2000s, the housing bubble was blown across the United States. Real estate was flourishing with cash inflow from increase in demands, and investors poured money into the housing market in hopes of benefitting from it. George W. Bush stated, in 2002, “Owning a home is part of that (American) dream, it just is. Right here in America if you own your own home, you’re realizing the American dream.”
Gentrification is the process of renovating and improving a house or district so that it conforms to middle-class taste. Real Estate investors usually take low-income places that they feel have a chance to prosper economically, and turn them into areas that attract the middle and upper class workers. In doing so they feel like the low-income areas will be safer and more appealing, attracting more people to visit and live there. An improvement to a poor district sounds beautiful, but is gentrification as great as it’s sought out to be? Many residents have their doubts about gentrification due to the idea that the costs of their living will go up and they will be driven out of their neighborhoods.
There has to be a realistic solution that can be put into motion to benefit everyone involved. Referring again to his article “Is Gentrification All Bad?” Davidson argues that urban renewal, if done right, is not a monstrous custom that it is painted to be; nevertheless, he reasons that gentrification depends on who does it, how they do it, and why they do it. As a resident in New York, a city where gentrification is as widespread as the common cold in winter, Davidson speculates that those who go into a neighborhood with the intention to renovate houses, or abandoned buildings ought to have a good reason for it. The author points out that “Gentrification does not have to be something that one group inflicts on another…” (Davidson 349), rather, he suggests that everyone, the gentrifiers and the locals, be on the same page when it comes to developing their
Have you ever had to choose between eating or having a roof over your head? If you answered no, you are one of the fortunate ones who most likely fall somewhere between middle class to upper class. Those who answered yes are a part of the millions of Americans who are currently facing a fairly new problem that has a light upon it – the lack of affordable housing. In Matthew Desmond’s book Evicted, he writes about numerous eviction stories of families or individuals for several different reasons.
The document of the Homestead Act was one of the first factors towards development in our nation. This act offered free or cheap land to anyone who would live and improve the Great Plains area. The people taking part got 160 acres of land, had to build a house on it, and live on it for 5 years. The act encouraged immigrants and freedman to travel out west. This act gave opportunities to many individuals that would not be given before.
One of these sources includes, “the University of Washington professor Gregg Colburn,” and, “the data scientist Clayton Page Aldern” (Demsas 2022). By including this source in her essay, Demsas can support her argument and make it more credible by showing that she has done her homework to provide reliable facts and statistics. Demsas proves that she is trustworthy and credible and shows her knowledge of the topic in her writing. Demsas, an authoritative and knowledgeable writer, is respected by managers from several different writing companies and has written over 20 different stories for several companies, including, “The Obvious Answer to Homelessness.” The author’s tone is knowledgeable, trusting, and optimistic, persuading her audience that housing scarcity has caused homelessness.
Public Policy on Housing Discrimination Executive Summary Housing discrimination and segregation have long been present in the American society (Lamb and Wilk). The ideals of public housing and home buying have always been intertwined with the social and political transformation of America, especially in terms of segregation and inequality of capital and race (Wyly, Ponder and Nettking). Nevertheless, the recent unrest in Ferguson, Missouri and in Baltimore due to alleged police misconduct resulting to deaths of black men brought light on the impoverished conditions in urban counties in America (Lemons). This brings questions to the effectiveness of the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) in devising more fair-housing facilities (Jost).
The National Association of Home Builders estimates that building 100 new affordable housing for households which have low income, contributes to the creation of 80 jobs from the direct and collateral effects of construction and 42 jobs supported by the induced effects of the spending (Wardrip, Williams & Hague, 2011). By building affordable housing, people can be in a sizeable and sustainable condition, more opportunities to increase the character of life in order to avoid the unemployment, and especially reduce
There will be both supporting and opposing arguments on whether there should be free-housing provided to poor and homeless people. The article, “Free housing should be a universal right” gives reasons on why there should be free housing, also possible methods to achieve free housing. The idea of free housing is to give houses and accommodations to those that lack resources so they are able to prosper and live their lives. Free housing is supported by the ideas of basic rights and the well being of people. Housing is one of human’s basic needs to function.
A lack of affordable housing and the limited scale of housing assistance programs have contributed to the current housing crisis and to homelessness. The National Low-Income Housing Coalition estimates that the 2017 housing wage is $21.21 per hour, exceeding the $16.38 hourly wage earned by the average renter and greatly exceeding wages earned by low income renter households (NationalHomeless. Org). Today, 11 million extremely low-income households pay at least half of their income toward housing, putting them at risk of housing instability and homelessness. The solution to housing the homeless is straightforward.