Affordable
Housing: Defining an American Asset
HUD’s Affordable Housing Research and Technology Division
recently joined with the National Building Museum to produce
an informative — and remarkably persuasive — exhibit
on the subject of affordable housing as an architectural and
economic asset. With a clear goal of adjusting visitors’
perceptions of what affordable housing looks and feels like
today, the exhibit conveys some of the more striking results
of a recent surge in design excellence being applied to affordable
housing. The curators’ approach is to teach by example,
in that the exhibit presents well-designed affordable housing
developments in ways that encourage a broader understanding
and recognition of their value to the communities they serve.
It’s no secret that the demand for affordable housing
is high, while the lack of affordable housing can be a difficult
barrier for low-income homebuyers. Contributing to this unfortunate
circumstance is the fact that some communities continue to view
the inclusion of affordable housing as undesirable, rather than
beneficial. Rallying behind a faded NIMBY (‘Not In My
Back Yard’) banner, the most commonly cited objection
to affordable housing among some community members is a perceived
erosion of property values. The key to changing this attitude
is to build well-designed affordable housing that blends into
the existing neighborhood, thereby enhancing all residents’
quality of life and creating an atmosphere in which individuals
and families can thrive. Indeed, a growing body of research
shows that affordable housing can exert favorable economic and
social influences on healthy neighborhoods, and can serve as
a force of positive change in distressed neighborhoods.
The Economics of Design
Quality design can be affordable, and affordable housing
can embody quality design. That’s the mantra that the
joint PD&R/Building Museum exhibit hopes to instill among
its viewers both in its premier installation in Washington,
DC, and in various stops across the country. The traveling
exhibit will appear in ten cities across the country over
the next 24 months, including stops in New York, Chicago,
Los Angeles, Miami, Boston, Houston, Atlanta, and Raleigh,
as well as Yale University, University of Pennsylvania, and
the University of Indiana. Along the way, visitors to the
exhibit will find a wide array of technological innovations
that are making advances in design-enhanced affordability
possible: durable and resource-efficient building materials;
energy-efficient heating, ventilating, cooling, and lighting
systems; and sustainable, environmentally sound construction
practices. When integrated as complementary elements of thoughtful,
‘whole building’ design, these materials and approaches
contribute to reducing long-term operating costs — a
central and often overlooked aspect of affordability.
Helping to bridge the transition between good ideas and their
realization are a variety of government initiatives, working
in tandem with private, non-profit and for-profit programs and
ventures to provide financial and other assistance in the development
of high quality affordable housing. Some of the key players
include HOME Investment partnerships, Block Grant program, HOPE
VI, Low-Income Housing Tax Credits, Fannie Mae, and the Local
Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC).
Good Design Creates Value
In addition to the aesthetic advantages that promote community
acceptance, good design yields benefits at all stages of the
development process: conceptual, construction, occupancy,
and maintenance. It also nourishes the economy by creating
jobs and supporting commerce. A well-designed, well-built
project that fits into its neighborhood is advantageous for
residents, the community, and the development team - everyone
wins.
Developers of low-income, affordable housing are employing
design excellence as a tool to create value in economic, social,
and cultural terms. Not only can good design enhance property
values, it can also spur neighborhood revitalization and build
a renewed sense of civic pride. Low-income families benefit
from being a part of income-integrated communities in many
ways, particularly in terms of improved access to education,
job opportunities, and a better quality of life in general.
The community as a whole benefits from reduced commuter traffic,
lower police and social service costs, and the culturally
enriching effects of a diverse social fabric.
According to Troy Patterson, Sponsorship Manager for The
National Building Museum, “Affordable Housing: Designing
an American Asset was featured in several national publications
such as The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, Architectural
Record, Metropolis, and Metropolitan Home just to name a few.
From a pure marketing perspective, this coverage reached a
potential of more than 20 million individual households talking
about the benefits of, and need for, affordable housing.”
By the closing of the exhibit’s initial Washington,
DC run, Patterson estimates that over 20,000 visitors will
have passed through the gallery doors. He went on to observe
that “This is easily one of the most popular exhibits
we’ve ever done.”
Examples of Good Design
The exhibit features 18 projects from across the nation,
in contexts ranging from urban to rural. Together, they illustrate
how well-designed developments are offering new opportunities
for the least wealthy Americans, while creating value for
their surrounding communities. As the exhibit makes its rounds
over the next two years, it is hoped that the various approaches
to affordable excellence in design will serve as a prologue
to the exciting possibilities inherent in the future of affordable
housing. Responding to the demand for affordable housing,
some forward-thinking planners and architects have quietly
set about reinventing the concept of affordable housing, and
in so doing, are changing some peoples’ perceptions—and
many others’ lives—for the better.
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