Affordable by whom?
Thursday, June 29th, 2006
By Chris Fitzsimon
by Brian Postell
Everybody likes the idea of affordable housing when they’re looking for a place to live. But once the focus shifts to things like taxes and public-policy concerns, the consensus tends to splinter.
On the one hand, the term carries the same sort of stigma associated with public housing projects. Neighbors complain about increased crime and a resulting drop in property values. And conservative politicians bemoan the idea of government handouts and/or interfering with the free market.
Meanwhile, homebuyers and even renters often expect the kind of upscale amenities that drive up housing costs, and many turn up their noses at mobile homes.
At the same time, however, "affordable housing" also has a certain cachet, evoking high-minded notions of social responsibility. And to some developers, it may simply be a way to get the city to fast-track approval of their projects – even as the cost of those homes spirals ever higher. (more…)
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