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Debunking Myths of Affordable Housing
Affordable housing in Minnesota still is getting a bad rap, but this might change with a new public television documentary airing on Sunday: Homes for All.
Evidence of continuing NIMBY challenges facing families needing housing surfaced in the community outreach process the state went through in preparation of the 2012-16 Consolidated Plan. This is a document that is required to be completed every five years in order to receive various federal housing resources.
For the Plan, state agency staff completed extensive interviews with community leaders to determine the need for housing as well as barriers to creating housing affordable to people with incomes too low to be served by the private market.
Shortage of resources to cover the gap between what people can pay and the cost of housing ranked as the number one barrier. But barriers related to social perception are still prevalent.
One individual surveyed said in his community there was a prevailing sentiment that by creating housing for homeless individuals, homeless people would move into the community.
Another survey responder identified community ignorance of the struggles many families face in surviving on low incomes, particularly when housing costs are increasing faster than incomes as they have for renters over the past decade.
Many participants in the state survey said that public education on challenges faced by low income people would be beneficial and, in particular, information about the quality of affordable housing now being produced in Minnesota.
Many people have a very limited understanding of affordable housing and form opinions, pro or con, from a narrow base of experience. And for older Minnesotans that understanding was based on outdated images of massive, crime ridden, poorly-funded public housing projects here and elsewhere.
To bring this understanding of affordable housing up to date, TPT Minnesota has produced a one-hour documentary, titled Homes for All. The documentary offers an insider’s view of affordable housing in Minnesota and the people and communities that rely on it. The documentary profiles residents, developers and community members in three Twin Cities affordable housing developments.
Homes for All is being shown on TPT’s Minnesota and Life channels. After the show premiers February 19 (8 pm on TPT MN) it will be available “on demand” at tpt.org.
I encourage people to bring an open mind to the topic affordable housing and watch the TPT program. I think that you’ll find Minnesota’s affordable housing to be architecturally pleasing, durable and well run. And, I believe that you will find the residents of affordable housing the good neighbors we want in Minnesota.
Watch the 56 min program "Homes for All"
Posted in Economic Development | Related Topics: Housing Market
2 Comments
February 23, 2012 at 3:23 pm
I had watched the documentary Sunday night and found it very informative and amazing.
To see neighborhoods changed in such and exciting manner, and lives changed was so good. I have been a real booster of Habitat for Humanity’s mission and this is equally inspiring. I had pictured a house here and there being redone, but to change a neighborhood is wonderful. It is certainly worth ever penny invested. My thanks to those who were inspired to do that. Only wish we could do a lot more changes like this. Thank you.
Bernice Vetsch says:
February 24, 2012 at 2:25 pm
The City of San Francisco erected a building with, I believe, 100 single-room efficiency apartments for middle-aged homeless men who were addicted to alcohol.
The men now had a safe place to keep their belongings, to sleep every night without fear of attack, and to remain inside during the day if they wished.
Many of them felt so much more secure that they were able to appreciably reduce their drinking.
I think the person who said that the way to help the poor was to give them money was correct. Nixon’s proposed negative income tax comes to mind. When the IRS received income tax returns in the spring, it would review the lower income returns to see how short of a decent income people were making. During the next year, those who came up short received a monthly check from the government. No endless and sometimes demeaning “qualifying” and no time wasted by social workers who would rather be doing social work than proving people’s incomes.