Episcopal Community Services of San Francisco’s Post

Great summary of how housing became an issue facing large and small communities across the country. Housing is not simply about shelter but supporting our workforce families. Housing Forward focuses on economic growth, generational wealth building, and a robust local economy by correcting supply and demand problems - beyond housing as shelter, but shelter as an investment and a critical piece of our local economy that supports business as well as community members in their growth.

What do you think needs to be done to solve the country’s #housing crisis, a central issue in the upcoming elections up and down the ballot? Safe, affordable, and stable housing is increasingly out of reach for many in the US, regardless of their income or age. An interconnected web of factors contributes to this, from restrictive zoning to #climatechange. Urban Institute experts examined the current housing crisis and its underlying causes and provide a framework of federally-driven strategies—from major legislative reforms to small-scale changes—that policymakers could enact to effectively address national housing needs. Learn more about the strategies and what Urban’s #research shows about everything from expanding the housing supply to supporting renters to assisting people experiencing homelessness. What do you think elected leaders should prioritize to curb the housing crisis? Leave a comment. https://urbn.is/4e6FN4R

Safe, affordable housing is linked to better health and greater wealth building.

The National Low Income Housing Coalition recently released “Out of Reach: The High Cost of Housing,” its annual report showcasing the disparity between average wages and the high cost of rental housing across the U.S. The findings included in this report echo similar results from a district-wide needs assessment commissioned by FHLBank Indianapolis in 2023. “Bridging the Gap: Housing and Community Needs in Indiana and Michigan” highlights the difficult position in which low- and middle-income residents, including renters and current and prospective homeowners, increasingly find themselves. Read more here: https://bit.ly/4cIrlzw

It's a question I get asked a lot from my clients: "So what's the deal with the housing market? How did we get here?" As Eduardo Castellon explains, there's not one cause we can point a finger at. Instead, it's a web of bad policy, misinformation, and a lack of accountability. A great read (or listen!) you're interested in untangling systemic issues like this. #RealEstate #Housing

Who’s Responsible for the Housing Crisis? How local governments broke America’s housing markets Americans love local government. In a December 2023 Pew Research Center survey, 61 percent of respondents had a favorable view of their local government, whereas 77 percent had an unfavorable view of the federal government. But behind this veneer of goodwill is a disturbing truth: Local government is driving a housing crisis that is raising rents, lowering economic mobility and productivity, and negatively impacting wages. In this episode of Good on Paper, The Atlantic chronicling the causes of the housing crisis and identifying the structural problems in local democracy at its root. https://lnkd.in/gssYw7vr

Today in the Baltimore Sun, Maryland Governor Wes Moore and Housing Secretary Jake Day are making the case for state action to address housing costs -- and they're using data from the Greater Greater Washington-commissioned poll to do it. Less than two years ago, GGWash grew to include dedicated policy staff focused on addressing Maryland's housing crisis (Dan Reed!). Much of our state policy work has been happening behind the scenes, but it's been steadily ramping up. Having the chance to commission this poll and put data in the hands of policymakers *and* the public has been incredibly exciting. Next step? We need legislators to do what voters want: pass the Housing Expansion and Affordability Act (HB538/SB484) with the tweaks we're pushing for to help ensure it produces as much new housing as possible.

🌆The housing crisis is likely to be solved in cities and states, not Washington D.C.. Economists say much of the blame falls on local governments. City councils hold most of the power over where and what types of housing get built, but they are beholden to homeowners who often pack meetings to complain that new developments would destroy nature and snarl traffic. This is called NIMBYism, short for “Not in my backyard.” The remedy, in both red and blue states, has been to pass laws that strip cities’ power to say no. We need local action NOW! Let's work together for a future with thriving communities! https://loom.ly/DBN77Pg #LocalActionForHousing #HousingForAll #AffordableHousing

I've seen lots of people suggesting that price-fixing and anti-competitive behavior is the reason why home prices and rents skyrocketed over the past 5 years. But this argument fails to grapple with a fundamental economic reality: if not for the dearth of housing supply, homeowners and landlords wouldn't be able to justify price increases without consequence. While it’s easy to find a convenient scapegoat to blame with a scalable solution (e.g., punish the landlords!), the root cause of higher housing costs has far more to do with a structurally-flawed development approval process that is completely detached from the dynamics of supply and demand. It is always easier to find a scapegoat than to look inward, where the real solutions to this crisis reside.

In 2024, Washington state communities will receive a record $312.6 million in new investments in affordable housing from the Washington State Department of Commerce. This investment is aimed at alleviating the acute housing crisis, which has resulted in about 28,000 people experiencing homelessness in Washington at the end of 2023. Despite the new spending, demand for affordable housing far outstrips the rate of production in Seattle and Washington as a whole.