Editor's Note: This excerpt from Are We There Yet? makes an economic case for affordable housing, providing specific examples of the type and amount of revenue affordable housing can deliver to local governments and to local businesses. Yet, despite the revenue generating possibilities, producing enough affordable housing to keep pace with demand continues to be a challenge. This has led to the formation of numerous collaborative efforts across the country focused on developing the financial tools and the political will to increase the production of affordable housing, particularly in high-access neighborhoods well served by transit. 
Visit the Are We There Yet? home A 2012 study by the National Association of Home Builders shows that affordable housing not only helps people in need, it also pumps millions of dollars into the economy and creates hundreds of jobs. The study, by NAHB senior economist Elliot Eisenberg,…

Editor's Note: As Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan is quoted as saying in this excerpt from Are We There Yet?, “The cost of putting housing and jobs in the wrong place, relative to transportation, is huge - not just in environmental costs, not just because people are spending more on their commutes, but also because of the cost of this growth over the long term.” With that point in mind, this section of the report highlights the importance of understanding and proactively addressing potential displacement pressures in transit-oriented communities to ensure that the people that need transit the most, and use transit the most, can continue to live in those communities if they so desire. The suburbanization of poverty, the potential expiration of Section 8 vouchers near transit, and the loss of affordable market-rate rental housing near transit are all trends that add to the challenge of providing quality affordable housing in locations with good access to the…

Editor's Note: Saving on transportation costs can be critical to household budgets staying in the black. This has never been more true than today, when many people are struggling to make ends meet. To that end, this excerpt from Are We There Yet? discusses both the importance of providing more housing choices near public transit and in walkable and bike-friendly communities, and the need to ensure that public transit actually connects people to the places they need to go such as jobs and educational opportunities.
Visit the Are We There Yet? home Housing costs have grown far faster than income over the past 50 years, and the share of households that struggle to pay their rent or mortgage has increased dramatically over the past decade, according to a recent study by Harvard’s Joint Center for Housing Studies. The 2012 study found that well over one-third of U.S. households paid more than 30 percent of their income for…

Editor's note: One issue discussed in the Living chapter of Are We There Yet? is that changing demographics aren't just influencing political outcomes, they are also influencing the kinds of houses people desire and where they want to live. People want more housing choices and more mobility choices. In many regions, this is translating into an increased demand for rental housing near quality public transportation.
Visit the Are We There Yet? home One lesson that emerges from the housing market meltdown is that people need and want more choices — in both urban and suburban locations — especially more affordable choices. If the McMansion typified one extreme, Tiny House blog typifies the other, and offers options for downsizing. This is a trend that has also been tracked on the cover of Dwell: While a 2005 magazine cover was headlined “Small Is the New Big: Homes Under 2,200 Sq. Ft.,” and a 2006 cover read…

The combined costs of housing and transportation in the nation's largest 25 metro areas have swelled by 44 percent since 2000 while incomes have failed to keep pace, according to a new report. "Losing Ground: The Struggle of Moderate-Income Households to Afford the Rising Costs of Housing and Transportation" details the challenges that American households face as the combined costs of housing and transportation consume an ever-larger share of household incomes.