The Problem Of Housing Affordability Essay

This policy brief is prepared to give some insights of the housing affordability problem in Australia. In addition, the paper also suggests some approaches in which the Government should consider in tackling the issue in the Australian context. Housing affordability always

With only 5% of the housing units being secured by the Housing Authority, specific types of home are limited to families. The average household size is expected to decrease to 2.04 persons by 2014 (Source). 33% of all households are suited for two people and there is a need for those types of units (source). With there being such a high demand for such a household, the downfall is that that small unit homes for two person families

The Community Planner presented an overview of Saanich’s work on the subject of affordable housing and highlighting important points. The “Affordable housing is defined by the CMHC (CANADA MORTGAGE AND HOUSING CORPORATION) as housing that costs less than 30% of gross household income.” Affordable housing supply for low to moderate-income households and is impacted by numerous factors such as Market forces, High land costs, rising construction costs, years of lack of federal and provincial investment in housing, stagnant growth of incomes at lower levels. Victoria has become the least affordable smaller housing market in Canada, and currently in Saanich, the median house price is $598,300, with the median Saanich income as $66,200. According to data presented by community Planner, “twenty-eight percent of households pay more than 30% of their household income on housing.”

Housing affordability has been one of the most persistent national concerns mainly because housing costs are the biggest expenses in the budgets of most households. A typical American household spends more than a third of its budget on housing while poor and near-poor households commonly devote about half of their incomes to housing (Consumer Expenditure Survey, 2011) .

The recent policy regarding the Right to Buy propose to increase the discount under the Right to Buy scheme. This allows social tenants purchase their home at discounts of up to 50% of the value of their home, making home ownership more accessible (Brill, 2012). In addition, the Right to Buy sales make a major contribution to increase home ownership. There is an increase in the list number of people wanting accommodation. Therefore, it is worth to consider whether this has been one of the key drivers in recent changes in the UK housing system. The aim is making the housing system more affordable, for people on low income to be able to afford to buy their social housing and become home owners (Pattison, 2010). The increase demand of council housing of people with low income has brought about the recent changes in policy. It will also be the key driver of policy change in the

Stable affordable housing helps children do better in school and they are less likely to experience disruption in their everyday life and in their education since they aren’t making unwanted moves. It also reduces stress, pollutants, and contagious ailment in adults and children, which can lead to progression in an individual’s mental and physical health. Affordable housing is especially important to families because it frees up funds within tight budgets people often set and allows money to be spent on health care and food, which are very important. Living in decent, affordable housing lessens the concerns that high housing costs that may lead to foreclosure and/or eviction, which reduces stress on parents and reduces the chances of parents obtaining physical and mental health

Housing affordability has once again appeared on the policy agenda of Australian governments. House prices have risen in response to booming demand and constraints on the supply of dwellings, especially a shortage of land in the capital cities and skill shortages within the housing industry. Many young and low-income households have experienced great difficulty in gaining access to homeownership and in being able to afford private rental housing. This paper briefly considers the characteristics of public debate around housing affordability in Australia. It examines the role of neo-liberalism in shaping policy responses to housing affordability problems and assesses the argument that affordability goals can be achieved through manipulation of

Imagine living in a city with worse affordable housing rates than Brooklyn, New York (Calvin). Sadly, this is the reality for many Iowans, with the capital city of Des Moines having only 30 units of affordable housing available for every 100 units needed (Poething). In Iowa alone, 74,000+ households have 50% or more of their monthly income going straight towards their housing bill. (Hensley) This means families must face difficult tradeoffs—will they keep their house, or will their children go hungry? Will their family have coats for the winter, or will they keep paying their rent? Housing affordability in Iowa is becoming increasingly more difficult for those living on a low income, but luckily, there many things that can be done to

The type of access that the conscious consumerism is teaching us to love is the right or opportunity to use or benefit from something. In the case of tiny homes that access comes in various forms ranging from the access to land, loans and laws. Although tiny homes are less expensive than traditional homes with the price of the home ranging from $20,000 bare necessities tiny home to upwards and over $80,000 for a more customized home, that price more often than not does not include the price of land. Many tiny home owners will pay cash or self-finance this purchase because tiny homes are not traditional homes they are more difficult to get a mortgage for which

Definitely, there is quite strong need for affordable housing and for alternative housing forms. Recent study (an online survey, several interviews and social media research) has proven tiny houses appeal strongly to a broad demographic, especially to single-person or couple household.

Affordable housing problem in Vancouver Context Vancouver is a major city in the province of British Columbia, Canada. The housing crisis has plagued its residents, governments, organisations, and the community as a whole. The issues faced by the city of Vancouver is not about having enough houses to accommodate residents, but primarily around affordability.

In conclusion, micro housing is the best possible form of housing in New York. Although it is not for everyone, for those who it serves, it is affordable, luxurious, and environmentally friendly. Despite its drawbacks, micro housing proves to be ideal. Furthermore, this form of housing can solve economic issues such as the lack of affordable housing and even homelessness, proving to be the best form of housing for the future of New

One of the main difficulties low income individuals in urban spaces face is the access to affordable housing. Affordable housing “refers to housing intended for ‘low income’ or ‘very low income’ people” (Williams, 2003, p. 18). Housing is fundamental to the social and economic needs of people in the city. However, among the poor populations of this neighborhood, there is a shortage of affordable housing. The median household income in community board 4 neighborhoods is $27,000 (U.S. Census, 2013). Not only is the median household income almost below the national poverty line, but it is insufficient and cannot cover the rising costs of housing. Rent tremendously surpasses the financial budget of the low income residents in community board 4

Have you ever sat down and watch HGTV’s shows? From their network to their individual shows, they have a consistent message. That message comes across in my current favorites, House Hunter International - I love seeing how others live; anything from the Life series -Island Life, Caribbean Life & Hawaii Life; my newest favorite is Tiny House Builders. The Tiny House Movement fascinates me, living in, under 400 sq feet.

When real-estate development focuses on implementing sustainable low-income housing projects that help address the economic and social needs of society, it has invested in a long term and in demand project. When one thinks of low-income housing, one tends to think of section 8 and automatically invasions crime, unsanitary living conditions, and an overcrowded and loud environment. Why is this the natural assumption and vision one gets? The answer is because for many years low-income housing has brought forth residents with high stress and desperate character. Communities with higher morale and fatter wallets reject the opportunity for low-income families to live amongst there neighborhood, forcing low-income development to be consistently established in the less desirable and high crime rate areas. What if we could hide/blend low-income housing amongst a desirable neighborhood with new construction and more energy efficient designing? By developing a project for new construction that is open to the general public and is also available for state assisted families who meet low income needs, we can design an aesthetically pleasing community residents of any class will be willing to live in.