History of Affordable housing in Timeline

Affordable housing refers to housing deemed financially accessible to individuals or households earning at or below the median income, as determined by government housing affordability indices. It encompasses a range of housing options, from emergency shelters and transitional housing to rental properties and affordable homeownership programs. The demand for affordable housing is often driven by declining housing affordability, which can result from factors like rising rents and increased homelessness.

1984: Decrease in quality rental units

In 1984, David Rodda noted a decrease in the number of quality rental units as the demand for higher quality housing increased.

1991: Decrease in quality rental units

From 1984 to 1991, David Rodda noted a decrease in the number of quality rental units as the demand for higher quality housing increased.

1996: Impact of Student Mobility on Instruction

In 1996, a technical report found that teachers with students who moved frequently had to reduce instructional pacing and increase review to accommodate learning variations.

November 2007: Atlantic Monthly Article on the Cost of Building

In November 2007, Virginia Postrel reported in Atlantic Monthly on a study by Harvard economists Edward Glaeser and Kristina Tobio that found the cost of obtaining the "right to build" in San Francisco added approximately $600,000 to the cost of each new house.

2011: Hamburg Agreement on Affordable Housing Units

In 2011, developers in Hamburg agreed to build 3500 new housing units per year, with 30% for low and middle-income households, supported by city-owned land and simplified urban planning regulations.

2012: Pembina Institute Study on Commuting Costs

In 2012, a study by Pembina Institute affirmed that the additional expenses of long-distance commuting often negated the savings associated with lower housing costs.

2013: Affordable Housing and Homelessness

In a 2013 survey, a lack of affordable housing was the number one cause of homelessness among families with children and unaccompanied individuals.

2014: Berlin Alliance for Housing Construction

In 2014, the Alliance for Housing Construction in Berlin brought together local government, private landlords, and public utility landlords to make rental units more affordable, with each committing to building new dwellings annually.

2017: Shelter Usage and Disability

In 2017, among all adults who used shelter at some point, 44 percent had a disability.

2018: Homeless Point-in-Time Count

According to the 2018 homeless point-in-time count, 111,122 homeless people (20 percent) had a severe mental illness and 86,647 homeless people (16 percent) suffered from chronic substance abuse.

2018: Letter of Acknowledgement Requirement in Los Angeles

Until 2018, in Los Angeles, an affordable housing development required a "letter of acknowledgement" from the city councilperson, allowing them to block projects without reason.

September 2019: Council of Economic Advisers Report on Homelessness

In September 2019, the Council of Economic Advisers published "The State of Homelessness in America" report, finding over half a million people homeless on a single night in the U.S. The report analyzed factors causing variation in homelessness across communities, including housing prices, street tolerability, shelter supply, and individual characteristics, and proposed federal policies to reduce homelessness.

2019: Federal Funding for Homeless Assistance Programs

In 2019, the Federal Government, primarily through HUD, provided $2.6 billion via the Continuum of Care (CoC) and Emergency Solution Grant programs for homeless outreach, emergency shelter, transitional housing, rapid rehousing, permanent supportive housing, and homelessness prevention. The VA provided $1.8 billion for programs serving homeless veterans.

2019: Reformation of Housing First Approach

In 2019, the Trump Administration reformed the Housing First approach by providing flexibility to communities to impose service participation requirements for program participants after they have been stabilized in housing.

2021: Emergency Housing Vouchers Program Launched

In 2021, former President Joe Biden launched the Emergency Housing Vouchers (EVH) program as part of the American Rescue Plan Act.

2021: Parking Requirements Increase Affordable Housing Costs

In California in 2021, researchers estimated that parking requirements increase the cost of building affordable housing by up to $36,000 per unit, and up to $75,000 per unit in cities like Los Angeles and San Francisco.

2022: LIHTC Projects Impact on Land Value

According to a 2022 study, LIHTC projects in the United States increase land value in surrounding neighborhoods.

2022: Renters paying less than 30% of their income on rent and utilities

In 2022, researchers determined that approximately half of renters in the United States spent less than 30% of their monthly income on rent and utilities. About a quarter paid between 30% and 50%, while another quarter spent more than 50%.

2022: OECD Affordable Housing Database Estimates

In 2022, the OECD Affordable Housing Database estimated the percentage of housing-related expenses, including rent, imputed rent, energy, water, and maintenance costs, as a percentage of household final consumption expenditure by country.

2023: Adaptive Reuse Dominates Real Estate Growth

According to 2023 estimates, 90 percent of U.S. real estate growth by 2033 will entail the adaptive reuse of existing buildings rather than new construction.

March 6, 2025: HUD Announcement on Emergency Housing Vouchers Program Funding

On March 6, 2025, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) issued a letter announcing that funding for the Emergency Housing Vouchers Program is expected to end by 2026.

2026: Expected End of Emergency Housing Vouchers Program Funding

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) issued a letter announcing on March 6, 2025, that funding for the Emergency Housing Vouchers Program is expected to end by 2026.

2030: Slum Population Growth

According to estimates, by 2030, 1 in 4 people on the planet will live in a slum or other informal settlement.

2033: Projected Real Estate Growth via Adaptive Reuse

According to 2023 estimates, by 2033, 90 percent of U.S. real estate growth will entail the adaptive reuse of existing buildings rather than new construction.

2050: Urban population growth

By 2050, the World Bank reports that nearly 7 out of 10 people in the world will live in cities, which brings challenges to urban development as cities are tasked with efficiently using resources in accordance with the global demand for affordable housing.