All levels of government are focussed on this issue as housing sales are down and housing starts have stalled.
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Our featured category for this month is the issue of Affordable Housing within the City of Toronto. We will gather academic articles and reports from public institutions and other research organizations. Summaries of these reports will be available on this website with links to published materials available on other websites. A Chatbot application has read the source articles and will support an interactive chat on these articles.
Latest Posts
- Housing Mix Strategy 4: Non-Market Housing
The article discusses the urgent need for non-market housing in Canada, highlighting that 40% of Canadian households cannot afford current market rents. It emphasizes the historical shift from significant government investment in non-market housing in the 1970s to a heavy reliance on private market housing today. This shift has led to a severe shortage of affordable housing, with non-market housing now representing less than 6% of the housing stock. - The Reasons Developers primarily build Luxury Housing
The article “Why Are Developers Only Building Luxury Housing?” discusses the prevalent issue of luxury housing construction in many North American cities, highlighting the disconnect between the need for affordable housing and the types of developments being pursued by developers. The author, reflecting on the widespread frustration expressed by community members, emphasizes that the question of why only luxury housing is being built is complex and multifaceted. - Want to make housing more affordable? Start by designing neighbourhoods.
The article discusses the importance of designing neighborhoods rather than just buildings to make housing more affordable. It highlights a presentation by Victor Dover at CivicCon, a speaker series aimed at enhancing civic understanding in Pensacola. Victor Dover, an expert in urban planning and sustainable development, emphasizes that affordable housing is a complex issue without a clear definition, as what is considered affordable varies by community and individual. - The Challenges and Principles surrounding Affordable Housing Development
The article discusses the complexities surrounding affordable housing, emphasizing the need to understand the underlying principles that govern its availability and cost. It introduces the “5 Immutable Laws of Affordable Housing,” which outline key factors that influence housing affordability. - The Fragility of the Affordable Housing Sector
The article discusses the challenges and potential solutions surrounding affordable housing in the United States, particularly in the context of reliance on federal funding and the need for local control. The author, a graduate student in Urban and Regional Planning, reflects on the uncertainty surrounding the future of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and its impact on affordable housing initiatives. - The Role of Localism in exacerbating the Housing Crisis
The article “Housing affordability? Localism is the problem, not the solution” by Joe Cortright discusses the ongoing housing crisis in the United States and critiques the concept of localism in land use planning as a significant contributor to the problem. Bruce Katz, the author of “The New Localism,” has called for a national commission to address housing affordability, which Cortright acknowledges as a necessary discussion but argues that localism is a major barrier to finding effective solutions.