References
NAR Library & Archives has already done the research for you. References (formerly Field Guides) offer links to articles, eBooks, websites, statistics, and more to provide a comprehensive overview of perspectives. EBSCO articles (E) are available only to NAR members and require the member's nar.realtor login.
Housing Pulse Surveys
Source: Housing Pulse Surveys (National Association of REALTORS®, 2017)
Impacts of Low-Income Housing on Neighboring Properties
Study: Building Subsidized Low-Income Housing Lifts Property Values in Neighborhood (Council of Large Public Housing Authorities, Nov. 9, 2022)
“A new peer-reviewed study(link is external) found that building multiple publicly subsidized low-income housing developments in a neighborhood doesn’t lower the value of other homes in the area and can in fact increase their worth. The study looked at 500 developments built in the Chicago area from 1997-2016 that used the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC). The authors then looked at their influence on over 600,000 nearby residential property sales by using local property assessment and tax records.”
Affordable Housing Has Positive Effect on Home Values (The Denver Channel, May 26, 2022)
“Community members in a specific community will say, ‘Oh, well, they only found those results because that’s in Portland, Oregon. It’s so different from here.’ or, ‘You know, that’s in a whole different state,’” Stacy said. “The arguments you hear are, ‘It’s going to cause more traffic. It’s going to overcrowd our schools. But I think on a lot of cases, those are just kind of excuses for saying, ‘I don’t want people that aren’t like me to live near me.”
What is Affordable Housing and Why It Matters (Common Bond Communities, Jul. 12, 2021)“Affordable housing is defined by the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) as a dwelling that a family or household can obtain–whether through rent, purchase or other means–that costs 30 percent or less of the household’s income. This metric looks at the cost of residing in the dwelling, including utilities.”
Affordable Housing and How to Participate (National Association of REALTORS®, Apr. 8, 2021)
“The need for affordable housing exists in communities across the country. This episode's guest, William Baylor, joins Monica to talk about current federal affordable housing initiatives, as well as the personal initiatives he's involved with in his own market of Birmingham. This episode will provide ideas and resources for how agents can help find rental and purchase opportunities in their marketplaces that are affordable for people with a lower median income.”
Busted: 7 Myths About Affordable Housing (Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity, Feb. 18, 2020)
Affordable housing is often misunderstood, resulting in the following myths: affordable housing drives down property values, affordable housing doesn’t look nice, affordable housing lowers the quality of schools, affordable housing a taxpayer burden, affordable housing increases crime, affordable housing is a handout, and affordable housing only benefits the very poor. Read this article from Habitat for Humanity to find out why these myths are not true.
Opposition to Public Housing (NIMBYism)
NIMBYism Over Homeless Housing Spans Race and Politics, Firing Up Suburban Protesters (Los Angeles Times, May 12, 2023)
“Amid a lack of affordable rentals, Southern California counties have tried addressing their homelessness woes by building tiny homes and temporary shelters, or converting motels and hotels into permanent housing. But their efforts have run into fierce “not in my backyard” opposition in suburbs from Chatsworth to Irvine, even as the areas have become more diverse and less conservative.”
Has Austin Become the NIMBY Capital of Texas? (Austin Monthly, Apr. 2023)
“Just before a unanimous commission vote approved the rezoning recommendation to send to the Austin City Council, Megan Lash, one of the principals on the project with Saigebrook Development, LLC, sounded as if she’d tired of the same repeated NIMBY grievances. “I support affordable housing, just not in this location,” she intoned wearily. “I wish I could tell you how many times I have heard that throughout the course of my career.”
Four Years Among the NIMBYs (The Atlantic, May 12, 2022)
“I look for cases where San Francisco’s progressive ideals don’t match up,” Fruchtman, who is a software engineer and volunteers with the local YIMBY group, told me. One time, he called in to a planning-commission meeting to hear a debate on proposed changes to an apartment building in his neighborhood. “I guess it was lucky I logged in a little early,” he said. An established ice-cream shop, Garden Creamery, was attempting to prevent a prospective soft-serve shop, Matcha n’ More, from moving onto the same block, using a provision of a state law designed to protect against environmental degradation.”
Seattle “Social Housing” Initiative Faces Opposition from Established Housing Providers (The Seattle Times, May 6, 2022)
“The Housing Development Consortium argues that Seattle should focus its resources on the existing system for developing and operating affordable housing, which involves a collaboration between the largely federally funded Seattle Housing Authority, local public development agencies and other nonprofit organizations. “
Websites
Housing Opportunity Program (National Association of REALTORS®)
NAR's Housing Opportunity Program helps REALTORS® become leaders in promoting home ownership at local, state and national levels
HUD User (U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development)
Numerous reports, articles, data sets, and other information on affordable housing from HUD's research department
National Low Income Housing Coalition
Includes numerous studies and reports on the state of affordable housing in the U.S., including the monthly NIMBY Report.
A national nonprofit affordable housing advocacy organization, featuring an Affordable Housing Clearinghouse, affordable housing publications and studies, and more
eBooks & Other Resources
eBooks & Audiobooks
The Affordable City (eBook)
Making Housing More Affordable (eBook)
Missing Middle Housing (eBook)
Books, Videos, Research Reports & More
As a member benefit, the following resources and more are available for loan through the NAR Library. Items will be mailed directly to you or made available for pickup at the REALTOR® Building in Chicago.
The Effects of Subsidized Housing on Property Values: A Survey of Research (California Department of Housing & Community Development, 1988) HD 1387 C12e
Growth Management and Affordable Housing: Do They Conflict? (Brookings Institution Press, 2004) HT166 G74
Impacts of Social Housing: Final Report (Canada Mortgage & Housing Corporation, Jan. 1994) HD 1387 C16
Low-Income Homeownership: Examining the Unexamined Goal (Brookings Institution Press, 2002) HD 7287 L68
Why Not in My Backyard? Neighborhood Impacts of Deconcentrating Assisted Housing (Rutgers University - Center for Urban Policy Research, 2003) HD 7293 W52w
Why Not in Our Community? Removing Barriers to Affordable Housing (HUD, 2005) HD7293 Un3wn
Have an idea for a real estate topic? Send us your suggestions.
The inclusion of links on this page does not imply endorsement by the National Association of REALTORS®. NAR makes no representations about whether the content of any external sites which may be linked in this page complies with state or federal laws or regulations or with applicable NAR policies. These links are provided for your convenience only and you rely on them at your own risk.