Journalists are drawn to protecting issues, and in the case of housing, we all know there are lots. Earlier this month, I revealed a assessment essay on three new books concerning the housing disaster, and it is likely to be simple to conclude, based mostly on all of the dizzying statistics and warnings, that little progress is being made.
That might be a mistake. One in all my favourite features of working at Vox is having the area to discover modern and promising options, and this yr we coated some actually good ones in housing specifically. The sorts of concepts that, after I end reporting, after I’ve completed asking sources all my hardest questions, depart me genuinely excited. Many of those coverage concepts not solely supply new, artistic methods to extend our housing provide or get folks into current housing, but in addition assist communities deal with different issues like blight and social isolation.
Listed here are six housing coverage concepts I’ve reported on in 2024 that I really feel (cautiously) smitten by:
1. Changing deserted strip malls into housing
The Irondequoit Mall in upstate New York opened within the early Nineties and was as soon as a bustling vacation spot for the suburban city exterior Rochester. However over time, as extra retail procuring went on-line, the brick-and-mortar shops closed, leaving plenty of empty storefronts. One nonprofit housing developer had the thought to retrofit the mall’s vacant Sears division retailer into new reasonably priced housing for seniors. Her staff transformed the empty constructing into 73 new rental residences, related to a brand new four-story multifamily rental constructing on the adjoining car parking zone.
Policymakers, researchers, and actual property builders are paying shut consideration to mall conversions like this one. Strip malls specifically supply some distinctive benefits for builders as a result of they often include huge empty parking heaps that make it simpler to construct. Latest analysis estimated that changing simply the highest 10 p.c of strip mall candidates may create greater than 700,000 new properties throughout the nation. In 2022, California handed a brand new legislation to assist facilitate these sorts of conversions, and in 2023 the Biden administration launched new steerage to assist leaders and builders navigate the financing course of.
In contrast to vacant workplace buildings, many deserted strip malls nationwide are already many years outdated and require long-backlogged repairs. They are often actual drags on their communities, and sustaining them could be dearer than simply demolishing and rebuilding. You may learn our full story on this concept right here.
2. Giving tenants money as a substitute of housing vouchers
The Housing Alternative Voucher program (recognized previously as Part 8) celebrated its fiftieth anniversary this yr, and whereas greater than 2 million households at present use the subsidies to pay for housing, it’s typically a dysfunctional course of for these concerned. One federal research discovered solely about 60 p.c of voucher-holders may even discover a landlord prepared to hire to them.
There’s quiet momentum constructing in Washington to make use of money as a substitute. Advocates assume the cash-based method may not solely show simpler, but in addition show extra dignifying for renters, and even save governments cash — permitting them to focus extra on offering companies and constructing new housing. Whereas policymakers are pitching the initiative as a modest inquiry, officers concerned are keenly conscious {that a} small pilot program may result in huge, everlasting modifications to the bipartisan $30 billion annual program. You may learn that full story right here.
3. Combined-income public housing, the place native governments play the position of housing developer
I first coated this concept again in 2022: It’s a brand new mannequin for native governments to construct extra housing by taking on as builders that then personal the newly created housing property. The thought is to leverage comparatively small quantities of public cash to create a fund that might finance short-term development prices.
I wrote about it once more this yr as a result of the thought not simply exists on paper. One place main the best way is Montgomery County, Maryland, which opened its first mixed-income condo advanced in 2023. With 268 items, it’s nothing just like the ramshackle public housing you would possibly sometimes think about. It’s modern and trendy, with a health heart and a courtyard pool. Different cities and states, together with Chicago, Atlanta, and Rhode Island, have been transferring ahead with their very own variations.
I take some delight on this one as a result of after we revealed our story in February, some people within the Biden White Home took discover and reached out to considered one of our foremost sources for a gathering. A few month later, a proposal supporting this concept was included in Biden’s 2024 price range, and Kamala Harris additionally backed it on the marketing campaign path. The thought was additionally elevated this yr on the Bloomberg CityLab convention, and simply this month San Francisco revealed a report affirming the mannequin’s feasibility for his or her metropolis.
4. Sure in God’s Yard
The YIGBY motion, an acronym for “Sure in God’s Yard,” actually kicked off in San Diego, the place an area Black church turned its empty 7,000-square-foot lot into 25 residences for seniors and veterans. The YIGBY motion is profiting from two completely different societal developments: Spiritual establishments throughout America are grappling with declining memberships and rising prices, with as much as 100,000 church buildings projected to shut within the subsequent few years; in the meantime, cities desperately want extra reasonably priced housing.
Final yr, California handed a legislation that may make it simpler for church buildings, temples, synagogues, and mosques to construct housing, bypassing typical zoning guidelines that always block new growth. The potential is big: California alone has 47,000 acres of faith-owned land that’s appropriate to construct on.
The thought is selecting up steam. States from Hawaii to New York are organizing for comparable laws, and there’s even a federal invoice to assist these tasks nationwide. It’s one thing of a win-win proposition: For non secular establishments, it may be a solution to fulfill their mission of serving to others whereas placing empty land to good use and producing new sources of income. For cities, it’s a artistic answer to their housing crises, and may also assist many communities cope with deserted or deteriorating buildings. You may learn extra about that right here.
5. Placing factory-built housing and ADUs on neighborhood land trusts
In August, I wrote about an modern concept that mixes three distinct affordability methods. The experiment started in San Bernardino, California, on a single plot of land.
First, they’re constructing properties in factories as a substitute of on-site, which cuts development prices almost in half. As a result of the properties are constructed to meet the development requirements set by the US Division of Housing and City Improvement, they qualify for particular financing choices, which means they are often produced extra effectively at scale.
On prime of that, the builders are including an adjunct dwelling unit (ADU) on the identical property, growing provide on the identical plot of land. And lastly, they’re utilizing a neighborhood land belief (CLT) to maintain these properties reasonably priced for future patrons. An area reasonably priced housing group owns the plot of land the properties are constructed on, and the CLT will successfully restrict how a lot the owners may resell it for once they’re prepared to maneuver on. Town of Palm Springs took discover and is now piloting the thought on three vacant heaps town owns. You may learn the story and concerning the pilot’s first household right here.
6. Inexpensive dorm-style residing utilizing empty downtown workplace area
One cause we haven’t seen extra office-to-residential conversions — regardless of a post-pandemic workplace emptiness fee approaching 20 p.c nationwide — is as a result of the economics of these tasks typically aren’t financially possible. This type of grownup dorm undertaking, nonetheless, addresses plenty of these financial considerations.
The thought is to create smaller residences with shared kitchens, loos, and residing areas. In cities like Denver, these items may hire for between $500 to $1,000 per thirty days (far beneath town’s $1,771 median hire) whereas nonetheless turning a revenue. The communal setup may reduce conversion prices by 25 to 35 p.c in comparison with conventional office-to-apartment conversions.
I checked out three cities — Denver, Seattle, and Minneapolis — which can be already sturdy candidates to pursue this concept due to latest zoning modifications that permit for this type of co-living. It’s a contemporary tackle the single-room occupancies (SROs) that housed tens of millions of city employees within the early 1900s earlier than cities banned them. Whereas some would possibly bristle on the small items, the central places and reasonably priced rents have the potential to be significant choices for college students, younger professionals, service business employees, retirees, and concrete newcomers. You may learn extra about that concept right here.
The housing affordability challenges forward are actual, however loads can change for the higher when hard-working folks listen. Lest you have been frightened, we’re not sporting rose-colored glasses over right here. We’re going to maintain watching how these concepts develop and what implementation really seems like. We’ll deliver you a progress report subsequent yr, in addition to (hopefully) some new concepts so as to add to the record. Your readership and monetary assist make this type of reporting doable, so thanks.