Affordable
Housing and Family Well-Being
According to "A Measure of How Families Are Doing," a family well-being assessment tool developed in 1994 by Iowa State University, families are at risk (as compared to safe or thriving) when they live in temporary housing, spend more than 1/3 of their income on shelter, live in deteriorating housing conditions, or feel afraid or unsafe in their homes and/or neighborhoods. Newer data would also suggest that families who move frequently are also at risk.
A rapidly rising number of families in Minnesota are finding themselves in these situations. According to a report released from the Minnesota State Auditor, Minnesota ranks third in the nation in terms of lack of adequate housing for families who need it. The tight housing market has driven rental and purchase prices high enough that even families with incomes which would previously have been adequate to provide for stable housing are now finding themselves struggling, and often unable to live in the communities in which they work or have grown up.
The shortage is not easily solved, because the causes are many and complex. In addition, there are not clear policy solutions to the problem.
The lack of affordable housing in Minnesota affects every aspect of our communities: business and economic development, child care, education/schools, transportation, land use/environment, crime, health, competence in parenting, and the overall well-being of families and communities. The social costs of housing shortages and lack of affordability are enormous, and range from poor health in children to the inability of workers to adequately perform their jobs. Without safe, healthy and appropriate housing, it is much harder for people to be productive members of society, for children to learn, and for families to thrive.
Lack of affordable housing affects every segment of the population, from the very low income to the wealthy, in different ways. It is a problem that cannot be solved unless communities address it in a thoughtful and systemic way.
The Consortium released a policy brief on affordable housing.
The resources
below are provided to help inform public discussions and decision-making
regarding affordable housing in Minnesota and beyond.
University
of Minnesota Resources related to affordable housing issues
Children,
Youth and Family Consortium
Contact:
Rebecca Reibestein
rreib@umn.edu
(612) 625-7849
Institute
for Race and Poverty, University of Minnesota Law School
Contact:
Gavin Kearney
kearn008@tc.umn.edu
(612)625-5344
Counterpoint:
To address the lack of affordable housing
An editorial by John Powell, Executive Director of the Institute
for Race and Poverty; focuses on the concentration of poverty,
and deconcentration efforts; ran in Star Tribune Jan. 99.
IRP
Initiative Works To Connect Smart Growth And Racial Justice
Article in IRPs Winter, 2001 newsletter. Click on article
title in index.
Civil
rights and Smart Growth add up to healthy, socially just metro
regions
Article in IRPs Winter 2001 newsletter.
Achieving
Racial Justice: What's Sprawl Got To Do With It?
Article by executive director John Powell, focusing on race
and the concentration of poverty.
(From IRP's Fall/Winter 2000 newletter)
Center
for Urban and Regional Affairs (CURA)
Contact:
Ed Goetz, (612) 624-5003
egoetz@hhh.umn.edu
THE
CURA HOUSING FORUM
The CURA Housing Forum is a "brown bag" session
held once per month during the academic year to discuss Twin
Cities housing issues and research. See website for upcoming
forums and locations.
CURA
Housing Initiatives
click on the link for specific housing initiative projects.
Losing
Ground: The Twin Cities Livable Communities Act and Affordable
Housing
Abstract of a CURA publication, by Ed Goetz and Lori Mardock
A
Family View of Mobility Among Low Income Children
Abstract of a CURA publication, focusing on mobility and its
effects on children's learning, by Karla Buerkle and Sandra
Christenson
Report
on Kids Mobility Project
CURA
Housing Publications
Humprey
Institute of Public Affairs
Contact:
Ed Goetz, (612) 624-5003
egoetz@hhh.umn.edu
The
Effects of Subsidized Housing on Communities
(part of a larger "Just In Time Research" report),
by Ed Goetz
Residential
Cluster Development: An Overview of Key Issue
Mathew Mega, Barbara Lukermann and Robert Sykes.
College
of Human Ecology
Contact:
Marilyn Bruin, (612)624-3780
mbruin@che.umn.edu
Overcoming Barriers for the Difficult to House
by Marilyn Bruin
Residential
Mobility versus Stability in Families with Children
By Marilyn J. Bruin
Small
Town Housing Policies in Minnesota
(part of a larger "Just In Time Research" report)
By Ann Ziebarth and Eunju Hwang3.
Housing
and the Rural Workforce: Proactive Communities Attract Employees
and Employers
By Ann Ziebarth
Housing
in Rural community Vitality
By Becky Yust, Marilyn Bruin
Design,
Housing and Apparel Monthly Newsletter
Produced by DHA, a department of the College of Human Ecology;
has numerous features on affordable housing.
College of Architecture and Landscape Architecture
Design
Center for American Urban Landscape Publications
A variety of publications related to housing design and community
development are available on the website of the Design Center
for American Urban Landscape, College of Architecture and
Landscape Architecture.
Recent reports
on affordable housing in Minnesota
Minnesota
Housing Finance Agency: Reports & Working Group on Supportive Housing
and Long-term Homelessness
Since it's creation in 1971, The Minnesota Housing Finance Agency has
assisted more than 400,000 households by providing funding for a variety
of housing needs. The agency helps people buy their first homes or fix
up their existing homes, and it helps build and fix up affordable apartments,
single family homes, shelters and supportive housing. MHFA works cooperatively
with others to revitalize older communities, build new housing for a growing
work force, and preserve the stock of federally assisted rental housing.
“State
plan to end chronic homelessness in works,” (Robert Franklin,
Star Tribune, November 25, 2003)
“The state [of Minnesota] is developing a "business plan" aimed
at ending long-term, chronic homelessness…”
Legislative
Auditor's Report on Affordable Housing , January, 2001.
Comprehensive
assessment of the affordable housing problem in Minnesota.
Metropolitan
Council: Mayor's Report on Affordable Housing, November 2000.
Minnesota
Association of County Social Service Administrators (MACSSA) Report
on Affordable Housing, June, 2000.
Report
based on survey of county social service administrators. Clear acknowledgment
of the link between housing and family well-being.
Toward
Housing For All Wilder Research Center Findings Report, January
2000
Looks
at housing issues from some unique perspectives; asks some
critical questions. (order a copy, or download a PDF copy)
Community Groups/Resources
Minnesota
Housing Finance Agency
Committed to meeting Minnesotans' needs for decent, safe, affordable
homes and stronger communities.
The
Metropolitan Interfaith Council on Affordable Housing
One of the most active community groups in addressing affordable
housing issues.
The Metropolitan Council
The Met Council's Livable Communities Act has been among the most
visible community efforts to address affordable housing issues.
Housing Minnesota
Public awareness regarding affordable housing; facts, data, information
on homelessness.
Greater
Minnesota Housing Fund
GMHF serves Greater Minnesota with funding and technical assistance
for the creation of affordable housing.
The
Family Housing Fund
Many numerous research reports, articles, statistics, policy initiatives
and more on affordable housing and homelessness.
Minnesota Housing Partnership
Comprehensive site of the Minnesota Housing Partnership. Has a
great annotated list of affordable housing links.
Website
of the National Low Income Housing
Coalition
Affordable
Housing Links From Other Sources
Annotated list of affordable
housing links from the legislative reference library.
MICAH's
housing links
Habitat
for Humanity's affordable housing links. New Section
Miscellaneous Resources Related to Housing and Family Well-Being
Poverty
Housing Defeats Families
Article on Habitat for Humanity website.
Affordable
Housing Shortage Threatens Children's Health
Article published by the Family Housing Fund of Minnesota.
Public
Education and Research by the Family Housing Fund of Minnesota.
A number of research articles related to inadequate housing and
its effect on children. Most are pdf files.
Saint
Paul Public Housing Drug Elimination and Prevention Program:
2002 Outcomes Evaluation
As part of a national evaluation of the Jobs Plus program,
Wilder Research Center is surveying St. Paul public housing residents in
the Mt. Airy housing development who have participated in Jobs Plus. For
comparison, interviews of residents of the McDonough and Roosevelt housing
developments will also be done.
Preserving Housing: A Best Practices Review
Office of the Legislative Auditor’s report recommends
best practices for local governments to preserve housing in their jurisdiction
and features local agencies that use the practices.
Affordable Assisted Living: Surveying the Possibilities
Prepared by Jenny Schuetz and the Joint Center for Housing
Studies of Harvard University for Volunteers of America. This paper examines
issues around the provision of affordable housing for seniors, reviewing
the elements of demand for supportive housing, lessons from private-pay
market, and specific challenges faced in the affordable market.
Homelessness
Minneapolis Foundations
website on homelessness.
Homeless
in Minnesota - 2003
Homeless
in Minnesota - 2001
Wilder Research Center's report on homelessness in Minnesota.
Children
Pay The Price For Homelessness
One of many public education and research fact sheets published
by the Family Housing Fund of Minnesota.
The
Supportive Housing Continuum: A Model for Housing Homeless Families
A PDF file of The Supportive Housing Continuum site is located
at bottom of its page.
Homelessness Needs Assessment and Plan for the Metro Area
This report outlines a region-wide approach to homelessness. Wilder Research
Center completed the report for Metro-wide
Engagement for Shelter and Housing (MESH), Corporation for
Supportive Housing, and other
planners and advocates in the region.
