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Shift From Housing Production To Revitalization Focus

  • Many housing nonprofits are primarily focused on generating housing-related “production” – such as counseling homebuyers, building or rehabbing affordable housing units, and making loans – for the direct benefits to individuals and families that these services create.
  • An organization engaged in stabilization and revitalization work may operate similar programs, but it is concerned with bringing back investment and confidence for a particular neighborhood or neighborhoods.
  • There are a number of potential differences in how programs – and the organization itself – are operated if the focus is revitalization instead of production.

  Affordable Housing Neighborhood Revitalization
Purpose
  • Increase SUPPLY of affordable housing in a community where it is scarce.
  • Addresses an income group and its ability to secure safe, decent, affordable housing.
  • Increase DEMAND for housing in a neighborhood that has little or has the wrong kind.
  • Addresses a neighborhood real estate market and makes changes so that it makes economic sense for residents and others to invest time, money and energy there.
Geography
  • Increase SUPPLY of affordable housing in a community where it is scarce.
  • Addresses an income group and its ability to secure safe, decent, affordable housing.
  • Increase DEMAND for housing in a neighborhood that has little or has the wrong kind.
  • Addresses a neighborhood real estate market and makes changes so that it makes economic sense for residents and others to invest time, money and energy there.
Customer
  • A particular income group, usually below 80% median.
  • The neighborhood as a real estate market – protects current investments and encourages new ones.
  • Serves all incomes.
Programs
  • 1 or 2 housing products intended to provide or improve housing at low cost.
  • Multiple programs tailored to the neighborhood.
  • Intended to influence choices of positive investment in the neighborhood.
  • May often include non-housing programs – for instance, efforts to improve safety, market the neighborhood, build bonds between neighbors, etc.
Marketing
  • Focus on rules, restrictions, especially income.
  • Great emphasis on funding source requirements.
  • First come, first served.
  • Focus on customer wants to encourage investment choice in targeted neighborhood.
  • Negative messages eradicated.
  • Income not emphasized.
  • Proactive marketing to desired target markets.
Housing Standards
  • “Decent,” safe and sanitary.
  • Extras determined by affordability.
  • High-quality improvements to increase homeowner equity.
  • Emphasis on visible exterior treatment that inspires confidence and positive investment by others.
  • Houses as “billboards”.
Decisions
  • Influenced only by maximizing affordability to target income group.
  • Influenced by potential impact on the neighborhood market and on potential choices of various investors, including those with modest incomes.
Measures of Success
  • Outputs: number of people served, units produced, loans closed, etc.
  • Outcomes: resident satisfaction, real estate values, building conditions, crime rates, social and economic opportunity for residents, etc.
  Affordable Housing Neighborhood Revitalization

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