by Cynthia Adcock, National Housing Conference and Center for Housing Policy
The press coverage and interest in the Center for Housing Policy’s release of its annual Housing Landscape report, which tracks housing affordability for America’s working households, was phenomenal. Close to 100 media outlets from across the U.S. and in four foreign languages wrote about the report and its core finding that despite falling home sale prices, housing affordability worsened between 2008 and 2010. This finding helps counter the widespread belief that our housing affordability problems have been solved by the Great Recession.
As Jeffrey Lubell’s recent Moving Forward column noted, the continued challenge of housing affordability is only one of several key themes that we must highlight to expand support for affordable housing. A growing body of credible research links affordable housing with other core societal values, including health, education, economic mobility and environmental sustainability. National, state and local advocates and policy makers are taking notice, resulting in a reframing of how we talk about housing. In addition to reminding people of the need, we’re offering proof of why and how it matters so much.
Thank you all for your ongoing efforts to spread the word about how important affordable housing is to the health and well-being of families and communities.