Table of ContentsSummary IntroductionMain BodyDiscussionConclusionReferencesSummaryAs one deepens one's understanding of various aspects of residential techniques and zoning practices, it does not take long to discover the harsh realities and inconsistencies in affordable housing. Many policies have been put in place in recent years with the aim of strengthening the housing market, but fail to create more affordable housing in the United States and particularly in Dallas, Texas. This article will document the history of affordable housing practices and focus on rising rental prices and rising home purchase prices in Dallas. Finally, this article aims to address policy and study how the United States and Dallas are creating more affordable housing options. For the purposes of the paper, affordable housing will be defined as: A residence where housing costs exceed 30 percent of total household income (Linneman & Megbolugbe 1992). Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay IntroductionOne of the most basic things that everyone deserves, in the simplest terms, is shelter; either a single-family residence, multi-family duplex or mixed-use apartment complex. Policy makers, planners and economists have long faced the challenge of finding solutions to provide adequate housing that meets the needs of current and future residents. For example, Homer Hoyt, an economist in the 1930s, studied housing characteristics and identified patterns specific to many urban housing markets and introduced terms such as vacancy chains and filtering (Kaplan and Holloway, 2014). As the U.S. housing market continued to grow, the Housing Act of 1949, America's version of urban renewal, contributed significantly to the growing disparity in affordable housing. Introduced by President Truman, it aimed to revitalize areas such as the slums populating many inner cities and one of the initial goals was to eliminate substandard housing to in turn create good housing (Levy, 2017). In the mid-1900s, American cities, hampered by unprofitable and dying downtowns, introduced their own urban renewal projects to act as an economic awakening and reshape residential and commercial environments (Levy , 2017). This, coupled with more zoning regulations in the suburbs, restricted new residents or those recently displaced by these "policies" and faced exclusionary zoning in many new cities (O'Flaherty, 2005). Although the program is no longer in place, the effects of urban renewal projects can be seen today in the city's demographics or in past practices of redlining. Throughout this period of urban renewal and new policies, the New Jersey case: Southern Burlington County, NAACP v. Township of Mount Laurel in 1975 showed an example of people facing exclusionary zoning taking a stand and fighting back. Mount Laurel's new ordinance applied regulations to only allow single-family homes in residential zones, excluding apartments, townhouses and any other current or future multi-family uses. Many minorities, primarily African Americans, in the community felt that regulations that would force them to move elsewhere outside of Mount Laurel's jurisdiction were aimed at them. Plaintiffs seekingadequate housing claimed exclusionary zoning and explained their reasoning that the city needed to provide affordable housing options to low- and moderate-income families (Southern Burlington County, NAACP v. Township of Mount Laurel). Ultimately, it was felt that the city should provide affordable housing options and that cities should only create zones "for the well-being of the people and not for the benefit of the local tax rate" (American Bar Association Journal (1975)). leads to inclusionary zoning policies, where developers must allocate a certain percentage of units to receive one below market cost (Schneider, 2018). The state of Texas currently has a law on the books, Texas Local Government Code § 214.905, that inclusionary zoning is not required, but the second half states that a municipality may: create or implement an incentive , a contractual commitment, a density bonus or another voluntary program. designed to increase the supply of moderate or lower cost housing; adopt a requirement applicable to a service area under the provisions of Chapter 373A, Local Government Code, which authorizes homestead preservation districts, if that chapter is created by an act of the Legislature. Dallas is familiar with this and even has places where voluntary inclusionary zoning is available. But how does the city take advantage of this legislature and use its resources to combat affordable housing as it continues to grow? Main body You can't mention housing without first looking at factors like population and employment growth. Ranked as the third largest city in Texas, Dallas is one of the busiest metropolises in the United States. As the city continues to grow (Lamm, 2019), the disparity between those in need of affordable housing and the availability of affordable housing also increases. forwardDallas!, the city's comprehensive plan adopted in 2006, states that a necessary element is ensuring a regional balance in affordable housing (forwardDallas!, 2006). After the national housing market collapsed in 2008, Dallas experienced rapid economic growth (Nagorka, 2019). Chart 1 shows that thousands of jobs were added to the labor market between 2014 and 2017. Unfortunately, in turn, Dallas has created an "unbalanced market that is not producing enough lower-cost housing (Nagorka, 2019)." . while many jobs are available. Although the housing market is not the worst in the country, the number of available affordable housing units has declined in many areas of Dallas, particularly in South Dallas. Land is being redeveloped and repurposed, or as some call it gentrification, in areas such as the Bishops Arts Quarter. In an effort to create more dense, walkable locations, these new developments are pushing homeowners out of these communities. As house prices rise, “buyouts” are greater than the value of the home, but not always enough to move and live as we have for decades. Additionally, as cities like Dallas become more modern and advanced in residential design and planning, there is a "disproportionate concentration of poor households in the inner city and in older suburbs on the outskirts, where deterioration and obsolescence have reduced the quality of older housing (Downs, 1997). » Keep in mind that Dallas' strong and growing economy is not the only factor affecting affordable housing options. Our real estate market is attractive forforeign investors. According to the latest census data, many of our residents continue to leave California (Calvey & San Francisco Business Chronicle, 2019). Having a higher cost of living, moving south is a viable and economical option for many people choosing to live in Texas. Developers know they can offer higher prices to those from other markets who are willing to pay a higher-than-average price, thereby driving up home values. International developers are another factor. Many international developers have favored Texas, and primarily Dallas, over other cities due to the abundance and cheapness of land. However, these developers are moving into Dallas and paying cash for properties that unanimously win bidding wars among housing seekers who are denied properties they can only afford because of financing. Investors and developers who have a strong influence on our real estate market “…essentially affect the affordability and availability of housing as demand exceeds supply and bidding wars ensue (Searcey and Bradsher, 2015) . » Chart 2 shows the steady increase in home values ​​between 2014 and 2017 in Dallas. (Zillow, 2019).HUD, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development offer a lot of assistance and many residents are eligible for housing vouchers issued by the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs. These vouchers are awarded to eligible low-income residents, who receive government assistance to live in an apartment or house at below market rate. However, not all places accept vouchers, or have recently stopped doing so, and the process of obtaining the voucher can take months. In some cases, voluntary inclusionary zoning is applied when certain developments offer lower prices to certain tenants and in return receive incentives or a subsidy from the government. A report from Opportunity Dallas states, “[W]e have never had a clear, predictable set of incentives for developers, so they know exactly what is on the table (Guinto, 2018),” justifying why so few developers chose to participate. and opportunities for inclusionary zoning are lacking in Dallas. Along with rising rental prices, Figure 3, many residents are finding it increasingly difficult to find affordable housing. DiscussionBut is Dallas really solving the problem when most of the homes being added are for middle- or upper-income residents and multifamily options are rare and expensive? Recognizing the growing concerns, a few measures were discussed as ways to combat disproportionality and increase affordable housing options. The Dallas Housing Authority plans to bring in private investors to revitalize properties scattered across the metro complex. Allowing public-private partnerships to become strong assets for both parties will give weight to the concept of adding affordable housing throughout the city (Allen, 2019). Additionally, Dallas recently implemented changes to the Development Code and City Code, providing additional incentives to residential projects that agree to include certain income-restricted units. In return, Dallas aims to create communities of different income classes. Keep in mind: this is just a sample. Get a personalized article from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay Conclusion Dallas city officials know the task ahead of them. 1975)