Table of Contents

Pre Urban Housing Developments

Housing, more generally termed as dwelling places, refers to the arrangement and assigned use of residential homes or buildings together, for the primary purpose of housing human beings collectively, for economic or communal betterment. The housing market is estimated at approximately US $ 53 billion a year. Thus, more than a million people are either tenants or homeowners in the United States, in addition to countless numbers of foreign nationals who reside here on legal visas. The market for real estate in the United States is highly regulated by state and local government entities to ensure fair and just treatment of all persons within its jurisdiction.

The housing market is highly diverse due to varying local conditions. For instance, although most urban areas have some form of comprehensive integrated planning process in place to promote affordable access to housing, other regions, such as those that are less densely populated, have experienced a dearth of such planning principles and procedures. Conversely, rural public housing lacks such planning principles and procedures, as do those that are considered to be “affordable” or “handicap-friendly.” The result is that, housing costs tend to be higher in these less-developed or less-scaled regions, and this has had a detrimental effect on the ability of these regions to realize reasonable housing prices, which, in turn, have negatively affected the ability of persons within the jurisdiction to attain decent quality housing. Similarly, in many metropolitan areas, rental growth is outpacing purchases, which have in turn led to over-pricing of homes, and to a dearth of both new homes and rental units.

Housing prices affect virtually every aspect of life, including prices paid by low-income families for homes, and costs associated with such families’ daily lives. Low-income families can find themselves locked into sub-standard housing, where they cannot afford the rising cost of living that has become a widespread fact of life in many major cities around the country. In many cases, low-income families are forced into situations where they must choose between their most basic needs (food, clothing, shelter) and the cost of living. Such circumstances can lead to serious problems, such as extreme stress and unhealthy living conditions.

Fortunately, the solution lies in the availability of federal programs that, through the course of various programs, provide low-income families’ access to affordable housing. As noted, these federal programs generally follow a two-step process. First, the government determines the level of need that a community or area is facing, based on various criteria. Then, in order to provide public housing assistance to that community or area, the government will negotiate an agreement with a local housing authority to identify the various types of housing that the area will specialize in. Finally, the government will issue grants to eligible developers, which will pay for the construction, renovation, and maintenance of the different types of housing that will be constructed in the designated community or area.

There are two main types of public housing assistance. The first, and more widely recognized form of such housing assistance comes in the form of mortgage/foreclosure protection insurance (MIP). Mortgage/foreclosure protection insurance protects low-income families from the loss of their home if they are unable to make their mortgage payments. The MIP, if properly utilized, helps to prevent foreclosures by keeping low-income families in their homes and allowing them to gradually rebuild their credit. The second form of housing assistance comes in the form of financial services that are designed to prevent evictions from happening to low-income families. Such services generally include counseling and referral to local legal or non-profit organizations that can help in addressing pressing housing issues that may arise.

In general, there are three different types of public housing that families may not be eligible for. The Low-Income Special Affordable Housing (SIHA) program offers subsidies to low-income families that are otherwise not eligible for regular housing assistance programs. One of the most popular forms of SIHA is the Offer in Compromise (OIC), which places limitations on the amount of money that a family will have to pay out of their monthly income. This is the least intrusive form of subsidies and can be used as a catch-all for various housing needs. Another option is the Special Needs Children’s Program (SNCP), which pays for children’s expenses and boarding or childcare related costs for an individual or family with special needs. In addition, there are a number of other opportunities for low-income families that do not come under the aforementioned programs.

Many people that have recently lost their homes due to foreclosure are concerned about the state of the market and how it will impact them as they try to find new homes. In addition to losing their homes, many low-income families have experienced other hardships such as medical bills, natural disasters, and job losses. In order to keep these families in their homes, government agencies have introduced a number of programs that target different aspects of healthy housing. The Healthy Housing Initiative (CHI) provides financial incentives for builders to construct low-income homes that offer good security to residents and provide them with access to healthy living areas. For example, the CHI offers tax credits to developers who build affordable and energy efficient low-income homes, which will make it easier for low-income families to afford home ownership.

In order to take advantage of these preurban housing developments and to ensure that they continue to be around, low-income families need to find ways to purchase affordable housing, whether through buying an existing home or investing in an affordable home in a development. For example, developers have begun to develop affordable housing primarily focused on helping low and moderate-income families buy homes in the middle of nowhere. These developments have been met with resistance from local municipalities, but some communities have welcomed these developments, viewing them as a way to improve the value of their neighborhoods and create more residents that are less likely to be involved in crime or fall victim to health issues. Regardless of where a family chooses to buy, they will want to look into options such as preurban housing developments, as they provide a good option for housing for people who cannot afford to buy a home of their own, but who still want to be close to good schools, parks, and other destinations.