The first U.S government financed public housing was not intended to be for ‘poor folks’. The original idea was to create publicly funded housing that would help individuals and families through the housing and job-scarce depression. Once income stability was achieved, they would be enticed to stay on, with their rents helping support the finance of public housing.
Alas, the enticing never happened. The reasons are buried in history. Blame it on hoity-toity jumped-up poor folks who wanted to move on, out of subsidized housing. Or blame it on cost cutting bureaucrats who created ‘nasty’ affordable housing that was just not a desirable life destination.
Whatever the reasons, it was the beginning of an American love-hate relationship with social housing. Loved by those who are trapped in social housing’s embrace by economic circumstances. Hated by everyone else, including the governments that ought to be promoting its well-meaning purpose.
With mixed social/worker’s housing a proven failure in the past, today there is a growing movement to re-explore the possibility of mixed income housing, satisfying both the least wealthy and job-stabilized workers. Washington State floated the concept and squeezed a little money for initial steps that will ultimately self-finance worker housing1. So far, though, small potatoes.
On the other side of the country, Montgomery County in Maryland is a deep dive closer to a viable social housing experiment2. It’s created a local funding model that bypasses long waits for tax credits to come from higher levels of government. As the article notes, Montgomery County has a lot going for it (The County is wealthy and has very capable staff).
The thing that makes this article so important? The folks at Montgomery County have a plan that can equip other states and local communities to get into the social housing business. Read more at NPR: One possible housing crisis solution? A new kind of public housing for all income levels
