Affordable for Good Shelter Report 2017 1
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AFFORDABLE FOR GOOD SHELTER REPORT 2017 1 Affordable for good Building inclusive communities through homes that last SHELTER REPORT Habitat for Humanity International Jonathan Reckford Many Habitat staff members played important roles in bringing the report Chief Executive Officer to fruition, especially Adam Smith, Brinda Moody, Bruce Rogers, Carolyn Tilney, Michael Sutton, Pam Campbell, Rebecca Hix, Stephen Seidel, Sue Chris Vincent Henderson and Tera Doak. Vice President, Government Relations and Advocacy We also wish to thank the many Habitat affiliated organizations that contrib- Christopher Ptomey uted ideas and examples, particularly Matt Dunbar of Habitat for Humanity Senior Director, Government Relations New York City, Danny Herron of Greater Nashville Habitat for Humanity, and Heather Lafferty of Metro Denver Habitat for Humanity. We are grateful for Dan Petrie their enduring partnership as we serve more communities in need. Director, Global Affairs and Advocacy Habitat for Humanity International is a nonprofit organization that seeks to Author: eliminate inadequate housing from the world and to make decent shelter a John Emmeus Davis matter of conscience and action. The 2017 Shelter Report was made possible by generous contributions Government Relations and Advocacy Office from our partner Grounded Solutions Network. Emily Thaden, Jenn Daly, 1424 K St. NW, Suite 600 Tiffany Eng and Rachel Silver provided research, resources and support Washington, DC 20005 throughout this report’s development. (202) 628-9171 fax (202) 628-9169 [email protected] Many housing experts were also consulted during the writing and research- ing of this report. We are especially grateful to Chris Estes, Dave Brown, Headquarters Dev Goetschius, Diane Yentel, Michael Willard and Nic Retsinas for their 270 Peachtree St. NW, Suite 1300 insight, inspiration and guidance. Allison Reed interviewed and documented Atlanta, GA 30303 USA numerous Habitat affiliates involved in permanent affordability strategies; (800) HABITAT (229) 924-6935 this information will be an invaluable resource in the months ahead. [email protected] habitat.org Helping homes stay affordable, for good. Grounded Solutions Network supports strong communities from the programs for maximum impact and developing new technology to help ground up. We work nationally, promoting housing solutions that will better manage data and programs. stay affordable for generations so communities can stabilize and strengthen their foundation, for good. We know what policies and With our innovative technology solution, HomeKeeper, we help housing strategies work to build and preserve housing opportunities, and we professionals streamline the way they manage and report on their help communities of all sizes use them. homeownership program data so that they can more efficiently run their programs and measure their impact. Our mission is to cultivate communities — equitable, inclusive and rich in opportunity — by advancing affordable housing solutions that last for generations. We bring together an extensive network of partners and member practitioners – and together we agree that when communities are diverse and equitable, everyone benefits. This starts with a stable home. Our holistic and practical programs connect com- munities with tools and strategies that have been proven to work, enabling practitioners and policy- makers alike to create impact and bring about the change they seek. For example, Grounded Solutions Network is the leading provider of technical assistance, training, tools and resources for many kinds of affordable homeownership programs. We help our members and partners take the long view, fine-tuning their 4 SHELTER REPORT 2017 AFFORDABLE FOR GOOD Table of contents Summary ...................................................................................................................................................................................5 Foreword……………………………………………………………………………………………………… .................................................. 9 Introduction……………………………………………………………………………………………………… .......................................... 10 Chapter 1: Unacceptable losses ................................................................................................................................18 The landscape of loss………………… ................................................................................................................................18 Loss of security .................................................................................................................................................................. 20 Loss of quality .......................................................................................................................................................................21 Loss of affordability ...........................................................................................................................................................22 Toward a sustainability agenda ....................................................................................................................................26 Chapter 2: Homes that last ..........................................................................................................................................28 Characteristics: SEH versus conventional homeownership ..........................................................................28 Tenures: The diverse landscape of SEH ..................................................................................................................31 Synergies: SEH as a complement to other housing strategies....................................................................36 Function over form: Tenure is not enough ..............................................................................................................39 Chapter 3: Stewardship that works ....................................................................................................................... 40 Duties of stewardship .......................................................................................................................................................42 Tenure + Stewardship = Homes that last ............................................................................................................... 46 Chapter 4: Inclusive communities that last .......................................................................................................56 Islands in the stream .........................................................................................................................................................56 SEH has a place in cold markets too ........................................................................................................................62 Chapter 5: Habitat vision, values and innovation ........................................................................................... 66 Building homes .................................................................................................................................................................... 66 Building hope .........................................................................................................................................................................71 Building communities ........................................................................................................................................................74 Chapter 6: Conclusions and recommendations ..............................................................................................78 AFFORDABLE FOR GOOD SHELTER REPORT 2017 5 Summary Affordably priced homes are constantly lost in the United States. This Many nonprofit housing providers, advocates and policymakers have can happen because of a sudden catastrophe like the Great Recession become increasingly concerned about these losses, which happen with of 2007-09, which plunged millions of homes into foreclosure. More often distressing regularity in both rental housing and homeowner housing. An it happens because of relentless appreciation in the value of local land increasing number of communities have begun seeking a more sustain- and housing, pushing rents and prices beyond the reach of people of able way to invest increasingly scarce local resources. When subsidizing modest means. homeownership, in particular, a community will adopt one of two different strategies for responsibly preserving its contribution: “dollars that last” or Thousands of units of assisted housing are removed from the roster of “homes that last.” affordable housing every year. Natural obsolescence or inadequate main- tenance accounts for some of this loss. Other homes are lost through • “Dollars that last” focuses on the money that is poured into subsidiz- foreclosure. But the main culprit is the resale of heavily subsidized land ing homeownership for low-income and moderate-income families, and buildings at market prices that families of limited means can no preventing the loss of such subsidies when assisted homes change longer afford. Affordability is allowed to disappear, along with the public hands. Mortgages and promissory notes are tailored to allow a non- and private subsidies that initially made these homes affordable. profit organization that developed the housing or a public entity that funded the housing to recapture the front-end subsidies that made When affordably