NEW VOICES FOR AFFORDABLE HOMES

Now Streaming: OSAH Podcast Series with the American Institute of Architects
 

The campaign and the American Institute of Architects (AIA) have released four episodes of their jointly produced five-part podcast series.

  • Episode 43: “Housing as a Human Right – The Role of Architects in Housing Equity,”  dives into the work of AIA’s Housing & Community Development Knowledge Community’s Right-to-Housing Working Group, highlighting the critical role architects play in addressing housing inequities and influencing policy change. The episode features architects Karen Kubey and Casius Pealer, who share their insights about how thoughtful design can meet immediate needs, advance long-term community benefits, and support human rights.
  • Episode 44: “Designing for Culturally Adequate Housing- Community Design Approaches in Housing,” explores culturally mindful housing that prioritizes residents’ needs and aspirations. The episode features architects Alex Salazar and Joseph Kunkel discussing housing projects and community design processes that have successfully integrated the principles of culturally adequate housing, demonstrating that when housing is designed with people in mind, it becomes a catalyst for social change. “Culturally adequate housing,” included as one of the seven elements in the United Nations’ definition of adequate housing, is housing that respects and takes into account a person’s cultural identity and ways of life. The guests discuss affordable housing projects in Oregon and New Mexico that are both culturally adequate for residents and community-led in the design process. They also recommend ways that advocates can incorporate these concepts into affordable housing policy solutions.
  • Episode 45: “Multi-Sector Perspective – How Design Intersects with Health, Housing, and the Environment,” looks at how holistic design approaches can create healthier living environments that provide long-term benefits to entire communities. On the episode, guests discuss specific examples of affordable housing design projects that are climate resilient, energy efficient, that incorporate wellness for individual residents, and that benefit the surrounding environment. The episode features architects Katherine Williams and Illya Azaroff, who discuss design projects that incorporate improvements to indoor air quality, integrate green spaces, and promote sustainable living practices. The guests discuss how innovative design can enhance human well-being and environmental health and how architects can best support affordable housing design and development that promotes healthy living and environmental resiliency.
  • Episode 46: “Preserving Affordability – The Role of Architects in Saving Existing Housing Stock,” delves into the crucial role architects play in the preservation of housing affordability with an exploration of Naturally Occurring Affordable Housing (NOAH). NOAH refers to existing rental housing that is affordable without subsidy because of low market values. NOAH housing typically comprises older properties, and a lack of subsidies makes these homes especially vulnerable to economic shocks and disrepair. The episode shares insight on how architects can act as scope and grant writers, helping to secure funding and develop plans for the preservation and improvement of affordable housing.  Episode guests Emily Roush-Elliott and Christian Solorio discuss successes and challenges in preserving affordable housing and share their strategies to maintain and enhance existing affordable housing stock. The guests also discuss how current federal affordable housing policies and funding streams could better support the preservation of NOAH.
About this Series

The podcast series, developed with AIA’s Right-to-Housing Working Group, highlights the multi-sector impacts of affordable housing. Hosted by Chantelle Wilkinson and Julie Walker, the series features architects discussing human-centered design, federal policies addressing housing inequities, and innovative approaches to equity and sustainability. The series emphasizes the critical role of architects in advancing housing advocacy for a just and equitable future. New episodes will be released weekly on Soundcloud, Apple, and Spotify.

Learn more about the series here.
 

Listen to the OSAH Podcast

New NLIHC Report: State Projects Funded by the National Housing Trust Fund in 2019

 

NLIHC issued a new report, The National Housing Trust Fund: A Summary of 2019 State Projects. Part of NLIHC’s effort to document the impact of the national Housing Trust Fund (HTF), the report summarizes how each state and the District of Columbia planned to use $248 million allocated in 2019 by the HTF. In 2019 – the fourth year of HTF implementation – states continued to use most of their HTF resources (74%) to target projects that served people experiencing homelessness, people with disabilities, elderly people, or other special needs populations.

The campaign advocates for a significant expansion of the national HTF to expand the affordable housing stock, one of the campaign’s three key policy strategies. The national HTF is the first new housing resource in a generation and is exclusively targeted to help build, preserve, and rehabilitate housing for people with the lowest incomes.  The national HTF is a block grant to states and operates at no cost to the federal government because it is funded through fees on Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.  Each state distributes HTF resources based on its annual Allocation Plan, which identifies the state’s priority housing needs. This report highlights affordable housing projects across the country that are made possible through the HTF. Through the collective advocacy of campaign staff and partners, we continue to call for expansion of the national HTF to create and preserve more affordable housing projects in years to come.
 

Read the Report

Campaign Appears on A Flourishing Start Podcast
 

Campaign Director Chantelle Wilkinson joined a recent episode of the podcast A Flourishing Start to discuss the campaign’s role in elevating the unique issues faced by families with young children in maintaining stable, secure, and affordable housing. Chantelle joined A Flourishing Start host Esmeralda Cortez Rosales and California Youth Connection’s Bay Area Advocacy Coordinator Mariah Corder to dispel myths surrounding homelessness, discuss the role of the campaign, and ultimately call for a more integrated, robust approach to housing advocacy.

In the episode, Chantelle and Mariah discuss the interconnected topics of youth advocacy, housing insecurity, and the importance of community support. They highlight the challenges faced by young people, particularly those impacted by the foster care and juvenile justice systems, and the need for cross-sector collaboration to address these issues. The discussion emphasizes the importance of listening, advocacy, and practical steps that individuals can take to support families in need of stable housing. A Flourishing Start is produced by Roundtable member National Center for Youth Law.
 

Watch the Episode

Campaign Releases Updated Fact Sheets on Housing and Criminal Justice, Economic Productivity, and Veteran Well-Being
 

The campaign has released three updated fact sheets highlighting the impacts of affordable housing on economic productivity, criminal justice, and veteran well-being. While the national shortage of affordable and available housing impacts people with the lowest incomes from all backgrounds, research shows that veterans and people with criminal records face unique challenges when it comes to accessing and maintaining stable housing; that rental assistance is essential to reducing homelessness among veterans; and that investments in affordable housing benefit not only those residents receiving assistance but their surrounding communities as well by increasing employment, generating local government revenue, and fueling local economic activity.

The new fact sheets, which were developed in collaboration with key partners including the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (a Steering Committee member), draw on this research to highlight the intersections between affordable housing and each of these policy areas.
 

Read the Fact Sheets