Joining Forces’ YIMBY Committee: Sharing the Perks of Affordable Housing

Since community opinions can strongly influence new affordable housing efforts, Joining Forces’ YIMBY Committee is developing a campaign to educate community members and their stakeholders about the benefits of affordable housing. Our previous blog about the YIMBY Committee focused on how we can address common concerns about affordable housing (click here to read that post). This follow-up post focuses on how housing affordability benefits people and their communities. ​

---

Focusing on the Positive
While countering negative assertions about affordable housing is sometimes necessary, highlighting the benefits of housing that’s affordable is critical for advocates. Not only do the benefits show that affordable housing isn’t the bad thing that some might frame it to be, but they show that the addition of affordability is actually an improvement that benefits the community as a whole. Armed with this knowledge, community members and stakeholders will be more likely to support measures that increase housing affordability.  

To support advocates, the YIMBY Committee has compiled and organized research on the benefits of affordable housing. This blog post provides a summary of what we found, with footnotes to the relevant studies. The categories of benefits from affordable housing described below include: 

• Stronger, safer more cohesive communities
• Healthier local economies
• Better outcomes for kids
• More workers and more jobs
• Improvements in health outcomes
• Reduced housing instability 

Stronger, Safer, More Cohesive Communities
The stability that affordable housing provides creates loyalty to the community among residents, supports diverse populations, and creates safer environments. 

Resident Commitment to the Community
When families aren’t concerned about finding an affordable place to live or affording rent, they're more likely to focus on:

• Bonding with neighbors (1)
• Attending community events (1)
• Spending money at nearby businesses (2) (3)
• Establishing long-term relationships (1)
• Investing in their neighborhoods (4)
• Investing in their children’s futures (4)​

Safer Neighborhoods
Resident commitment to the neighborhood creates a sense of belonging and unity (1), which encourages residents to stay in their communities (3) and reduce crime rates, leading to greater safety for all neighbors (1).  

Increased Diversity
​A variety of housing options attracts a more diverse workforce (1), which:  

• Influences innovation, creativity, and competition (1)

• Gives businesses larger and more diverse talent pools (1),  
• Provides nearby job opportunities, which reduces the need for commuting or relocating (1).  ​

Reduced Need for Commuting
When affordable housing is built in neighborhoods with access to transportation, grocery stores, jobs, and other amenities, low-income residents:  

• Save money on cars (gas, maintenance, insurance, etc.) (5) 
• Have better access to jobs and resources (5)  
• Cause less traffic congestion, air pollution, wear and tear on roads, etc. (6). ​

Improved Infrastructure
Increasing housing options that are accessible to households with diverse income levels can be an impetus to improving the infrastructure, look, and overall well-being of a neighborhood by: 

• Reducing the number of vacant lots and dilapidated buildings in neighborhoods (6), 
• Generating millions of dollars in local income (2)
• Creating hundreds of local jobs (6) (7)
• Influencing upgrades to water and sewer lines, electricity capacity, roads, and mass transit (2) (6)

Healthier Local Economies
Housing options for people with different income levels creates financial opportunities for neighborhoods.

Increased Spending, More Jobs
People who can afford where they live can save (5) and then spend (1) more money on local goods and services--both for basic needs and for extras. This supports local businesses by providing customers--as well as workers.  This can:  ​

• Boost local businesses (1) (8)
• Stimulate the opening of new businesses (1)
• Create jobs (1) (5) (8)
• Establish new tax revenues (5)

More Stable Local Economies
Increasing the supply of housing to meet surging demand helps to prevent rent and real estate prices from inflating (6). It can save cities thousands of dollars by reducing the use of expensive systems of care (7) such as:  ​

• Emergency room visits (7)
• Acute care (7)
• Inpatient psychiatric care (7)

When most people can’t afford where they live, it decreases individual earnings and can cost taxpayers trillions of dollars in social services, while investing in more housing affordability creates economic growth.  

• Increasing the supply of affordable homes adds between $1.2 billion and $2.4 billion annually to local economies across America, with every dollar invested into affordable housing creating $2.30 in economic activity (3).  
• On the other hand, less housing affordability costs the American economy about $2 trillion a year in lower wages and productivity, as well as limits opportunities for families to increase earnings, which causes slower GDP growth (9). 
• Affordable and supportive housing usually provides tax benefits like increases to surrounding property values (3) (6) (7). ​

Better Outcomes for Kids
The stability that housing affordability provides increases the prospects of children who live in that housing.  

• When there isn't enough  affordable housing, the housing options available to low-income families are typically lower in quality and can be unstable. This can cause emotional or behavioral problems in children (6) (10) and health issues (5) (6), which seriously jeopardize children’s academic performance and contribute to long-lasting achievement gaps (5). 
• The absence of housing cost burden creates a more stable environment for children because when parents aren’t forced to spend most of their income on basic necessities, they are better equipped to:  ​

• Invest in their children's futures (10)
• Prevent disruptions in education from relocating (1) (5)
• Support children’s academic performance (1) (5) (6) (8) (10)
• Prevent avoidable behavioral issues (6)

• In turn, this enables children to: 

• Form long-term friendships and bonds with other kids (1)
• Participate in community and extracurricular activities (1)

• Develop vital social skills (1)
• Have more opportunities for economic mobility (9) (10)
• Experience a better overall sense of well-being (10)

When parents’ finances aren’t burdened by housing costs, children live healthier lives, which creates better outcomes for adulthood.  

• Children who grow up in households with access to healthy and nutritious foods tend to have better outcomes as they grow up (11). 
• Children who are exposed to elements like lead-based paint can suffer from damage to the brain and nervous system, have delayed development, and experience issues with behavior and cognition (11). 
• Green improvements to affordable housing can improve the health of low-income families, especially for children at risk of chronic illnesses (5). ​

More Workers, More Jobs
Housing that accommodates more people with a variety of incomes creates more opportunities for employment and supports workers.

New Jobs with New Developments
The construction and maintenance of housing developments creates jobs related those particular projects. Since living in areas with more housing affordability can support local businesses, it also creates the need for employees.  

• Building or rehabilitating rental housing with HUD subsidies (3) or large supportive housing residences (7) can create many construction and permanent jobs (8). 
• When people can afford their housing, improved mobility is more possible (2). 
• A good supply of housing for people at all income levels helps a community retain jobs, businesses, and quality employees, giving business owners competitive advantages for area employers (6) (8). 

​Increased Stability for Workers
Workers that can live close to their places of employment--without housing cost burden--are better workers, which is good for employers and their communities. 

• When workers can affordably live close to their places of employment, there is less absenteeism, and workers have more time to engage in productive or enriching activities outside of work (1). 
• Since many affordable housing residents are essential workers (teacher’s aides, nursing assistants, retail clerks, construction workers, etc.), everyone benefits when these people have a place to live comfortably (6). ​

Improvements in Health Outcomes
Affordable housing improves residents' physical and mental health.

Better Access to Healthcare and Healthy Foods
When people can afford where they live, they have more access to healthcare and restaurants and grocery stores that sell healthier food.  

• Individuals or families that are housing cost-burdened often can’t afford nutritious foods, health insurance (11), or preventative care (1), which can cause or exacerbate chronic illnesses (2) (10).   
• When people have access to quality affordable housing options, they’re more likely to have access to healthier foods (2) (11), routine medical care (2) (11), and amenities that quality neighborhoods could offer (5). 

• Many affordable housing developments are built with walkability and proximity to parks and recreational areas in mind, which promotes physical activity for residents (1).   

Healthier Living Conditions
Housing that is affordable can ensure that low-income residents are less exposed to hazardous living conditions and face less stress from not being able to afford rent.   

• Some of the market rate housing that low-income households can afford is inexpensive because of poor quality. This can expose residents to:  ​

• Lead paint (1) (2)
• Asbestos (11)
• Mold/water contamination (2) (10) (11)
• Poor ventilation (10)
• Pests (10)
• A slew of other environmental risks that are far less likely for more affluent populations (2)

Decreased Stress
When people are cost-burdened, they are likely under a lot of stress (10) (11), which can lead to:  

• Increased risk of heart disease (11)
• Depression (11)
• Anxiety (11)
• Digestive problems (11)
• Sleeping issues (11)
• Many other health complications (11)

Reductions in Housing Instability
Housing options for people with lower income levels reduces and even prevents housing instability.

While some might believe that being unhoused is a consequence of individual shortcomings, the truth is that homelessness is a housing issue. A lack of housing affordability is the greatest cause of housing instability because it limits housing options for low-income people. When there is more access to affordable housing, it influences stability and decreases the possibility that lower income people would become unhoused. 

• Supportive housing is the most successful intervention yet developed for ending homelessness among the most vulnerable populations (7). 

• Unaffordable housing is the biggest contributor to being unhoused (10). Access to decent housing for people with various income levels provides critical stability for families (5), which reduces evictions (2) and the overall risk that vulnerable families will become unhoused (5). 
• Communities wind up paying for what the government spends on shelters, emergency room visits, and jail time for unhoused people through taxation (10).  

The YIMBY Committee’s Next Steps 
With this information, the YIMBY Committee is working on a YIMBY campaign, which will involve messaging strategies to publicize the benefits that affordable housing offers communities and an FAQ to address common concerns about affordable housing. There will be pages on the Joining Forces website with the information in this blog post, as well as information about common concerns. The committee will also work on materials that can be printed on flyers and handed out at community events, as well as road shows and talks with community groups.  

For more information about the YIMBY Committee, visit the YIMBY Committee webpage and contact Nathaniel Hagemaster.   ​

References 
​

1. “The Community Benefits of Affordable Housing.” Smith Marion & Co., 24 May 2024, https://smcocpa.com/the-community-benefits-of-affordable-housing/ 
   
2. “6 Ways Affordable Housing Can Boos Local Economies.” CommonBond Communities, 24 May 2024, https://commonbond.org/economic-benefits-of-affordable-housing/ 
3. “Economic Benefits of Affordable Housing.” Embrace Living Communities: Affordable. Welcoming. Home, 24 May 2024, https://embraceliving.org/economic-benefits-affordable-housing/ 
4. “Affordable Housing FAQs.” Community Housing Advocacy and Development, 24 May 2024, https://www.chadhousing.org/about/affordable-housing-faqs 
   
5. Enterprise Community Partners, Inc. “Impact of Affordable Housing on Families and Communities: A Review of the Evidence Base.” Enterprise Community Partners, 5 May 2014, homeforallsmc.org. Accessed 24 May 2024. 
6. “Benefits of Affordable Housing.” City of Lakeland, 24 May 2024, https://www.lakelandgov.net/departments/community-economic-development/housing/benefits-of-affordable-housing/ 
7. “Supportive Housing FAQs.” Supportive Housing Network of New York, 24 May 2024, https://shnny.org/supportive-housing/faq/ 
   
8. “Affordable Housing FAQs.” Southwest Minnesota Housing Partnership, 24 May 2024, https://www.swmhp.org/affordable-housing-faqs/ 
9. “Why do affordable homes matter?” National Low Income Housing Coalition, 24 May 2024, https://nlihc.org/explore-issues/why-we-care 
10. “The Benefits of Affordable Housing.” Midlands Housing Trust Fund: Creating Housing Solutions, 24 May 2024, https://midlandshousing.org/the-benefits-of-affordable-housing/ 
    
11. “Frequently Asked Questions.” Ulster County Housing Smart Communities Initiative, 24 May 2024, https://hsci.ulstercountyny.gov/f-a-q-s/ ​