Affordable Housing: Why We Need Radical Solutions

The affordable housing crisis demands bold action.

Incremental policies and programs have failed to make a dent in the growing shortage of affordable homes for families in need.

As housing costs skyrocket and incomes stagnate, the traditional approaches are not enough. We need radical, innovative solutions to fundamentally reshape the housing market and ensure that all families have access to safe, stable and affordable housing.  


Half-Measures of the Past

For too long, the prevailing strategies for affordable housing have relied on half-measures.

• Rental vouchers and subsidies only reach a fraction of those in need.
• Low-income housing tax credits and community land trusts chip away at the problem but lack the scale to keep up with demand.
• Zoning and regulatory changes face opposition and move at a glacial pace.

These limited solutions have failed to curb the steady rise in rents and home prices that have far outpaced wage growth.


A Call for Bold Action

It's time for bold action to rebalance the housing market.

We need massive investments in social housing on the scale of the mid-20th century. Hundreds of thousands of units of public and non-profit housing should be built to provide an affordable alternative to private development.

Large-scale zoning reform is also needed to allow higher density, multi-family housing in neighborhoods that have resisted change.

Rent control and tenant protections should be expanded to curb the power imbalance that favors landlords. 


The Road to Radical Housing Change

Radical change won't come easily. But the scale of today's affordable housing crisis demands solutions that match the scale of the problem.

Limited subsidies and small-scale policies will not overcome decades of underinvestment in affordable housing.

Only by fundamentally reshaping our housing system to prioritize affordability and access can we ensure that families at all income levels have a stable place to call home.

The affordable housing crisis calls for bold, visionary solutions. It's time for radical change.