The Importance of Design in Affordable Housing: Lessons From Mutual Self-Help Housing in California

We focus on three nonprofit organizations developing mutual self-help housing and analyze their projects to examine how they are addressing cost increases. We find that instead of using simpler designs, they are developing more elaborate homes through intricate financing. We are critical of this evo...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inHousing policy debate Vol. 23; no. 4; pp. 765 - 780
Main Authors Mukhija, Vinit, Scott-Railton, John
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Abingdon Routledge 01.10.2013
Taylor & Francis Ltd
Subjects
Affordable housing
California
Design
Development
Financial innovation
Home financing
Households
Housing allowances
housing form
Housing policy
incremental development
modest house
Non-profit organizations
nonprofit developers
Nonprofit organizations
Policy making
post-occupancy improvements
Self help
self-help housing
Studies
U.S.A
USDA
United States > US
California
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Summary:We focus on three nonprofit organizations developing mutual self-help housing and analyze their projects to examine how they are addressing cost increases. We find that instead of using simpler designs, they are developing more elaborate homes through intricate financing. We are critical of this evolution. First, we suggest that the original modest house design of mutual self-help housing allowed for more affordable housing through post-occupancy improvements and de facto incremental development. Second, after the modest design was replaced with a larger model, development costs increased. Despite financial innovations, including longer loan terms and secondary financing, participation by poor households dropped. Third, we urge a return to the modest housing idea. Fourth, we call for policymakers to better integrate design-based thinking in housing policy.
Bibliography:ObjectType-Article-2
SourceType-Scholarly Journals-1
ObjectType-Feature-1
content type line 23
ISSN:1051-1482
2152-050X
DOI:10.1080/10511482.2013.835332