Strategies: What Works to Accomplish the Results You Want?

What Can Policymakers Do?

• Support the development of responsible affordable housing options    
  While most development decisions take place at the local level, state policymakers are in a position to create a policy environment that requires or encourages the development of affordable housing.  By establishing housing trust funds, policymakers can ensure long-term flexible funding for affordable housing and housing services.  Enabling and encouraging inclusionary zoning and supporting transit-oriented development can expand the affordable housing stock while contributing to housing equity, access to educational and employment opportunities, and sustainable community growth.

• Support and strengthen federal housing programs
  By providing a range of subsidized housing options and supporting housing maintenance and improvement programs, state policymakers can help to ensure that low-income individuals have access to decent, safe and sanitary affordable housing in rural, suburban and urban communities.

• Provide housing protections for low-income families
  State policymakers can ensure that low-income families are able to maintain safe and affordable housing. By supporting housing protections, policymakers help low- and moderate-income families through rent regulation, reasonable code enforcement and eviction prevention.  Tax relief laws can help keep housing affordable for low-income families and the elderly and can be targeted to best meet the needs of a state’s population (gentrifying communities with low-income elderly residents, communities with low-income veterans and their families, etc.). 

• Coordinate access to services and support asset building
  State policies can provide low-income families with the opportunity to live in housing where the appropriate services are easily available and well-integrated.  To accomplish this, policymakers can require human service agencies to coordinate and streamline service provision for low-income households.  The supports available to families should include both social services and opportunities to learn about asset building and affordable homeownership. Integrating services with housing helps low-income families achieve housing stability.