Rebuilding a Low-income Housing Policy

Book excerpt: Examining earlier federal housing initiatives, Rachel Bratt argues that public housing has not failed. She proposes a new strategy for producing decent, affordable housing for low-income people through non-profit community-based organizations.The potential of a new housing policy built on empowering community groups and low-income households is compelling. The production, rehabilitation, management and/or ownership by community-based organizations, with funding and technical assistance provided by a new type of public support system, not only would offer participants much-needed shelter, but also control over and security in their living environments. These qualities have been lacking in housing sponsored by the private for-profit sector as well as in previous subsidy programs.The author analyzes the limitations of both profit-oriented developers and public agencies as the primary vehicles for developing low- and middle-income housing. Promoting small-scale neighborhood organizations as better suited for delivering such services, she focuses on large multi-family projects and argues that our urban public housing stock represents an irreplaceable resource that is rapidly decaying to a point of no return. Through a number of case studies of housing projects throughout Massachusetts-among them South Holyoke, the Granite Properties, Fields Corner in Dorchester, and the Boston Housing Partnership-Bratt examines the dilemmas faced by community development corporations, analyzes the accomplishments of empowered community groups, and recommends ways of Rebuilding a Low-Income Housing Policy. Author note: Rachel G. Bratt is Associate Professor, Department of Urban and Environmental Policy, at Tufts University.