November 28, 2009
Housing policies leave cities behind
By Benjamin Forman
For decades, building affordable housing has been the "fix" for declining neighborhoods in the state's older industrial cities. But shoring up distressed blocks with affordable housing has done little to make these neighborhoods attractive again. If anything, it's probably had the unintended effect of concentrating more poor families in areas where jobs have become increasingly scarce.
Because housing resources are severely limited, state housing policy has focused on ensuring people have a roof over their heads. The prioritization of affordable housing is correct. But it does not explain the reluctance to recognize the limitations of affordable housing development in communities with declining neighborhoods, and the need for another pool of resources to address the unique challenges cities with these conditions face.