Innovations for Affordable Housing

The following sources were gathered with the purpose of allowing the reader to better understand why having affordable housing is important, how it impacts different aspects of people’s lives, the disadvantages that vulnerable populations have in the housing market, and various projects/solutions that have worked around the globe. Some of the information is repetitive because all the sources have a topic in common, housing. However, each of them was thoroughly chosen to provide new insights that will be helpful for the development of my project. Articles that describe historical events, like racial segregation, redlining and slum-clearance, were included because those still shape the racial landscape of today, and it i important to contextualize the reader. Additionally, due that my project aims to explore two regions, the U.S. and Mexico, some articles shed light on the housing situation in Mexico City and programs, like Infonavit, that have helped to mitigate the housing crisis. Moreover, it has been proven that a tiny solution to this huge problem is micro-housing; thus, several sources explain why tiny houses are a sustainable and effective option to combat the lack of affordable housing. There is even a Tiny House Movement, it emerged because more people are choosing to downsize the place they live in due to financial concerns, environmental concerns and the desire for more freedom. Regarding the environmental concerns, two of the articles explain how smart growth and sustainable affordable housing can save money for low-income families and strengthen community resilience. One of the most outstanding local projects that I found was Community First! Village— a tiny house village dedicated to providing permanent and affordable housing to people coming out of chronic homelessness. There are many projects that aim to solve the housing crisis, but unfortunately, they do not receive enough governmental and community support. Therefore, I invite you to click some of the articles below and learn more about this issue and how it can be mitigated.