Families and individuals across the United States are struggling to keep up with the costs of housing. Let’s look at the stats:

It’s time for a new, comprehensive approach to housing.

In order to do that, we need a three-point strategy that creates a new narrative about what housing means, develops policies that match the scale of the problem, and takes action to make these policies real.

Creating a new narrative
Currently, the narrative – and reality – around housing is that it’s an individual good you either can or cannot afford. In trickle-down speak, this means those who can afford housing worked hard or saved, and those who can’t afford housing are lazy.

We know that this isn’t true, and luckily, we can quickly reframe this trickle-down lie by making housing a community responsibility, much like our transportation infrastructure. In this approach, the government takes a robust role in making sure all of us can get access to housing instead of the current dog-eat-dog approach.

We know it can be done because it has been done. Throughout the 20th century, the government repeatedly stepped in to intentionally create housing when it was needed. Unfortunately, these policies privileged wealthy, white homeowners and segregated communities of color. Decades of racist policies and failed trickle-down economics have created the housing crisis of today.

We can create housing stability for all, but we need to make sure it’s equitable. If we’re going to reframe the narrative around housing, it must be based on the following principles: racial justice, housing stability for everyone, and diversity of choices. 

Policy solutions scaled to the size of the problem
There is no one policy solution that will solve the housing crisis – instead, there are many policies that can empower working people to live in the city they love, small businesses to thrive, and cities to maintain affordability across the spectrum of incomes.

Policies like transit-oriented housing; transit investments; diverse types of mixed-income housing investments including apartments, detached dwellings, public land trusts, and equitable co-ops; stable rent measures; and inclusionary zoning that allows for higher density and mixed-used spaces all need to be a part of the plan.

That’s why we need holistic, progressive housing reform. Just like we’ve done for transportation, development, and urban planning, we can pass a comprehensive package that tackles our housing problems in a holistic way. 

Advocacy to make these policies real
Across the country, the lack of affordable housing is a legitimate crisis, especially as the coronavirus causes more and more people to lose work. It’s time to act. We need to house more people, more affordably – and do it quickly.

We need our elected officials, community partners, and community members to all get on board to make life better and more equitable for everyone in our communities. Without a coalition of voices fighting for progress, affordability will continue to be out of reach for too many in this country. Are you in?

We can create lots more affordable housing in every city, work on preventing displacement, give more power to the working class and people of color – and begin treating affordable housing like a public good, as we treat transportation and infrastructure. But first, we need to make it a priority. 

Will you answer this quick question to let us know what you think?