Three out of ten of the region's households pay more than 35% of their income for housing, tying up funds from the rest of the economy. At the same time, tri-state residents have the longest commutes in the nation. These problems are closely connected, taking their toll on the economy, the environment, and our quality of life. RPA is in the beginning stages of a two-phased housing initiative which will (1) clearly and accurately describe housing trends in the region in context with the economy and the environment, and (2) build a broad coalition of stakeholders to develop and implement an agenda that addresses housing issues in the region. The first phase of the initiative will be to analyze the many factors underlying the region's ongoing housing crisis, understand the full costs of increasing housing cost burdens, and describe the urban-suburban dynamics of the region's housing crisis. The second phase will be to educate key players in the region, and promote the right tools to solve the problem. The initiative will support and strengthen city and state housing initiatives by facilitating new alliances, providing a common foundation of detailed, up-to-date information and developing new policy initiatives that are best addressed at the regional level, such as:
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Multi-state housing trust funds,
- Employer assisted housing,
- Location-efficient mortgages based on proximity to transit,
- Jobs-housing linkage fees,
- Technical assistance to first time homebuyers,
- Region-wide inclusionary zoning,
- Dormitory and other alternative non-family residences, and
- Brownfields, failed strip malls, and other "dead site" development.
In nearly every part of the region, the housing crisis has generated reports, coalitions and programs aimed at galvanizing local action. As RPA has met with many of these groups from around the region, we've seen a compelling need for a region-wide, interdisciplinary approach to meet the long term challenges for housing. Heightened interest in metropolitan planning, the impacts of sprawl and "Smart Growth" initiatives are providing an opportunity for a new dialogue on solutions to urban-suburban inequities. However, these initiatives are still focused more on environmental and quality of life issues than issues of urban poverty and social mobility. Likewise housing research and advocacy rarely focus on employment location, commuting patterns, and environmental concerns.ÊRPA will help make explicit the connections between issues traditionally addressed by urban planners, affordable housing advocates and environmentalists alike
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