This paper looks at the Smart Growth initiative, an initiative started to increase the quality, distribution and supply of affordable housing for low-income earners.
Abstract This paper is an analysis of the Smart Growth Initiative and its affect on the population that is searching for affordable housing. The author details the initiative including its goals, target audience, environmental concerns and successes and failures. The paper also includes the discussion of economic, social and environmental costs of current development patterns and how smart growth provides alternatives to current development patterns, in addition to investigating what it means for affordable housing quality and supply. Land use and planning strategies are also discussed in detail. The author also presents and analyzes a case study of Accessory Dwelling Units (ADU?s) in Cary, North Carolina as a means for the reader to see an actual example of how smart growth can affect affordable housing.
From the Paper "Current development patterns were driven mainly by public policy. The development patterns are characterized by a separation of uses, dependency on automobiles and the consumption of space in suburban and ex-urban areas. This pattern is supported by strict zoning regulations, transportation systems and a lack of coordination in planning. This is important, because these factors are also obstacles to making changes.
The booming economy of the 1990's has seen housing and rental costs increase at more than twice the rate of inflation. This has meant that many low-income owners are now unable to find affordable housing. Low-income earners are forced into substandard housing, forced to live in areas where affordable housing is available but at the expense of good security or good schooling, or forced to be homeless."
