Housing Insecurity and the Evolution of Affordable Housing Policy   Introduction Housing insecurity can be identified

Housing Insecurity and the Evolution of Affordable Housing Policy

Introduction

Housing insecurity can be identified as one of the key social issues that still affect oppressed members of the population. However, the low-income background and racial minority groups in most communities have greater difficulty in acquiring affordable housing that is safe in the United States. The problem of housing insecurity was officially identified as a social problem in times of the Great Depression, when the process of massive unemployment and poverty made millions of people have no quality home (Marçal et al., 2023). New Deal came up with the initial federal housing programs that were usually racially discriminating with the Blacks and immigrant families unable to receive similar chances as the White households.

The affordable housing policy has been developed throughout time in reaction to crises. This changed in 1965 with the establishment of the department of housing and urban development (HUD): this centralized federal plans related to housing. The Fair Housing Act of 1968 did this later, and it dealt with discrimination in housing, although this has not been strictly enforced. Most recently, there have been efforts to lessen restrictions under policies like the Housing Choice Voucher Program, yet the agencies continue to put many families on waiting lists annually. The necessity to implement these policy changes was due to the mass advocacy of the civil rights groups, community activists, and research on the connection between housing and health, education, and employment.

The increasing rent prices, gentrification process, and absence of affordable housing units negatively affect low-income families and communities of color in contemporary society. They have an increased homelessness rate, displacement, and instability affecting mental and physical health (Desmond et al., 2016). I chose this problem due to the fact that housing is inherent to social stability, and the history of the affordable housing policy is full of achievements and further challenges.

To better understand, I would suggest the article at the Urban Institute where they create a timeline of the federal housing policy and its effects on equity. The History of Federal Housing Policy. It also points to the way in which policies, which were originally meant to support the housing demands, strengthened the systemic inequality, which is also an important factor to consider the depth of the problem.

Reference

Desmond, M., & Gershenson, C. (2016). Housing and employment insecurity among the working poor. Social Problems, 63(1), 46–67. https://doi.org/10.1093/socpro/spv025

Marçal, K. E., Choi, M. S., & Showalter, K. (2023). Housing insecurity and employment stability: An investigation of working mothers. Journal of community psychology, 51(7), 2790-2801.