International Observatory on Social Housing
Examine the world of social housing from an international perspective.
Public and affordable housing in the USA is always at risk of budget cuts and over-regulation. Our cries as an industry for more funding and attention are often ignored. Below is a mixture of theoretical high level ideas and concepts to shake up the industry. I do realize these ideas might come off as flippant... Continue Reading →
I think it is extremely important to take time and recognize those who dedicate their careers to public service. The five people I am writing about today have all taken different approaches to their respective careers but have touched the agencies and people they have come into contact with in very positive and meaningful... Continue Reading →
Yes- this is absolute click bate. The reason for writing this blog is less about how to compare your housing authority to others but more about a trend I have noticed developing in the sector. Bench marking is completely normal and healthy because it allows housing authorities and associations to know if they are meeting... Continue Reading →
Leading a large housing authority is no simple job. There are often thousands of employees and major issues to deal with. Outside of being the CEO of the largest property management firm in the city, an Executive Director must also handle redevelopments, new developments, tenant issues, union issues, crime and violence and employee moral. For... Continue Reading →
Are there too many PHAs? I am not postulating but simply asking a question. There are around 3500 public housing authorities throughout the United States administering around 3.2 million affordable housing units mainly through public housing and housing choice voucher programs. The majority of these housing authorities are extremely small. In some states there... Continue Reading →
Dr. Carson's appointment to be the leader of HUD was universally derided by many within the public housing sector. His lack of experience in the housing sector was often cited as the reason. While Dr. Carson might not have experience in the housing arena, he has the opportunity to make a major mark on... Continue Reading →
This is a very controversial subject within the public housing world. When it comes to time limits in federally subsided housing programs, there are many on both sides of the argument. This blog is meant to simply introduce a few of the housing authorities that went down this road and their reasoning for... Continue Reading →
There are so many dedicated professionals working on the homeless issue around the world that we can sometimes forget to stop and appreciate the hard work and innovation. Below are 5 interesting programs, developments or ideas that have been implemented around the world. Hyper Aggressive Housing First in Finland: Finland as a country made housing... Continue Reading →
How do Social and Public Housing Associations respond to tenant needs? It is hard to imagine a better example of responsiveness to tenant needs than what is taking place in Copenhagen. I recently met Ulia Gregor who works for a large social housing organization called DAB Copenhagen. In fact, her organization has over 50,000 units.... Continue Reading →
Housing authorities across the USA are always trying to develop or redevelop new or existing affordable housing. In some cases, these redevelopments are multi-million and even billion dollar real estate deals. In these instances, the redevelopment brings jobs, infrastructure and opportunities to areas that might be economically depressed. Lets examine three of the larger projects... Continue Reading →
International Observatory on Social Housing 