aerial view of houses

U.S. Housing Policy: What Every Planner Needs to Know

Planners play an essential role in understanding and addressing the regulatory, social, and economic barriers to affordable housing. This course offers an overview of U.S. housing policy from its historical roots to modern challenges and solutions.

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Course Info

  • Duration 11 video lessons (59 Mins)
  • Published Published
    2024
  • Trending Trending
  • 4.31
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Browse Course Chapters

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    1.
    Chapter Duration 1 min
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    2.
    Introduction
    Chapter Duration 5 mins
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    3.
    100 Years of US Housing Policy: 1860-1900
    Chapter Duration 5 mins
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    4.
    1900-1930s
    Chapter Duration 9 mins
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    5.
    1930s-1960
    Chapter Duration 11 mins
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    6.
    The History of Inclusive Housing Policy
    Chapter Duration 6 mins
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    7.
    Housing Plans
    Chapter Duration 11 mins
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    8.
    Affordable Housing and Affordability Challenges
    Chapter Duration 1 min
  • Chapter Locked
    9.
    Strategies and Policies to Address Housing Affordability
    Chapter Duration 2 mins
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    10.
    Zoning for Equity
    Chapter Duration 3 mins
  • Chapter Locked
    11.
    Conclusion
    Chapter Duration 1 min

What You Will Learn

Understand forces that have shaped housing crises Learn the history and background of U.S. housing policy Learn the basics about housing affordability Learn the basics of housing plans Understand the basics of Affordable Housing Adopt strategies and implement policies to create and preserve housing

Course Description

The United States has experienced a significant rise in income inequality, leading to a widespread housing affordability crisis. Today, more than half of households in several major cities are cost-burdened. Planners have an important role in understanding fundamental aspects of U.S. housing policy, particularly as they relate to planners’ historic role and their capacity to identify and remove some of the regulatory, social, and economic barriers to the creation of affordable housing. Some of these barriers require monetary solutions, others political. In some cases, the planning process itself, however well-intentioned, contributed to the housing crisis. Longstanding assumptions that have divided races and classes of people based on housing typologies and districts remain embedded in many local zoning and development codes. 

This course will provide introductory information about U.S. housing policy covering the following content: highlights from a century of U.S. housing policy (land use and residential politics) between 1860 and the 1950s; social movements and the evolution of inclusive housing policy in the 1960s through the 1980s; the 10 reasons why housing is unaffordable (covering the 1990s through today); how communities plan for housing and policies that affect housing planning; an introduction to affordable housing and who is affected by housing affordability challenges; and a spotlight on key housing policies used to address housing affordability and availability.

Learn these skills

  • Equity
  • Housing
  • Land Use
  • Law and Policy
  • Regulations
  • Zoning Codes

AICP CM

This course is approved for 1 AICP CM credit.

AIA CES

This course is 1 LU.

Meet Your Instructor

Jennifer Raitt

Jennifer Raitt

Jennifer Raitt is the Executive Director of the Northern Middlesex Council of Governments. She has nearly three decades of housing, community development, and planning experience.

Meet Instructor

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