Southway Builders, Inc.的动态

"The housing crisis in America has been growing for decades. Our nation has careened from one crisis to another, reacting naturally but myopically instead of addressing the structural challenges facing the housing system. Today, the housing crisis has ballooned: One in three households are cost-burdened, home prices have doubled in the last decade, and homelessness has reached a record high. Our a?ordable housing programs cannot keep up with the need, and the private sector alone is not satisfying all the housing demand." It's time to treat the housing crisis like a crisis. Read the full call to action from the Co-Chairs of?the National Housing Crisis Task Force: Utah Governor, Spencer Cox Atlanta Mayor, Andre Dickens Cleveland Mayor, Justin M. Bibb President of Fifth Third Community Development Corp., Susan Thomas https://lnkd.in/emt7R8XS #housingcrisis #affordablehousing #nationalhousingcrisistaskforce

As Atlanta's rental market continues to increase, the need for affordable housing has never been more critical. Did you know that the average rent price in Atlanta has increased by 5.3% over the past year alone, far outpacing wage growth? This alarming trend has contributed to a rise in homelessness, with about 7000 individuals experiencing homelessness in our city this year according to a study conducted by https://lnkd.in/e2gaDNw7 At Tapestry Development Group, we understand the profound impact of these challenges on our community. That's why we're dedicated to building affordable housing solutions that empower individuals and families to thrive. By focusing on accessibility and affordability, we're working to ensure that everyone has a place to call home, regardless of their income level. Together, we can make a difference. Join us in our mission to create a more equitable and inclusive Atlanta for all.

People often talk about the housing crisis in the Bay Area as it’s something that suddenly appeared out of thin air in the last decade. The reality is that what we see today on our streets and in our laws is the result of over a century of policies that slowly got us to this point. To truly understand a crisis, we need to study its history. Our stellar content team at Impact Labs just published the first piece of a 4-part research and analysis series on zoning — ?????? ???? ?????? ????????: ?????? ?????????????? ???? ?????? ?????????????? ???????????? ???? ?????? ?????? ?????????????????? ?????? ????????. We spoke with incredible people like Stephen Menendian, Director of Research at Othering & Belonging Institute at UC Berkeley, and Couper Orona, a former firefighter who became unhoused after an injury and turned into a disabled street medic and advocate. In this piece, we looked at: - The rise of the terms “homeless” and “homelessness” in the last 50 years. - Segregation in the Bay Area’s housing practices dating back to the late 1800s. - Berkeley’s introduction of single-family zoning as a policy rooted in racism. - The rise of zoning and the anti-growth crusade of suburban cartels. In upcoming weeks, we’ll continue exploring the consequences of zoning and diving deep into what modern homelessness looks like, the shelter system, and what we need to create a better future for our communities. Check out our article on the origins of the housing crisis in the Bay Area and lmk what you think! https://lnkd.in/gYDVSTdp

Remember Maslow’s hierarchy of needs? Securing necessities for living — food, water, shelter, safety — provides the foundation for seeking higher-order flourishing. Without these fundamentals, life devolves into a never-ending struggle to find stability. That’s why the homeless benefit most from having housing for themselves. We know this from research, confirming this part of Maslow’s insight (I’m aware of its critics). We also know that the single most significant determinant of homelessness in a community is the cost of housing. And in the United States, real estate values remain tethered to social indicators like school district quality, crime rates, and employment levels, fostering gated communities, insular mindsets, and NIMBY entitlement. That’s why it’s so encouraging to see an affluent enclave like Boston’s Back Bay open its arms to the homeless, and say, “Yes, in my backyard. Welcome to the neighborhood.” We need more of this. In the end, we’re all just walking each other home — no matter where we live.

"In Chatham County, North Carolina — where the median sale price for a home is?around $690,000?— it has taken eight years to open a community of tiny homes. The Tiny Homes Village at the Farm at Penny Lane was the brainchild of local health and wellness nonprofit Cross Disability Services, or XDS, which is affiliated with the University of North Carolina and owns the 40-acre farm." We need all kinds of housing, so I'm not going to say that building tiny homes is a waste, but what I am going to say is that when you're dealing with an affordable housing shortage of the scale that we are, then you need to optimize every dollar and every project to build as many units as possible. If you take into account the amount of time and expense it takes to get any real estate project done - rezoning, land acquisition, design, permitting, etc. - it really is critical to find the best use for every acre of land. In many, many cases, that means multifamily even though they bring out the NIMBY crowd in droves. To put it simply, you can put more apartments/condos, with more square footage per unit than a tiny home, on any given acre than you can tiny homes. And given the choice between no affordable housing or an affordable apartment, I think the vast majority of us would take the apartment. Tiny homes are cute, and they have a place, but I worry that they have stolen attention, and opportunities, away from better solutions. https://lnkd.in/ehUcF3r5

Investing in Veterans Affordable and Supportive Housing CalVet has collaborated with the California Department of Housing & Community Development and the California Housing Finance Agency to jointly administer $600 million for the Veterans Housing and Homelessness Prevention (VHHP) Program over the last 10 years since voters approved Proposition 41 back in 2014. The program’s purpose is to finance the development of multifamily affordable housing, prioritizing permanent supportive housing which combines affordable housing with onsite case management and supportive services intended to help veterans and their families experiencing homelessness obtain and retain permanent housing. Over the course of 10 years, the VHHP program has awarded financing to developments throughout the state, and by the time all are built, we will have 6,500 new affordable housing units accessible to veterans, while over 3,300 of those units will be restricted to veterans only. To search for and learn more about operating VHHP developments by county, go to the CalVet’s Voter Approved Veterans Housing and Homelessness Bond Measures webpage at calvet.ca.gov/VetBonds. The photo here is from the Valley View Senior Homes VHHP project in Napa.

We believe building micro-homes in our community is an effective, wise, and dignified method to create more affordable housing options and reduce homelessness, as mentioned in our 2023 Unsheltered Homelessness Brief (https://lnkd.in/efv6KnNB). ? We’re proud to be the convener of the Tiny House Collaborative Team working alongside Fine Arts Center Greenville SC, Bonds Career Center, Craig Gaulden Davis, Inc., and Clancy & Theys Construction Company. This pilot program is giving students direct experience in designing and building a #TinyHome, as well as the opportunity to use their talents to reduce homelessness. Read the article by WYFF for more information on this initiative. ? ??What are Tiny Homes/Micro-Homes? They’re a village of micro-homes often with community-based amenities where previously homeless individuals can flourish. When done correctly, they prioritize dignity using the community of tiny homes “as an efficient means to uplift people in need—as opposed to trying to relocate people off the street in the cheapest way possible.” Two examples of tiny home villages are?The Village at Glencliff and?Community First Village?in Austin, TX. Source: Grace Can Lead Us Home, by Kevin Nye

Witnessing the progress since Evans Lane's establishment is truly inspiring, sparking enthusiasm for accelerating the deployment of genuinely affordable housing. This streamlined process in 2020 which I was able to participate in, enabled by a state of emergency, begs the question, what if we could always move at this pace? With California facing a significant shortage of homeless shelters, Bay Area lawmakers are pushing forward a bill to fast-track the construction of tiny homes and other temporary shelters statewide. This initiative marks a strategic shift towards providing immediate, life-saving shelter options, a much-needed complement to the long-term goal of affordable housing. The success stories from interim housing, like the transformation seen at Evans Lane, highlight the potential for rapid, impactful solutions to homelessness. Imagine the possibilities if we could maintain this momentum, bringing more people indoors, away from the dangers of street living, into safe, welcoming environments where they can start rebuilding their lives. Incredible indieDwell!

Mayor Harrell Releases Details of One Seattle Comprehensive Plan Update Today, Mayor Bruce Harrell shared details of the One Seattle Comprehensive Plan Update, along with the release of?proposed zoning maps. This updated plan builds on the?draft plan?released earlier this spring for public feedback. “To bring down costs, support current residents, and prepare for future growth, Seattle needs more housing and more housing choices – it’s that simple. Looking at the data and at our neighborhoods, we designed this plan to thoughtfully add housing diversity and capacity at the scale that is necessary to make a difference,”?said Mayor Harrell. “This once-a-decade opportunity to update our Comprehensive Plan allows us to center our values and strategically envision the future of our city. As this plan moves forward, we will continue to advance our One Seattle Housing Agenda focused on lowering housing costs, ensuring families and workers can live in our city, preventing displacement, making it easier to build, and addressing root causes of our homelessness crisis.” https://lnkd.in/guES9Wcp

Can Modular Homes Solve the Affordable Housing Crisis? In the midst of a growing housing crisis, Austin, Texas is leading the charge with a bold solution—modular homes. Community First! Village, a pioneering modular housing project led by Mobile Loaves & Fishes, has already housed over 500 formerly homeless individuals in units costing between $20,000 and $50,000 each. But this isn’t just about providing a roof—it’s about reshaping lives. For context, San Francisco spends approximately $82,000 per homeless individual per year on housing solutions. Compare that to the modular units in Austin, and the cost-effectiveness becomes clear. The impact of modular housing goes beyond cost. Emergency service use has dropped. Jobs are being created. Local businesses are thriving. And thanks to the project’s innovative approach, millions in taxpayer dollars have been saved. Due to its success, Community First! is expanding. Phase 3 will add another 1,400 homes, making it the largest modular housing community in the U.S. The ripple effect is undeniable. Businesses around these communities benefit, homelessness decreases, and a sustainable housing model is taking shape. Could modular homes be the blueprint for cities across America? As Austin’s success shows, it’s time to ask: Can modular housing scale to solve the nation’s affordable housing crisis?