The Cook County Health Department in Illinois just published a dataset to as part of a yearlong legal epidemiology project funded by the CDC Public Health Law Program and ChangeLab Solutions. For example, based upon population median incomes and housing values, the town of Evanston, Illinois is required to provide 4,993 affordable housing units to accommodate its population of 75,472 who have an area median income of $63,327. The Act requires local governments to create affordable housing plans based upon their municipalities’ median incomes. Under its Affordable Housing Act, Illinois seeks to create grants, mortgages, and loans to rehabilitate, develop, operate, and maintain housing for low-income and very-low-income families. These have been presented to developers as part of state ordinances and regulations.
To combat this risk, states like New Jersey, Massachusetts, and California have added additional incentives such as density bonuses, expedited approvals, and fee waivers.
Contrary to the original intent, IZ laws have been criticized for creating potential financial disincentives to develop in low-income areas and increasing housing price inflation. IZ laws counter preceding ‘ exclusionary zoning’ policy where large-lot zoning is used to prevent low-income integration into rising developments. These laws create requirements and incentives for developers, such as unit size minimums and establishing income eligibility criteria. Inclusionary zoning (IZ) laws are one such approach, and are intended to create affordable housing through collaboration between public and private developers. To combat negative effects, policy makers are taking a residential housing approach to improve community outcomes.
For those who avoid displacement, the CDC describes reduced access to healthy food, health care, recreation, and social networks as possible financial health consequences of gentrification. Gentrification is a phenomenon of class interest and vulnerable minorities, such as black and Hispanic communities, are more likely to experience structural violence associated with socio-economic status than white counterparts. Proponents of gentrifying neighborhoods point to the economic benefits for communities and potentially improved physical and mental health in adults and longitudinal educational success and monetary attainment for residents – emphasis on “potential.” Opponents point to the negative social and health outcomes for lower socio-economic residents, such as forced displacement of established residents and systemic socio-economic discrimination. A National Community Reinvestment Coalition study shows that gentrification and subsequent displacement has increased in urban areas within the last decade, with black and Hispanic residents among the most affected. Gentrification is highly contentious as it transforms neighborhoods from low to high value.
0 kommentar(er)
