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The Housing Policy Revolution: Networks and Neighborhoods

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The Housing Policy Revolution: Networks and Neighborhoods, by David J. Erickson, director of the Center for Community Development Investments at the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, is published by the Urban Institute Press, 2009

The Housing Policy Revolution is a top-notch analysis and review of affordable housing policy in America over the past 50 years and cogent thoughts for future directions. I own this book.

Arising out of Erickson's PhD thesis at Berkeley, this book has inputs ranging from MIT to the Urban Institute and Brookings, and the Federal Reserve. Accordingly Erickson has written a thoughtful and careful book with thorough data and policy views in a comprehensive and readable. I have worked in affordable housing for many years, and learned a lot from Erickson's book.

Erickson's general view is that development of affordable housing has generally evolved from directly-built and sponsored to a decentralized housing network including CDCs, state and local government agencies, capacity-building intermediaries, new private sector participants, foundations, churches, and other decentralized entities.

There are 6 chapters:

1. "Directions in housing policy from Lyndon Johnson to Ronald Reagan, 1963-1986". Chapter 1 discusses housing policy history in two phases: rise and fall of direct federal involvement, and federal cutbacks starting in 1981, with reviews of policies and activities from Lyndon Johnson's Great Society through Ronald Reagan's housing cutbacks.

2. "Building the decentralized housing network". Chapter 2 looks in detail at the decentralized housing network, showing how the various components grew in sophistication and capacity over the 1980s.

3. "Fighting for federal resources for the decentralized housing network". Chapter 3 discusses how the new network matured and secured more funding, influence and production capacity, building more housing than the Great Society programs did, and growing politically. Erickson discusses the establishment of housing tax credits in 1986 and changes and challenges to the tax credit programs over the next 20 years.

4. "Lessons learned from what was built". Chapter 4 discusses examples and case studies of individual low-income apartments built by this decentralized housing network, showing growth of expertise and relationships within the network and enhanced capabilities. Multiple financing programs brought different players into a web of mutual support and supervision, with improving coordination and mutual supervision.

5. "The decentralized housing network and the rise of a new institution". Chapter 5 discusses the growth and maturation of this decentralized housing network. Erickson shows, e.g. that by 2005 the number of CDC-built affordable rental units was 848,000; and while in 1969 there were 112 CDCs building affordable housing, by 2005 there were over 4,600.

6. "How does thinking like a network change our approach to public policy?" Chapter 6 discusses broader issues and future paths, discussing, e.g. what happens when communities of concentrated poverty lack access to community development networks, and how might new technology enhance network outcomes.

Housing Policy Revolution by David J. Erickson is an excellent addition to the professional working library of affordable housing practitioners, and Mr. Erickson is to be congratulated for his hard work and excellent book.

by David Hoicka

The Housing Policy Revolution: Networks and Neighborhoods
ISBN-10: 0877667608
ISBN-13: 978-0877667605