- People needing to start saving earlier, women’s undersaving for retirement, etc. but the one I want to hear your thoughts on are Social Security. What do you think? Is it going to be around? What can be done to fix the problem? Do you include it in your retirement calculations? (100 words)
- Do you or someone you know have a fear of the stock market? Can you think of an experience that contributed to that? If you do not currently invest in the stock market can you think of some of the barriers or reasons you do not invest? (100 words)
Please see the following instruction to answer below 2 questions.
Background: Affordable housing policy was developed to address specific housing problems. More specifically, it tries to accomplish six objectives: eliminate substandard units; provide decent and affordable housing for low-income households; stimulate employment and production in the housing industry; pursue a social agenda—anti-discrimination and job training for the disadvantaged; improve the health conditions of the residents, and bolster the tax base in central cities and minority neighborhoods.
In a time of budget austerity, affordable housing policy has attracted much scrutiny. While some of the attacks are politically motivated, concerns regarding the efficiency and effectiveness of affordable housing policy are clearly warranted. Most programs provide financial incentives, which rely on federal tax dollars. The public has the right to know how their hard-earned money is spent.
Reading materials: You should rely on Schwartz as one of your sources of information if you study federal housing policies. You can also search online and collect information from reputable sources about the program. Remember, it is important to cite your sources. Reading Material
Policy program: You should focus on ONE from a number of policies and programs at both the federal and the local levels. Please ignore policy initiatives, since they are hard to pinpoint.
Here are some possible examples.
At the federal level, there are:
- Housing Choice Voucher program (Section 8)
- the Public Housing program
- LIHTC
- Anti-discrimination (The Fair Housing Act of 1968)
- Privately Owned Rental Housing Built with Federal Subsidy
- Housing Policy and Program for the Elderly and Those with Disability and Special Needs
- Income Integration Programs
- Homeownership Subsidy (Home Mortgage Interest Tax Deduction)
- Emergency Bans on Evictions
In addition to federal housing policies, you can examine how local governments have responded to important housing problems.
The homelessness issue could be one. It has been a thorny issue for Salt Lake City, even though homelessness is a region-wide concern and many homeless individuals come from outside the city.
The Guardian 2017: Mystery in Salt Lake City: where have hundreds of homeless people gone?
Housing affordability is another issue for Salt Lake City, and so is local control over land use (NIMBY) and historical preservation.
Salt Lake Tribune 2018: Lawmakers may impose fees on Utah cities that lack affordable housing
Salt Lake Tribune 2016: Proposed restrictions on historic preservation aimed at Salt Lake City
Additional research is certainly necessary.
More specifically, there are:
- Affordable Housing Impact Fees
- NIMBY or local control of land use: the case of Cottonwood Mall redevelopment
- The Homelessness Programs
- Historic Preservation Programs
You are not limited to these possibilities. But you must justify your choice and state the relative importance of the program. You are encouraged to cover less-known programs. Again, focus on ONE piece of policy and ignore policy initiatives.
- What is the type of housing policy? If it is a subsidy, is it a demand-side or supply-side subsidy? Is it a shallow or deep subsidy? (100 words)
- We have discussed the objectives of the U.S. affordable housing policy and programs. What objectives is the policy designed to achieve? (100 words)
