This user is a member of WikiProject Discrimination.

This user is a participant in WikiProject Sociology.

Hi! My name is Eleanor, and I am a senior at Rice studying Psychology. I’m interested in pursuing a masters in I/O Psychology. I’ve also been involved in a lot of nonprofit work, with has included an internship with the Editorial Department at the Aspen Institute, and designing a research project with the Urban Enrichment Institute through Rice’s Community Bridges Fellowship.

I’m excited to begin engaging with Wikipedia as an editor, given I’ve been a consumer of its content for years. The topics I’m particularly interested in writing about are psychology, human rights, education, and public policy.

For my Wikipedia project, I would like to edit the existing Wikipedia article on affordable housing by country and create a new article about affordable housing in the U.S. The current article on affordable housing by country is rated “C-class” on Wikipedia’s content assessment scale. However, the topic is of mid/high-importance to many WikiProjects, such as home-living, architecture, and urban studies and planning. Housing is a complex commodity which has both macro- and microeconomic consequences. I’m interested in reporting on the ways in which racial stereotypes and discrimination accumulate across the distinct, but connected stages of housing exchange. I also want to reorganize the article a bit and adjust some of the grammatical choices (e.g. one section does not have correct capitalization).

Here's my sandbox where I have more of my work available: User:Efloden/Affordable housing in the United States

Here is an outline of what I plan to contribute to my new article on affordable housing in the U.S.:

Definition: I will briefly discuss some of the causes (wealth and income inequality, housing affordability crisis^[1][2], gentrification, etc.) and effects (improved health and educational outcomes, reduced homelessness^[3], etc.) of affordable housing. I will also introduce a brief history of U.S. legislation aimed at providing affordable housing (National Housing Act of 1934, Housing Act of 1937, Housing Act of 1949, Fair Housing Act of 1968, etc.).

Housing discrimination and equity:

• Redlining: I will describe the systematic and discriminatory practice of redlining used by governments to exclude minority communities, particularly black Americans, from housing opportunities. I will describe the ways in which redlining made it extremely difficult for residents of redlined neighborhoods to access mortgage loans and accumulate wealth.^[4] I will explain that although redlining is no longer a formal practice, its legacy continues to influence patterns of housing discrimination, disparities in homeownership rates, and access to housing and community resources for minority populations.^[5]

Government policies and programs

• Subsidized housing: I will describe the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Program, which the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) uses to provide rental assistance vouchers to eligible low-income households. I will also describe how the implementation of surveillance within subsidized housing intensifies the effects of poverty^[6] and how subsidized housing reduces homelessness^[7]
• Tax incentives: I will describe the Low-Income Housing Tax Credits (LIHTC) federal tax incentive program that encourages the development and rehabilitation of affordable rental housing. Developers receive tax credits in exchange for agreeing to rent a portion of their units to low-income tenants at reduced rates.^[8][9]
• Zoning regulations: I will describe what inclusionary zoning is–local regulations that require or incentivize developers to include a certain percentage of affordable housing units in new residential developments. These policies aim to promote socioeconomic diversity within communities and ensure that affordable housing is integrated into areas with a mix of income levels. I will provide a few examples of inclusionary zoning policies in the U.S.^[10][11]

Innovative solutions and community initiatives

• Tenant protections: I will describe the ways in which rent control policies limit the amount by which landlords can increase rent, usually tying the increase to a percentage or inflation rate. I will explain how rent stabilization laws restrict rent increases, but they are typically less stringent than rent control. I will describe just cause eviction laws which prevent landlords from evicting tenants without valid reasons, such as non-payment of rent or lease violations.^[12] I will also discuss the laws in many states which protect victims of domestic violence from eviction based on incidents that occur in their rental units.^[13][14]
• Mixed-income developments: I will describe how mixed-income developments are housing projects that include a blend of units at various rent or price levels, designed to create socioeconomically diverse communities.^[15] I will use examples of policies to promote mixed-income developments in the United States at the local and state levels, and also talk about the federal programs which provide support and incentives.^[16]
• Homeownership programs: I will describe how homeownership programs in the U.S. are designed to assist individuals and families in achieving the goal of owning a home.^[17] These programs often provide financial assistance, education, and support to make homeownership more accessible. I will include some examples of homeownership programs in the U.S. (ex, Federal Housing Administration (FHA) loans, first-time homebuyer programs, Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Good Neighbor Next Door program, etc.)^[18]

Affordable housing initiatives by city

• San Francisco, CA: I will describe San Francisco’s significant and ongoing challenge due to the city’s high cost of living and limited housing supply.^[19][20] San Francisco has implemented various programs and initiatives to address the need for affordable housing, but demand often exceeds supply. I will discuss some key aspects of affordable housing in San Francisco (ex, homelessness initiatives, San Francisco’s BMR program, etc.)
• New York, NY: I will pull from what has already been written about New York’s affordable housing issues in the “Affordable housing by country” article. I will expand upon what has been written to discuss the Mitchell-Lama Program, New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA), and affordable housing lotteries.^[21][22] What is currently written only includes information about demand for affordable housing in NYC increasing as rent also increases rapidly.