Housing attainability is more than providing a roof over someone’s head—it ensures true and lasting economic and social success for our cities.
ULI has long been on the forefront of innovative thinking and research on best practices to improve the delivery of housing for all our citizens: relieving those trapped in trauma and poverty, building and rejuvenating more diverse communities, and providing equitable opportunity for advancement.
Through research, thought leadership, and advancement of best industry practices and public policies, ULI inspires a broad commitment to action, one that creates and sustains a full spectrum of housing opportunities, particularly for low- and moderate-income households.
Generous support from the ULI Foundation allows the Terwilliger Center for Housing to make even more inroads into the most pressing challenges of today’s cities. Recent achievements include:
Advisory Services Panels to help communities, such as:
- North Charleston, SC ASP – In 1996, North Charleston’s Naval Base and Shipyard closed after 100 years in operation, prompting both an employment and identity crisis. When our panel of experts came to North Charleston in March 2019, the city had the highest eviction rate in the country. ULI’s experts tackled the Naval base and adjacent areas, including the shuttered 22-acre Naval Hospital and several nearby neighborhoods. The panel recommended demolishing the hospital to bring in much-needed resources for all residents, zoning changes for targeted economic growth, and a housing trust fund and density bonuses to support the development of affordable housing. City leaders created several initiatives to prevent displacement by supporting and educating residents on new and existing programs to address evictions.
- Washington DC ASP – In July 2019, our experts advised Washington, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser on increasing the supply of affordable housing in the District’s wealthiest neighborhoods. Focusing specifically on the Rock Creek West planning district, panelists outlined specific tools, policies, and changes that will help the District overcome cost barriers and streamline development. Mayor Bowser has integrated the panelists’ recommendations into the District’s budget and planning programs.
Best practice research, such as:
- Family Renter Housing Report – This new ULI Terwilliger Center outlines the business case and need for more affordable family-oriented housing. With an anticipated boom in families in the near future, the development community will need to create additional forms of rental housing to target a broader range of households. This report recommends a number of potential development responses, including the creation of suburban single-family home rentals, detached and attached apartments, and mixed income apartments.
Practical tools and resources, such as:
- Housing Attainability Index – This tool from the Terwilliger Center provides a high-level snapshot of the housing market so that the workforce can make attainable choices and better understand the local market. The report provides information on what workers in a community can afford for housing, if they can at all, by comparing incomes with housing prices to determine affordability. District Councils are now working to implement the information released in the report in their communities. The goal is to accumulate data from around the country to understand the gaps and impact housing policy, production, and financing.
The ULI Foundation powers ULI’s commitment to communities worldwide. With increased investments in the Foundation, ULI can continue to grow its mission-driven programming aimed at increasing access to and choice in housing and proactively responding to future market needs.
Join us in supporting ULI’s global impact today.
