Where Have All The Affordable Rental Houses Gone?Kangjun Choi

Who am I?

•A planning director in Farmers Twig, Texas

Famers Twig, Texas?

• 200,000 population

• Located in the center of Texas

• An old neighborhood near the new city hall• Used car dealerships• Aged houses, but they are well kept and affordable• Cracked streets along the tree-lined avenues, but they are

serviceably patched

So?• The planning commissions asked the housing & community

development department to

• Improve traffic circles and neighborhood entry-ways• Rebuild the streets and provide new names• Raze old houses and replace them with expensive houses• Transform the old neighborhood into an affluence enclave• Increase property taxes • Spend $1.8 million on the project over the next three years

Problem?• The housing & community development department needs

to buy old houses in the old neighborhood and some residents are not willing to sell their houses.

• The city will arrange for low-cost renovation loans for residents who want to stay.

• The mayor wants to enforce the cleanliness codes.

Ethical Issues• Should I endorse the project that may reduce the affordable

housing?

• Which one do I need to choose? Economic revitalization with high tax base or affordable housing preservation with decaying inexpensive houses?

• Should I urge equal enforcement of other codes to expand choices and opportunities for the disadvantaged citizens?

What can I do for the project?• I can write a sensitive staff report about the necessity of

improving the tax base and not recommend in favor of the project.

• I can advocate the project and discuss Famers Twig’s housing affordability, the project’s future impacts on housing choices, and alternatives for negative consequences in a staff report.

• I can recommend against the project until there is a companion local program in place to replace any lost affordable housing.

As American Institute of Certified Planner, I need to

• Pay attention to the inter-relatedness of decisions.• Provide full & clear planning information to citizens and

governmental decision-makers.• Give and expand choices and opportunities to affect the

development plans for all residents of Farmers Twig while urging the alteration of the policies.

• Pursue good environmental design while conserving the heritage of the built environment.

• Have special concern for the long-range consequences of the project.

What if I write a sensitive report?

• It will be unethical because I will be silent on the critical test of balancing competing interests.

• My decision will have little or no impact because the planning commission already decided to push the project.

What if I go against the project?

• It will be ethical because it will not exclude low-income residents from Famers Twig.

• The low-income residents who want to stay don’t have to take the low-cost renovation loans.

What if I advocate the project?• Even though it’s not a perfect solution, it will ethical overall.

• The project will be initiated and can trigger the private investments in individual homes.

• The investment can help to conserve the heritage of the built environment.

• The expensive houses will diminish the availability of affordable houses.

My final decision

• I will write a staff report which advocates the project and encourages the creation of a companion local program that replaces any lost affordable housing for low-income residents.

• I will encourage the housing & community development department to include some studio apartments in the project to offset the lost affordable housing.