Affordable Housing: Not Just a Working Class Issue Anymore

I used to work for Richmond American Homes, a national homebuilder who only built single-family homes. When I asked why, the response I got was that this product type is what Americans traditionally demand and thus, has a lower market risk. Similarly, as a planning student, we were often taught that consumers were averse to living in attached housing, mainly for privacy and ownership reasons, but also because, historically, attached projects in San Diego had been done so badly.

This led me to believe that consumers drove the housing market. The housing stock demanded by consumers would dictate what would be supplied to the market by developers. Today's article in the U-T seems to suggest otherwise. Apparently, because of land restrictions and housing affordability, those wanting to share in the American dream are having to re-imagine what that dream may look like. The days of the white picket fence may be long gone, but the yard that that fence surrounded may be quickly disappearing as well. Southern California, long a bastion of suburban subdivisions will soon be giving way to higher densities and multi-family housing developments . Market forces seems to be dictating what type of housing people will live in, rather than vice versa.

Will this result in closer neighbors, more vibrant communities, and a more cosmopolitan urban lifestyle? Or will we eventually see urban blight, a lack of parking and overtaxed public infrastructure? Of course, it will take the cooperation of all stakeholders involved to ensure we enjoy the former and guard against the latter.