A Fair and Targeted Affordable Housing Bill.

A FAIR AND TARGETED SOLUTION TO THE HOUSING CRISES

The FAIR and TARGETED solution is a bill which requires rezoning in areas with the least affordable housing, regardless of proximity to the metro or bus lines, to provide the most amount of new affordable housing units with an exemption for the remaining areas whose property values are currently significantly lower than the most offending neighborhoods.

The premise that Blacks must be relocated in order to provide these new urbanites and everyone else with affordable housing is wrong. The premise that new construction should be concentrated on areas centered around metro stops instead of where the actual affordable housing scarcity currently exists is also very wrong for both Black neighborhoods and as an actual effective solution. The housing bills need to target areas with the true scarcity of affordable housing, where building more affordable housing units would actually significantly mitigate the housing crises. This approach would actually rectify the injustices brought about by this housing market crises by making the areas that caused the problems provide the solutions, and by allowing those displaced to return and those new to settle and enjoy the wonderful neighborhoods- without displacing Black neighborhoods.

If that requires the developers and/or citizens to pay a premium for the land, then so be it. If it requires construction of huge complexes in expensive areas, then fine. This approach actually targets and provides more affordable housing units in the areas that need them without placing most of the pressure on the Black areas, which are the few areas left with any affordable housing units.

A fair and targeted housing bill will require the developers to build a percentage of affordable units for low to middle income or qualified residents without any other conditions or exemptions for the developers and without destroying the remaining Black communities. Planning and Zoning bills should not link affordable housing with displacement of Black and minority communities as riders.

A fair and targeted housing bill will not be based upon “Fair market value exploitation”. “Fair market value exploitation” refers to the practice of buying property in undervalued and under-appraised areas, such the Black areas, for the purpose of exploiting the unjustly low prices under the guise of paying fair market value. Fair market value does not provide fair prices because the Black areas are significantly undervalued compared to the Non-Black areas. Fair market value is a monetary embodiment of the basic racism and inequity which created the extreme disparity in the housing prices between the Black and non-Black areas in the first place. Fair market value is also the legal measure of damages in an eminent domain action.

For more information, please see the Affordable Housing page.