U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Washington, DC
Performing Organization(s):
Council of State Community Affairs Agencies Washington, DC
Availability:
HUD USER, P.O. Box 23268, Washington, DC 20026-3268; phone (800) 245-2691; fax (202) 708-9981; or TDD (800) 927-7589
Notes:
Product of the Joint Venture for Affordable Housing.
Descriptors:
Affordable housing. State administered prgs. Land use planning. Building maintenance codes. Housing financing. Tax incentives.
Abstract:
State actions for affordable housing focus on encouraging an increase in the housing supply. Many States have begun to identify housing problems and to formulate programs by initiating housing cost conferences and housing needs and policy analyses and by providing cost-cutting awards and demonstrations and information and technical assistance. Other States have taken measures that affect the land and site improvement costs of residential developments. These efforts have been relatively modest but offer some important starting points for badly needed State actions in this area. Still other States have reduced housing costs by reassuming their authority to regulate building materials and construction techniques. They have supplanted out-of-date and often conflicting local codes that called for unnecessarily expensive building materials and technologies. To date, 25 States have adopted some form of statewide building code covering structural, fire, electrical, and other plumbing mechanical standards in order to ensure safer and more cost - efficient building. Others have established modular housing and rehabilitation codes. Many States have engaged in housing finance activity; the article highlights these actions in housing construction, residential rehabilitation, homeownership and rental assistance, mortgage supply and pension funds, and insurance and financial institutions. Finally, the article presents an overview of specialized State tax incentives in housing construction and rehabilitation tax abatement and manufactured and modular housing real property taxation. Data were gathered from 33 States responding to a questionnaire, from 13 case studies, and from field visits to 4 States. A summary matrix of State affordable housing actions is provided, and a list of responding agencies and contacts is appended.
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