Preservation Planning: Redeveloping Public and Affordable Housing

Abstract

Urban planners face an affordable housing crisis compounded by federal programs that eliminated subsidized housing. Prior work indicates profit-making motivations and race influenced housing removal but overlooks planning efforts to rebuild affordable housing. This paper explores the neighborhood factors affecting the redevelopment of subsidized housing under the Housing Opportunities for People Everywhere (HOPE VI) program, using multivariate regression analysis of U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and Census data. Findings show housing market indicators, racial composition, and poverty rates do not predict the mix of rebuilt units, which suggests opportunities for planning to promote affordable housing goals in public–private development projects.