ABSTRACT

This chapter explores some of changes and their implications for future affordable housing policies, beginning with a discussion of some of the key trends, policies, and political issues that are likely to influence the direction of those policies. To predict specific policies, of course, would be no more than an exercise in guesswork. The chapter deals with an overview of the key themes that future policies should address, at such time that American policy makers are once again ready to explore these issues and think more seriously about how the United States will afford its less affluent citizens the quality of life appropriate for a resident of a land so well endowed with resources and opportunities. Future demand for affordable housing will be deeply affected by changes in the demographic makeup of the nation's households. To the extent that regulatory constraints on housing development do push prices up, the demand for affordable housing is likely to increase.