A PRRAC Policy Brief (April 2021). Excerpt: "The movement to shift more of our housing resources out of the private for-profit market and into the social housing sector has gained momentum in recent years, with growing housing insecurity, unsustainable rent burdens, expanding homelessness, and gentrification pressures in many American cities. The benefits of expanding the … [Read more...] about What Can HUD Do to Expand Public and Community Ownership of Rental Housing? (PRRAC, April 2021)
Social Housing Publications
Public or Community Control of Rental Housing Policy Brief No. 3: Community Land Trusts and Other Public Ownership Vehicles (PRRAC, October 2020)
Another option for increasing public ownership of private properties is the use of community land trusts (CLTs). These organizations are typically nonprofit entities that acquire land and convey the land to building owners through a ground lease.[1] By owning the land, CLTs ensure that properties sited on the land are affordable in perpetuity. Historically, private groups … [Read more...] about Public or Community Control of Rental Housing Policy Brief No. 3: Community Land Trusts and Other Public Ownership Vehicles (PRRAC, October 2020)
Public or Community Control of Rental Housing Policy Brief No. 2: Using Eminent Domain to Acquire Private Rental Housing – Recent Examples (PRRAC, October 2020)
The King County Housing Authority (KCHA) in Washington State has used eminent domain as part of its affordable housing strategy. Under Washington State law, public housing authorities are authorized to use eminent domain to acquire housing projects within their area of operation.[1] KCHA has used the threat of eminent domain to encourage owners to sell affordable multifamily … [Read more...] about Public or Community Control of Rental Housing Policy Brief No. 2: Using Eminent Domain to Acquire Private Rental Housing – Recent Examples (PRRAC, October 2020)
Public or Community Control of Rental Housing Policy Brief No. 1: Right of First Refusal – Tenant Opportunity to Purchase Acts (PRRAC, October 2020)
The District of Columbia’s Tenant Opportunity to Purchase Act (TOPA) was enacted in 1980 and is designed to help tenants stay in their homes if an owner decides to sell their rental property. Under TOPA, tenants in multi-family buildings with 5 or more units have the right of first refusal. Under this provision, the owner of a rental property must offer tenants the option to … [Read more...] about Public or Community Control of Rental Housing Policy Brief No. 1: Right of First Refusal – Tenant Opportunity to Purchase Acts (PRRAC, October 2020)
A Right to Housing: Foundation for a New Social Agenda (Edited by Rachel Bratt, Michael Stone, & Chester Hartman, February 2006)
Temple University Press (February 2006). Edited by Rachel Bratt, Michael Stone, & Chester Hartman. Excerpt: "In the 1949 Housing Act, Congress declared "a decent home and a suitable living environment for every American family" our national housing goal. Today, little more than half a century later, upwards of 100 million people in the United States live in housing that … [Read more...] about A Right to Housing: Foundation for a New Social Agenda (Edited by Rachel Bratt, Michael Stone, & Chester Hartman, February 2006)
