Housing Systems - Essay Example

Housing Systems Introduction The housing systems in a country could be of low-income, middle-income and high-income persons depending on the discretion of the developer and the category of people they target (Schwartz 125). However, the uncertainty of life, including extreme poverty, criminal activities, neglected pieces of land and the grim architecture undermines the housing structure of the country, a situation mostly prevalent in the urban centers (Bayer, Frank and Valerius 21). Therefore, the discussion focuses on the key issues and the implication of such issues to small cities. The Key Points in the Readings One important issue discussed is the origin of programs for public housing, which could be traced to 1937 when the new deal legislation was passed (Schwartz 125). Notably, it took years for the congress to pass this piece of legislation after carefully analyzing the contribution of implementing the housing systems to the country (Schwartz 125). For example, public housing system creates many jobs opportunities, the ability to meet the needs of low-income earners, in terms of decent housing and could possibly lead to the clearance of slums (Schwartz 126). The other issue discussed is the interruptions of the program during World War II, which led to the demolition of several housing units in the country (Schwartz 126). This complicated the process of implementation as the houses were to be constructed a fresh. As at 2003, the program had contributed to the development of a number of houses, some of which met the demands of the market threshold (Schwartz 126). To shed more lights on the extent so far accomplished, consider the table below; Number of Units Percentage of Units Property Age (2003) Less than 15 Years 63,901 5.0 15-30 Years 482,972 37.6 More than 30 Years 739,258 57.5 Total 1,286,131 100.0 Building Type Detached 35,257 2.7 Row-Type/Townhouse 297,370 23.1 Semi-Detached 120,592 9.4 Walkup 146,963 11.4 High-rise/Elevator 389,731 30.3 Mixed 296,201 23.0 Total 1,286,114 100.0 Unit Size(Number of Bedrooms) 0 94,950 7.4 1 405,488 31.5 2 396,502 30.8 3 299,729 23.3 4 and more 89,463 7.0 Total 1,286,132 100.0 Source: Schwartz, Alex F., p. 126 and 127 Another important issue that has been addressed is the challenges and problems facing the housing sector and their impacts in the country. For example, the political interferences in the housing sector, for instance the compromises, which characterizes the 1930s led to limited financial resources for the developers (Schwartz 128). This resulted to the decrease in the number of units. The low financial supply to the housing developers compromised the quality of houses they were able to construct. The issue of tenant selection also featured prominently on the article. For the case of public housing, the tenants are selected from the low-income bracket who might not afford the cost of decent urban houses (Schwartz 129). Since the group covers the majority in society, they pile pressure on the available housing facilities creating the need to increase such houses. This is the reason accounting for the high number of housing units for the low-income persons. For the program to be successful, the officials had to travel to the villages to determine the reality about the tenants who should be given priority to occupy the houses. It is also significant to note that evicting the misbehaving tenants without indicating the alternative accommodation for them. He other issue that came out vividly was the government’s priorities and goals concerning the income mix desirable for the people (Schwartz 130). This could make such people to be able to meet the cost of the houses as this would make them avoid the other social problems resulting from lack of adequate housing facilities. The legislation on location of the projects as this is important for the success of the initiatives (Schwartz 131). For instance, the local governments were granted the authority to put decent housing units in their areas of jurisdiction to accommodate the people within the low-income bracket. This kind of inter-governmental partnership could help in creating more affordable housing units. The other issues, which have also been highlighted, include the construction quality and design for the houses (Schwartz 133). Notably, the physical look of such houses would make them easily recognized, whether they are low or high-rise. The appearance should not compromise the quality of the houses because poor physical condition and design are most likely to be attributed to the limited financial resources for funding the projects (Schwartz 134). However, there are laws which the concerned government parties have to formulate relevant laws to deal with the rising cases of poorly constructed in the urban centers. The other issue that arose concerned the management of the available financial resources (Schwartz 136). In essence, there might be limited finances, which could be used effectively to construct decent and low-cost houses. Implication of the Reading The implications that could be drawn from the readings for housing planning efforts, in mid-sized cities such as Cincinnati, include; increasing the number of housing units for low-income earners to accommodate them (Bayer, Frank and Valerius 28). Second, increase the salaries and wages to the workers; find solution to the land issue as this is the sole resource for constructing the houses. The city should create mechanisms to make use of the federal resources, which are available to build low-income units within their urban setup as long as they have adequate planning and obligation to accomplish the task (Bayer, Frank and Valerius 28). The other implication to the city is that the authority has to engage in participatory programs intended to guarantee the public the facilities within their financial reach, thus making them reliable and affordable (Levy 56). The freedom to choose on implementing the housing development strategies implies that the local authority and the federal government cannot be compelled to execute the project if they do not have adequate plans (Levy 73). This is because; it would lead to projects being stalled, thereby wasting time and resources in the country (Bayer, Frank and Valerius 34). In addition, implementing the low-cost housing would lead to racial segregation, because the houses might be reserved for the low-income White as opposed to other races (Bayer, Frank and Valerius 44). Therefore, integrating the residents regardless of racial background could post a threat to the methodology that the officials in allocating the housing units. Conclusion In summary, the housing sector plays a vital role is the provision of accommodation to the residents who would like to live in decent houses and environment. However, there are numerous problems concerning public housing could perhaps stall the process of providing accommodation facilities for the low-income people. Noting that the housing projects are capital intensive, the development of the facilities and subsequent improvement is under threat. Moreover, the initiative provides room and opportunity for the less fortunate people in the society to live in decent houses in the urban centers. Developing the housing sector is the key to the advancement of the people so that they could be better positioned to contribute to nation building. With better programs for the projects, the process of implementation could be made easier for the benefits of those who need the facilities for their well-being. In addition, it was noted that the public housing system creates many jobs opportunities, the ability to meet the needs of low-income earners, in terms of decent housing and could possibly lead to the clearance of slums. Thus, it underlines the need for developing the proper goals and coordinating the activities of the local authorities and federal government to accomplish the task. Works Cited Bayer, Michael., Frank, Nancy & Valerius, Jason. Becoming an Urban Planner: A Guide to Careers in Planning and Urban Design. New York, NY: Wiley, 2010. Print. Levy, John M. Contemporary Urban Planning (9th Edition). New York, NY: Longman, 2010. Print. Schwartz, Alex F. Housing Policy in the United States. (Second edition). New York Routledge, 2010. Print. ISBN 0-415-95031-7 Read More