The curse of durability: why housing for the poor was built to last

Article Abstract:

The durability of public housing complexes is proving to be a disadvantage rather than an advantage. The public housing laws drafted in the 1930s sought to ensure that housing for the poor would be built to last. The Wagner Steagall Act of 1937, for instance, includes financial provisions guaranteeing long-term government support for the construction and maintenance of low-income housing projects. This has created the problem of an abundance of long-lasting housing units that have outlived their usefulness. Many of the housing units built since the 1930s are still standing, but they no longer meet the prevailing standards of comfortable middle-class living. This suggests that housing authorities should shift to flexible housing models which could be recycled to meet the changing needs of tenants and the marketplace.

Residential Building Construction, Public Residential Bldgs, Residential construction, History, Design and construction

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The Honorable Andrew Cuomo: the new hand at HUD's helm

Article Abstract:

Andrew Cuomo believes that his vast experience as a builder and operator of housing gives him a unique perspective as the new secretary of the Dept. of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). As a housing and community development practitioner, he has built more than 1,000 housing units, including low-income, homeless, transitional, Section 8 and AIDS housing. In his new post, Cuomo says that he will address the country's long-standing problems of homelessness and prohibitive rentals. He also plans to initiative reforms within the HUD, including the reduction of the workforce by nearly half and the consolidation of HUD plans and applications. Cuomo likewise intends to propose a legislation that would authorize the HUD to rehabilitate troubled housing authorities.

United States. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Powers and duties, Speeches, lectures and essays, Transcript, Cuomo, Andrew

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HOPE VI: lessons and issues

Article Abstract:

The HOPE VI program has been instrumental in the successful restoration of deteriorating public housing developments. One of its most important strengths is its ability to respond to the particular objectives and requirements of a given project or housing authority. However, this also creates serious challenges for housing authorities and their partners when it comes to structuring various components of the HOPE VI transactions. These elements include income mix, resources, public-private partnerships, ownership and control structure, and project structure. Since its implementation, HOPE VI has also encountered and tried to resolve many other problems that relate to financing and the law. Some of these are discussed.

Analysis, Remodeling and renovation

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