Interesting Ways to House Low Income People

Burying heads in the sand and pretending that there is no housing crisis in America would be a pretentious move whose consequences will be felt for generations to come. The housing industry has been huge mess in the country, where a few wealthy individuals have managed to make bank while the rest of the populace are left languishing in the poverty of their thoughts if they will ever have access to decent housing.

However, all hope is not lost as it takes the goodwill of the powers that be to exploit the existing structures and accord the low income earners decent housing. The following are some of the interesting ways which could be used by the authorities in conjunction with other stakeholders to provide housing for the low income people-:

Community land trusts

A community land trust is a not for profit organization dedicated to developing permanent and affordable housing for the community by eliminating the cost of the land from the speculative market. All community land trusts strive to make it possible for low income people to have access to stable and affordable housing options.

Accessory dwelling units

These are secondary units added to properties that would normally have just a single dwelling on them. Example of accessory dwelling units include converted garages, free standing guest houses, and basement apartments. Such units may not be available in large numbers, but they can be used as an option for housing low income people.

Public Housing

Though public housing has been really demonized in the United States, it has worked before and is still working in other countries, especially in Europe, to provide housing options for the low income people while also checking the runaway speculations common in the private market. It has come to the realization of the government that creating more public and cooperative housing is vital in solving the housing crisis in many parts of the country and if well executed, it can be once again an awesome way of housing the low income people.

Modular Housing

The other viable and affordable way to house low income people is to use prefabricated, modular dwellings and these might include adding housing units on top of existing houses. Wherever it had been applied successfully, this option has proven to not only be affordable but also energy efficient compared to the traditional homes.

Use of Tiny Apartments

Tiny apartment is an awesome solution for providing housing for low income people, especially those who live in the towns. These apartments don’t require a lot of space and with about 100 to 200 sq ft; one would be able to have a space to call a house if they are strained for finances. Such a model is working very well in Tokyo where some are so small that they are described as “coffin sized” apartments.