35. Research Findings About Rental Housing Affordability in

Beyond The Numbers
Affordability and Availability of Rental
Housing in the Third Federal Reserve
District: 2015
Noelle S. Baldini
Community Engagement Associate
Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia
Disclaimer
The views expressed here are those of the
presenter and do not necessarily represent
the views of the Federal Reserve Bank of
Philadelphia or the Federal Reserve System.
Background
• Connect research and practice
• Qualitative methods used to explore in
more depth the challenges and trends
that were revealed in our quantitative
analysis
• Why qualitative research?
“Qualitative research should reveal and
revel in complexity ... We should strive to
make things appropriately complex without
rendering them more opaque.”
— Harry F. Wolcott
Methods
• Study sample
• 16 recorded interviews
• Analysis
– Coding in MaxQDA Qualitative Data
Analysis software
– Intercoder reliability
Housing Cost Burdens
Renter income levels have
stagnated or fallen, while rents
continue to rise.
The Great Recession expanded
the pool of lower-income
households for which renting
may now be the only feasible
option.
The millennial generation is
increasingly interested in living
in cities and is staying in the
rental housing market longer.
People are choosing to rent.
Barriers to New Development
Negative stigma
around
affordable
housing
Lack of political
will
Program
inefficiencies
Goal of reviving
homeownership
Difficulty
achieving scale
Increased cost of
development
along with
shrinking
subsidies
Local regulatory
burdens
Barriers to New
Development
Competition for
land
Housing Quality
Absentee landlords
Impact of budget cuts on rental inspections
Lack of energy-efficient upgrades
Inadequate capital for rehabilitation
Overcrowding
Threats to Existing Supply
Insufficient
capital for
rehabilitation
of aging
housing stock
Potential
expiration of
Housing
Assistance
Payment (HAP)
contracts
Threats to
existing
supply
Investors
buying up
housing
Interviewee Proposed Solutions
Additional Funding
Sources
Maximizing the Impact
of Existing Funding
Zoning
• Real Estate Transfer Taxes
• Private Capital (i.e., impact investing)
• University Endowment & Union Pensions; Affordable Housing REIT
• Geographic targeting of funds
• Accountability for impediments to fair housing
• Inclusionary housing requirements
• Mixed-use, mixed-income development
Homeownership
• Loosening mortgage lending standards
• Rebalancing of housing policy
Beyond Housing
• Holistic approach to poverty reduction
Conclusion
•
•
•
•
Connect research and practice
Some preconceived explanations validated
Interesting insights from the field
Areas for further exploration
– Quality of units and ownership issues
– Similarities and differences in rental
housing issues across rural, urban, and
suburban communities
Thank You
Noelle S. Baldini, Community Engagement Associate
noelle.baldini@phil.frb.org
215-574-3722
Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia
10 Independence Mall
Philadelphia, PA 19106
www.philadelphiafed.org/community-development/