Alex Jiang
Professor Kamas
ACC 366P
24 April 2018
Not in My Backyard
Mankind is funny. We are honest until we lie, we are loving until we hate, we are giving until we stop. We delude ourselves into thinking we are much better than we are and writers throughout the ages have documented our hubris and our foibles. But that is the history of mankind. We constantly think about how much better we would do or how much good we would contribute to society if only we were in a different position. We think in terms of grand and noble goals when we are on the outside looking in but as soon as we reach the “in”, our mentality shifts. Oh wait, I won’t approve this initiative that I pushed for so hard because I didn’t think of X, Y and Z. Hypocrisy is deeply rooted into our psyche and is the fire keeper that stokes the flames of the hearth which is our ego. This very word is the seed of modern day politics as politicians desperately vie for any vote they can get. It is also the catalyst behind all kinds of protests and movements such as Not in My Backyard (NIMBY). NIMBY signifies an “opposition to the locating of something considered undesirable in one’s neighborhood” (Rafferty and Kinder). And in this case, affordable housing. According to a survey conducted by the National Low Income Housing Corporation, “76% [of people] believed [affordable housing] should be addressed by their elected leaders in Washington” (National Low Income Housing Coalition). So how does hypocrisy apply here? Hypocrisy applies here because people are all for the idea of affordable housing except for when construction happens near them, citing reasons such as decreased property value and safety of their children. Although there are supposed concerns with lowered property value and safety issues, the economic, social, and community benefits brought forward by establishing affordable housing far outweigh the negatives.
Money is the greatest motivator. It is the cure all. And affordable housing brings just that. According to a 2011 article written by Rebecca Cohen and Keith Wardrip, “the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) estimates that 100 units of affordable housing for families generates roughly $827,000 for jurisdictions” (Cohen and Wardrip). This means that the construction of affordable housing brings tangible monetary benefits to local and state governments. According to Cohen and Wardrip, “affordable rent and mortgage payments can significantly increase the residual income that households have at their disposal after meeting necessary housing costs – by $500 or more per month in some cases” (Cohen and Wardrip). This means that by creating cheap living spaces, families that were once spending most of their paycheck on rent and housing now have increased buying power to put into local businesses and promote the local economy.
On top of that, affordable housing promotes job creation which in turn increases income and spending. Jobs ranging from construction to engineering to restaurants to retail all need people to fill, and “between 2011 and 2015, affordable housing projects created 329,400 total jobs” in New York alone – “46,800 which were permanent” (Moelis). This creation of jobs helps reintegrate low-income families and the homeless back into society and provides a chance for them to live the so-called “American Dream”. Those with a negative view of the homeless often portray the homeless as “lazy”, “uninspired”, and taking money away from hard working tax payers. While that may be true of a certain segment of the homeless, the number one reason for homelessness is severe family tragedy that destroyed the safety net they once had leaving them on the streets (Fogarty). The creation of jobs from construction of affordable housing gives a chance for these so-called “lazy” and “uninspired” people to get back on their feet. Isn’t it hypocritical for advocates against affordable housing to not only refuse to help out the homeless because the homeless are “lazy”, “greedy” and should work for their money but also prevent initiatives to help create jobs so that they can work for money?
Finally, there are real benefits brought to residents near where affordable housing is constructed. According to a report authored by the public policy and economics team at Blue Sky Consulting Group, “affordable housing saves taxpayer money by reducing demand for other government services including homeless, health, and other social programs” (Dietz). This means that even the most avid proponents against establishing affordable housing in their area will reap some of the rewards. Less government money towards homeless, health and other social programs leads to more money put into roads, schools, parks, and other government funded projects generally viewed as “positive”.
I would like to think that behind even the greediest of men, there exists some joy when the less fortunate are inspired and enabled. That behind the greed, there is compassion and a genuine desire to “help thy neighbor”. Beyond the fiscal and economic benefits brought forward by affordable housing, there are measurable societal benefits associated with establishing affordable housing in the region. According to a report by the Blue Sky Consulting Group, “affordable housing improves resident health by reducing exposure to environmental hazards and frees resources to pay for health expenses and food” (Dietz). Through affordable housing, low-income families are better able to care for themselves and their children leading to longer lifespans and a general improvement in quality of living.
More specifically, according to Enterprise Community Partners, a developer for affordable housing, “children in unstable housing situations are less likely to get the food they need… and may experience poorer health, lower than healthy weight and higher developmental risks – increasing their chances for life-long health problems”. Not only that, “for children, frequent moves have been linked to increased lifetime risk of depression”. Children aren’t the only ones at risk, “mothers in these families suffer as well – having higher incidence of depression and poor health” and “adults who felt worried or stressed about their ability to pay their rent or mortgage were three times more likely to report mental distress and were almost 50 percent more likely to have trouble sleeping – both of which can have long-term physical and mental health consequences” (Enterprise). I find it hard to believe that even the most selfish of people would not find joy in seeing the lives and health of children and their caregivers improve by leaps and bounds. Not only are the advocates against affordable housing able to reap benefits through improved use of