Chasing the American dream : new perspectives on affordable homeownership / edited by William M. Rohe and Harry L. Watson.

Includes bibliographical references (pages 279-300) and index.

Introduction : Homeownership in American culture and public policy / William M. Rohe and Harry L. Watson -- The ideological origins of affordable homeownership efforts / Lawrence J. Vale -- Homeownership for low-income households : a comparison of the Section 235, Nehemiah, and Habitat for Humanity programs / Rachel G. Bratt -- Federal policies promoting affordable homeownership : separating the accidental from the strategic / J. Michael Collins -- Is housing tenure the new neighborhood dividing line? : the polarizing politics of homeownership / Edward G. Goetz -- Affordable housing design for place making and community building / Charles C. Bohl -- The use of architectural flexibility for achieving affordability in housing / Avi Friedman -- The wealth-creating potential of homeownership : a preliminary assessment of price appreciation among low-income homebuyers / Michael A. Stegman, Roberto G. Quercia, and Walter Davis -- The financial returns to low-income homeownership / Eric S. Belsky, Nicolas Retsinas, and Mark Duda -- The social-psychological effects of affordable homeownership / William M. Rohe, Roberto G. Quercia, and Shannon Van Zandt -- Locating the American dream : assessing the neighborhood benefits of homeownership / Carolina Katz Reid -- Conclusion : Toward more efficient and equitable homeownership policies / William M. Rohe.

Print version record.

Providing decent, safe, and affordable housing to low- and moderate-income families has been an important public policy goal for more than a century. In recent years there has been a clear shift of emphasis among policymakers from a focus on providing affordable rental units to providing affordable homeownership opportunities. Due in part to programs introduced by the Clinton and Bush administrations, the nation's homeownership rate is currently at an all-time high. Does a house become a home only when it comes with a deed attached? Is participation in the real-estate market a precondition to engaged citizenship or wealth creation? The real estate industry's marketing efforts and government policy initiatives might lead one to believe so. The shift in emphasis from rental subsidies to affordable homeownership opportunities has been justified in many ways. Claims for the benefits of homeownership have been largely accepted without close scrutiny. But is homeownership always beneficial for low-income Americans, or are its benefits undermined by the difficulties caused by unfavorable mortgage terms and by the poor condition or location of the homes bought?Chasing the American Dream provides a critical assessment of affordable homeownership policies and goals. Its contributors represent a variety of disciplinary perspectives and offer a thorough understanding of the economic, social, political, architectural, and cultural effects of homeownership programs, as well as their history. The editors draw together the assessments included in this book to prescribe a plan of action that lays out what must be done to make homeownership policy both effective and equitable. Contributors: Eric S. Belsky, Harvard University; Charles C. Bohl, University of Miami; Rachel G. Bratt, Tufts University; J. Michael Collins, Policy Lab Consulting Group, LLC; Walter Davis, Statistics New Zealand; Mark Duda, Harvard University; Avi Friedman, McGill University; Edward G. Goetz, University of Minnesota; Roberto G. Quercia, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; Carolina Katz Reid, Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco; Nicolas Retsinas, Harvard University; William M. Rohe, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; Michael A. Stegman, John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation; Lawrence J. Vale, Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Shannon Van Zandt, Texas A & M University; Harry L. Watson, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

eBooks on EBSCOhost EBSCO eBook Subscription Academic Collection - Worldwide