Sustainable Communities Index

Housing

Summary

The Housing indicators in the SCI measure housing cost, displacement, segregation and quality/habitability. Connections between housing availability, cost, quality, and location and health include:

• High housing costs relative to income can result in spending a high proportion of income on housing at the expense of other needs, living in overcrowded or lower cost substandard housing, moving to where housing costs are lower or becoming homeless.
• Involuntary displacement contributes to stress, loss of supportive social networks and increased risk for substandard housing conditions and overcrowding.
• Racially segregated neighborhoods or those with concentrated poverty typically have fewer assets and resources such as schools, libraries and public transportation; host unwanted land uses such as power plants, solid and hazardous waste sites and bus yards; and have freeways and other busy roadways that run through them resulting in disproportionately higher exposure to noise and air pollution.
• Unsafe housing and habitability conditions that affect health include poor indoor air quality and inadequate heating or ventilation, which can lead to the growth of mold and dust mites, exacerbating asthma and respiratory allergies; lead-based paint which is the primary cause of lead poisoning in children; rodent and pest infestations; exposed heating sources; excessive noise; and unprotected windows.

Objectives & Indicators

H.1. Preserve and construct housing in proportion to demand with regards to size, affordability, and tenure

H.1.a. Housing production and affordability

H.1.b. Excessive rent burden

H.1.c. Housing purchasing capacity

H.1.d. Home ownership

H.1.e. Overcrowding

H.1.f. Housing wage & minimum wage

H.1.g. Residential density

H.2. Protect residents from involuntary displacement

H.2.a. Fair market rate rent trends

H.2.b. No-fault evictions

H.2.c. Affordable rental housing stock

H.3. Decrease concentrated poverty

H.3.a. Ethnic diversity

H.3.b. Low-income households

H.4. Assure access to healthy quality housing

H.4.a. Housing health & safety violations