I have been more quiet on this site over the last couple of months than I planned. To the couple of you who wait anxiously for the next post, I humbly apologize. For the rest, you probably did not notice one less item in your inbox. That relief is nearly over.
My hiatus has had little to do with my plan to recast this site’s content than the pull of work. A two week interregnum for scenic travel notwithstanding, the press of business has been hot and torrential, matching the weather this summer in the northeast.
Our construction of two new homes is moving along, despite the best that mother nature can dish out. We welcomed volunteers back last week, and have a full slate of volunteer days extending into the fall. Community-supported construction is at the heart of the Habitat mission, and realistically the only way to get affordable housing built in the current environment. Recruiting volunteers is not as easy as it once was, the seasoned folks tell me. We will explore that more in the future.
We continue to advance our new building concept: starter homes at scale, and are actively working with communities to site small developments of affordable, efficient, low-maintenance houses for our county’s average wage-earners. We are making progress, but the need is great and urgent, which does not match the pace of how these things come together. We must actively push forward, collaborating with stakeholders groups who share common interest in seeing more housing developed stat. We are doing so. The good news is that the issues surrounding housing are getting more attention, and prompting more action. We will shed some light on the progress that is occurring across the region.
We continue to advocate actively for the need for fair taxation as a path to unlocking more housing production. Taxing homeowners at fair market value when the price they pay is far less subverts the intention of the investments made by communities and taxpayers to subsidize the final sale price of these homes. Communities win when we return unproductive parcels to the tax rolls, and they support taxation that reflects the price paid, rather than fair market assessment. More on this soon.
When I resume writing regularly - after Labor Day - I am going to focus on chronicling our efforts to increase production of affordable housing in our community. I promise to keep the narrative honest and factual, free of political finger pointing and will not focus on naming or shaming. I will explain through example why getting housing built is so difficult -- even under the auspices of one of the most trusted and highly-regarded housing organizations in the country. And when appropriate, I’ll add in other perspectives on subjects both related and irrelevant to the work we are doing.
We face many crises in helping our citizens meet their basic needs. Housing…shelter… is one of those. From safe and stable housing, many good outcomes emerge. I think it’s worth shedding light on this process, and sharing more about my learning journey. I hope you will continue to ride along.
Summer is over. Let’s get back to work.
Looking forward to reading more, Al. It is important work that you’re doing.