Despite the ever-present conversation about NIMBYism (a word that describes “Not in My Back Yard” homeowners who oppose new housing developments near their homes), a new survey suggests that a majority of Americans are actually in support of affordable housing developments.
While NIMBYs might express concerns about crime, congestion, schools, property values, and “quality of life” changes that might come from affordable housing developments, most Americans have been affected by the housing crisis, and, therefore, hold evolving beliefs about what it means to solve the problem at hand.
In a survey commissioned by Built and conducted by Talker Research, a poll of 1,000 American adults, split equally by political alignment, found that more than half believe what they pay monthly for their home is more than it should be.
The average respondent shared that they spend 42% of their annual income on housing-related costs. Among this group, 45% attributed these costs to living in a neighborhood with “higher than average costs of living.”
With this in mind, the survey takers were asked their thoughts on affordable housing.
Of those polled, 63% said they view the term “affordable housing” positively.
Two-thirds said they’d be willing to live in or next to a home labeled “affordable housing,” and another 53% would react positively if the house or building next to them was converted to affordable housing.
“Affordability challenges have gone mainstream,” said Chase Gilbert, CEO of Built. “More people are realizing affordable housing isn’t about charity — it’s about keeping the American dream within reach. Homeownership has always been a cornerstone of that dream, and for too many, that path is getting harder to find.”
In fact, 83% of people viewed affordable housing more positively than other forms of multi-family housing, compared to townhomes (76%), apartments, (70%), and mobile or pre-fabricated homes (64%).
The respondents also shared what kind of affordable housing policies they would be supportive of, with 65% of people saying they’d likely support new housing being built in their neighborhoods.
Many — about 45% — were in favor of converting surplus buildings (like offices and warehouses) into housing, while 42% were also in support of politics that would require a certain amount of affordable units to be included in new developments.
An additional 34% supported the idea of tax incentives for neighborhoods that add more housing.
All of these numbers connect to the finding that 41% of people polled believe their local municipalities don’t have enough housing to meet people’s needs.
Still, the issue is complicated.
“Policy decisions are definitely a part of the equation, but there’s more to it than that,” Gilbert added. “Even if funding for new buildings is unlocked, it must flow into real projects for construction to begin. Capital that doesn’t move is no different than capital that was never there.”
And while survey respondents have a positive view of affordable housing, clarity is still needed on what it even is.
About 38% of people believed affordable housing is defined as being extremely low-cost, 33% believed it was synonymous with “public housing,” and 23% understood it as exclusively for people living under the poverty line.
In addition to this, many respondents thought affordable housing is only intended for low-income demographics like retirees and seniors, veterans, and first-time buyers.
Still, one in three surveyed believe affordable housing is meant for anyone and everyone.
A similar survey conducted last year by Data for Progress on behalf of the Center for American Progress found similar results: Across the political spectrum, and among both buyers and renters, people believe housing in the United States is in trouble, and affordable housing may be the solution.
“No matter what your neighborhood looks like or where it’s located, the goal of homeownership is drifting further out of reach for too many Americans,” a conclusion from the Center for American Progress stated.
“Americans of all backgrounds want to see action and expect policymakers to outline new steps to bring down the cost of housing and build a stronger America.”
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