Welfare Reform on the Web (August 2003): Social Housing - Overseas

HOUSING FOR VERY LOW-INCOME HOUSEHOLDS: THE RECORD OF PRESIDENT CLINTON, 1993-2000

R. G. Bratt

Housing Studies, vol. 18, 2003, p.607-635

Paper reviews Clinton's record of funding for the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and assesses how three major indicators changed between 1993 and 2000:

• the number of people who were homeless or faced serious housing problems;
• the net new number of affordable housing units added [including the net new number of households served by HUD housing programmes];
• changes in the rate of home ownership.

The paper also presents a summary of how two major rental housing programmes fared during the Clinton Presidency.

WINDOW ON A NEW ERA

S. Burroughs

Housing, June 2003, p.36-38

Affordable housing provision is one of the biggest challenges facing South Africa in the post-apartheid era. Article describes a community housing project near Durban which encouraged public participation in decision-making through a housing support centre. The Centre empowered local people to make informed choices about the type of housing they required.