Charting a path

Decades of research has shown that affordable housing is a cornerstone of urban livability and wellbeing. Beyond providing shelter, housing is a platform for improving health, education, economic activity and social stability. Affordable, good quality and stable housing is often associated with less stress and better overall health. Similarly, satisfactory housing can improve school performance by providing adequate space for study and minimizing the disruptions associated with frequent family moves. Investments in housing have numerous economic benefits through expenditures on construction, labor materials and services; increased local economic competitiveness, to the extent that lower housing costs are viewed as a comparative advantage by employers and workers; and financial innovations, such as the development of capital markets, bond markets and derivatives that enable investors to transfer risk, further increasing the supply of capital. The benefits of housing extend to neighborhoods where families have access to opportunities and support services they need,