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Subsidized Housing

Government Subsidized Housing

 

             In 1996, New Orleans had about 13,694 units of public housing. This number slowly dwindled to approximately 7,000 due to the efforts of the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to create mixed income housing.  But many of these public housing units were destroyed during Hurricane Katrina, leaving over 200,000 people without homes. HUD has planned to reopen about 2000 of these housing units, demolishing the rest in the name of creating a mixed income environment. (Quigley, 2006)

             A new, post-Katrina plan for government subsidized housing in New Orleans includes single family homes and low-rises. The government subsidized homes that already exist in the areas that are approved to be rebuilt will be rebuilt by the government to become beautiful low rises that follows the guidelines for the green technology, which we have stated in the previous section, and follows the revised building codes proposed by the City of New Orleans. These low-rises
will not only be economical, but also environmentally friendly and provide better protection from floods and wind damages. People can initially rent the low rise apartments from the government; however, they will have the opportunity to purchase these apartments from the government if and when they choose to do so. We believe this will provide the people living in these low rises not only a sense of pride in their homes but also a motivation for them to work to own their homes one day.
             Also people who used to own homes, but cannot afford to do so anymore, or cannot afford to rebuild it and maintain it anymore, or just choose not to live their anymore have the option of selling their property to the government. The government will then buy the land from these homeowners and will rebuild single-family homes, if the land that the home is in is allowed to repopulate. These homes, are architecturally beautiful, follow the guidelines for green technology,  and the revised building codes proposed by the City of New Orleans. After the government rebuilds the single family homes, the homeowners can buy it back; and if they cannot afford to do so, they can rent it from the government, and if they choose not live there anymore, the government will have to the right to subsidize it to other people. However, no matter who chooses to live in the government subsidized single family homes, they will have the opportunity to buy it back from the government at any time they choose to do so. The main purpose of this, like stated above, is not only to encourage pride in people's homes, but also provide a motivation for them live independently and receive less government help.
             These government subsidized housings will be built following somewhat the plans
that the government already has with mixed income housing to encourage social
mobility and an integrated society are three basic goals that we want to follow
through with this new government subsidized housing plans:


             1.provide housing at a lower cost for people who cannot afford private homes or
             apartments
             2.provide the motivation for the people to live independently by providing them
             with the opportunity of buying their government subsidized homes from the
             government, whether it be single-family or low-rise apartments
             3.be the first step towards environmentally friendly housing programs not only
             in New Orleans, but internationally and also follow the revised building codes
             of the city of New Orleans to provide better protection in case of a natural
             disaster.