Overview
This is the thesis I used, it can be changed: Pacific Northwest cities should use both housing development and government programs to make housing more affordable and reduce homelessness for low income residents
This is a sample intro pg: Green Cities in the Pacific Northwest are addressing an affordable housing crisis as one of their biggest social and economic challenges. During the past decade, the city's population growth, increased demand for housing, and the city's housing shortage have led to large increases in rental costs and home values. The problem is still a subject of debate because there's a variety of approaches to the problem that are considered the best. Some say zoning needs to be reformed and housing built to make it affordable, others say they prefer more government action, such as affordable housing programs and rent control. The guiding question for this essay is whether Pacific Northwest cities should focus primarily on increasing housing supply through zoning reform or prioritize renter protections and government-supported housing programs to address affordability.
A primary factor of the housing problem is the lack of affordable housing in the growing cities. Limited housing density and restrictive zoning laws are major factors leading to increased housing costs because they hinder cities from providing housing supply at an efficient rate (Favilukis et al., 305). Their work helps to account for how rising demand for housing can be met by rising prices and pushing lower-income individuals away from cities. Seattle's single-family zoning regulations have been a challenge for meeting the demand for apartments and multi-family housing in the city. Zoning critics say that increased density of development such as duplexes and apartment complexes can bring housing supply and, over time, lower housing costs. Raising the number of moderate income families and workers able to access cities can enhance urban welfare outcomes (Favilukis et al., 312). This evidence shows that housing issues are not just economic but social issues that are impacting equity and community stability across the Pacific Northwest.