About Urban-H Housing & Initiatives
Many cities across the globe are facing housing crises. Rising housing prices have placed millions in housing precarity. Access to safe and stable housing is essential for individuals’ mental and physical well-being. High housing prices have also meant that many individuals and families are forced to live in neighborhoods with fewer economic opportunities, longer commutes, polluted air, and lower quality public goods.
The Urban Housing agenda aims to gain a deeper understanding of the political, social, and economic roots of this crisis and identify effective policy solutions. We examine the failure to build sufficient housing, the rise in homelessness, and gentrification. We connect public officials and local advocates with rigorous, evidence-based policy solutions to these pressing urban challenges. Our recommendations — including a state office of fair housing, a local anti-displacement tool, and policies to streamline local permitting processes — underscore our commitment to making safe and secure housing accessible to all.
From the Words of Associate Director of Housing Katherine Levine Einstein
Locally, I’ve worked with regional policymakers to support the rollout
of MBTA Communities Act, which requires local governments served
by mass transit to increase the housing they allow to be built. I have
also supported state and federal policymakers in a variety of
capacities, ranging from discussing my research findings on housing
and regulatory reform to consulting on federal legislation.
All of these experiences have underscored what has been to me the
central strength of the IOC and initiatives like the Urban H:
connecting rigorous academic research on cities to policymakers at
all levels of government. Academic research on pressing topics like
housing affordability and climate change do little good if they
remain siloed in academic journals.