As more and more families lose their homes to foreclosure, affordable housing is very much in the public eye. Across the country, lawmakers and community development organizations scramble to create affordable, decent places to live for the millions in need. Yet affordable housing remains poorly understood and widely controversial, with even experienced professionals finding it difficult to navigate the maze of legal and financial complications that surround it. With A Decent Home, housing expert Alan Mallach disentangles the issues and breaks down the jargon, offering professionals and educated laypersons a comprehensive picture of what affordable housing is, how it works, and how it is planned and developed. Mallach examines the most important issues and controversies surrounding affordable housing—including social, economic, and political considerations—and provides readers with the information and insight to develop thoughtful, responsible opinions about an issue that is hotly contested both nationally and in individual communities around the nation.

As more and more families lose their homes to foreclosure, affordable housing is very much in the public eye. Across the country, lawmakers and community development organizations scramble to create affordable, decent places to live for the millions in need. Yet affordable housing remains poorly understood and widely controversial, with even experienced professionals finding it difficult to navigate the maze of legal and financial complications that surround it. With A Decent Home, housing expert Alan Mallach disentangles the issues and breaks down the jargon, offering professionals and educated laypersons a comprehensive picture of what affordable housing is, how it works, and how it is planned and developed. Mallach examines the most important issues and controversies surrounding affordable housing—including social, economic, and political considerations—and provides readers with the information and insight to develop thoughtful, responsible opinions about an issue that is hotly contested both nationally and in individual communities around the nation.