2023 Spring Issue - 116

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WILLIAM ZEH HERBIG
Homelessness
Is a Housing
Issue
Why ULI members are uniquely
positioned to be part of the solution.
The housing crisis in the United
States has been worsened by the
pandemic, persistent inflation, and the
cost and availability of housing. At the
same time, the number of individuals
experiencing homelessness increased
more than 3 percent nationally, with Los
Angeles-which has one of the nation's
most constrained housing markets-at the
epicenter of the crisis.
Housing-related factors, such as absolute
rent levels and rental vacancy rates,
are the greatest predictors of a region's
homelessness rate-not drug use, mental
illness, poverty, or local political context.
In the words of University of Washington
assistant professor Gregg Colburn, " Homelessness
is a housing problem. "
As leaders in land use, real estate, and
commercial development, ULI members
can counter homelessness and advance
solutions that are cost-effective and
rapidly deployable. Indeed, last summer,
through the support of members led
by Preston and Caroline Butcher, ULI
launched its Homeless to Housed (H2H)
program with release of the Homeless to
Housed report showcasing eight projects
that illustrate how the industry can help.
From anchor housing with wraparound services
serving 1,200 people per day in San
Antonio to innovative strategies to finance
housing for previously unhoused individuals
in garden-style apartments in Charlotte,
developers are finding new ways to house
individuals and families at scale and in
ways that make financial sense.
H2H has its roots in a ULI Advisory
Services panel held in late 2017, chaired
by Rafael Cestero and Leigh Ferguson.
That panel explored homelessness in Los
Angeles and fostered additional outreach
116
URBAN LAND
SPRING 2023
and engagement in the region as well as
three local summits that further explored
the issue.
H2H plans to expand the solutions
library with more case studies in the
future; infuse ULI's key convenings with
meaningful conversations about homelessness;
and work with the Institute's network
of district and national councils by providing
grants and staff support for a range of
local technical assistance activities that
address homelessness.
ULI's homelessness efforts are aligned
with a renewed national focus, from the
Biden administration's plans to reduce
homelessness by 25 percent by 2025
to California Governor Gavin Newsom's
release of $1 billion in funding for tiny
homes. Already progress can be seen, with
the number of homeless veterans falling 11
percent since 2020, the largest reduction
in five years. Even so, the real estate community,
in partnership with others, has a
significant role to play.
While government's role in creating
affordable housing is to create policies,
provide services, and build the crucial
political will that encourages and promotes
development of more housing,
moving from policy to buildout cannot be
achieved without the private sector.
The industry's moral imperative is clear,
but support for efforts aimed at easing
the homelessness crisis also makes good
business sense. Here are just three ways
getting involved in affordable housing will
benefit your bottom line:
Reputation in the community. Developing
communities that house and offer supportive
wraparound services to individuals
raises the profile of the developer in the
community as well as forges business connections
with local leaders and entities,
which can lead to other projects.
Economic benefits. Building housing
helps neighbors in need while lifting up
local businesses and economies and helping
them thrive.
Enhanced financing options and property
stability. Federal and local entities
are increasingly rolling out incentives, programs,
funding, and grants to help finance
affordable housing projects that once may
William Zeh Herbig is senior director of
ULI's Homeless to Housed program.
have been difficult to pencil out. Once
the housing is delivered, high demand for
lower-cost units ensures low vacancy rates
and enhanced financial stability for preexisting
properties.
Now is the time to explore the role of
commercial real estate in advancing real
estate solutions to homelessness. You can
join the conversation at several upcoming
events, including the ULI Los Angeles
Homelessness Summit on June 8; the ULI
Building Healthy Places Book and Film
Club virtual meeting this summer, during
which participants will engage with Colburn,
author of the book Homelessness
Is a Housing Problem; and, as preamble
to the 2023 ULI Fall Meeting in Los Angeles,
ULI's first-ever national Homeless to
Housed Symposium, on October 30.
Addressing homelessness is at the
core of ULI's mission because it is vital to
creating and sustaining healthy, inclusive
communities. Advancing concrete and
workable solutions will require the real
estate industry and government to work
together. However, as developers, builders,
and placemakers, ULI members can
play one of the biggest roles-if not the
biggest-in meeting the immediate needs
for individuals experiencing homelessness:
a home. UL
WILLIAM ZEH HERBIG, AICP, is senior director of ULI's
Homeless to Housed program.
COURTESY OF WILLIAM ZEH HERBIG
2023 Spring Issue

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of 2023 Spring Issue
