Community-Based Organizations And Affordable Housing: A Shift In Focus And Implications.pdf

Since the 1960s, CBOs have increasingly taken on the role of implementing affordable housing policies, leading to the development of a community development industry system involving CBOs, intermediaries, private sector partners, and government agencies. This shift has primarily focused on affordable housing, raising concerns about its impact on community empowerment.

This study examines public administrators' perceptions of CBO performance and capacity in affordable housing activities through a national survey (N=243) of cities with populations over 100,000. Key findings include:

- Limited Scope of Local Affordable Housing Policy: While federal programs like LIHTC, HOME, block grants, and CDBGs are partially implemented by local governments through CBOs, less is known about state and local policies supporting affordable housing. The survey reveals a lack of established supportive policies in public finance mechanisms, coordination with CBOs, and local equity measures.

- Public Finance Measures: State-level public finance measures were more prevalent than local ones, with 65.1% of cities having access to state housing trust funds. However, fewer than one-third had access to local affordable housing resources.

- CBO Capacity and Performance: The study highlights a gap in scholarship regarding public administrators' views on CBO performance. It discusses the implications of these perceptions for community empowerment goals, suggesting that while some CBOs have high capacity, most are small with limited resources.