Innovations in Affordable Housing Design

"Many people think that to be affordable, housing must sacrifice frills such as good design. Indeed, affordable housing projects often seem to be developed as if the goal was no design, or as little as possible, without regard for what the buildings look like, how they're situated, their relationship to open space or any of the other elements that define good design."

"But good design can be the critical difference between an affordable development that succeeds - one that satisfies its residents and neighbors, enhances the community where it is built, and remains a stable part of that community long after the ribbon is cut - and one that doesn't."

"Good Design: The Best Kept Secret in Community Development"
Deane Evans, FAIA, and Jody Beck
New Jersey Institute of Technology
Center for Architecture and Building Science Research


The Housing Enterprise of Central Alabama encourages developers to implement high quality, innovative and community-oriented design in the projects that it funds.

HECA is also an advocate for the development of mixed-income properties that serve families with incomes that range from 50% to 100% of the Area Median Income.

The Affordable Housing Design Advisor website www.designadvisor.org is an excellent resource for community developers who want help achieving better-designed moderately priced housing. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development created the site with help from Local Initiative Support Corporation (LISC) and other leading national community development organizations.