Ten Steps to Affordable Housing. The New Circuit of Credit (The Circle of Blame, #1)

Book Overview: Ten Pathways to Affordable Housing
Subtitle: Breaking the Circle of Blame in Housing Policy
Author: Roger Lewis
Core Thesis
The book argues that the affordable housing crisis stems from systemic design flaws, not market failure. Through 10 evidence-based pathways, it demonstrates how communities can reclaim housing from financialization and transform it into equitable infrastructure.
Key Themes & Pathways- Regulatory Reform Revolution- Problem: Zoning laws, NIMBYism ("Not In My Backyard"), and bureaucratic barriers block affordable development (HUD, 1991).- Solution: State-led overrides of exclusionary local policies (e.g., California's RHNA quotas).- Decommodification Models- Community Land Trusts (CLTs): Remove land from speculation.- Public Credit Systems: Replicate North Dakota's state bank to fund housing without predatory debt.- Climate-Policy Integration- Problem: "Green" regulations inflate costs without addressing housing shortages (Chapman University, 2024).- Solution: Pair density bonuses with sustainability mandates (e.g., transit-oriented development).- University-Community Partnerships- Case Study: Universities as anchors for equitable development, countering displacement (American Bar Association, 2024).- Financial Reengineering- Replace interest-based financing with community-controlled credit, slashing the 77% interest burden (Creutz, 2010).- Pattern Language Design- Apply Christopher Alexander's architectural principles for human-centered, livable communities.- Blockchain Governance- Transparent, resident-led decision-making for democratic development.- Carbon-Neutral Affordable Housing- Integrate renewable energy (solar, biogas) to cut costs via carbon credits.- Inclusionary Zoning 2.0- Mandate affordable units in market-rate projects while avoiding supply reduction (CQ Researcher, 2018).- Disaster-Resilient Communities- Post-crisis rebuilding models that prioritize equity (e.g., rejecting New Orleans-style "disaster capitalism").

Heading into what is statistically the last quarter of my life I have been establishing my affordable housebuilding Company Home@ix . A lot has happened in my 60 years and indeed I have learned a great deal in the Last 5 years , shocking, disspiriting, disappointing , things but also with some blessings, which we should all count one by one and cherish dearly.
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