Ten Steps to Affordable Housing. The New Circuit of Credit

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