Designed for planners and public and nonprofit employees, as well as developers, architects and engineers interested in creating more balanced communities, this course focuses on housing history, affordable housing, homelessness and sources/methods for providing a range of affordable housing options. Through lecture and class discussion, where the experience and opinions of students will be welcomed, you will learn about the history of housing policies that have contributed to present-day conditions; income levels and what the term “affordability” means for both rental and ownership housing; housing development types and what constitutes a “healthy” housing stock; sources of affordable housing provision; and how to connect housing opportunities and homelessness in the continuum of community needs, services and shelter. By the end of this course, you will possess a stronger understanding of the historical context of California’s housing crisis, as well as policy, program and funding solutions to help make your communities housing stock more equitable for all. 

Learning Outcomes
•    Relate former housing policies, events and programs to current-day challenges and programs
•    Differentiate income categories, rent affordability, and price affordability for each category
•    Contrast various types of housing and the potential housing needs each can meet, as well as sources for the production of affordable housing
•    Identify the range of sheltering, programs, and housing types used in the reduction of homelessness

Skills You Will Gain
•    Housing policy
•    Calculate affordable housing costs
•    Knowledge of housing types
•    Preliminary knowledge of affordable housing financing and homelessness response