Colonia Housing Conditions in Model Subdivisions: A Déjà Vu for Policy Makers

The informal self-help settlements in Texas known as colonias have received considerable attention as a public policy problem at both the state and federal levels. These settlements proliferated throughout the border region since the late 1970s and research has highlighted the extreme poverty, austere levels of infrastructure, exploitative land sale practices, and poor housing conditions that characterized these settlements. However, both scholars and policymakers have overlooked the continued spread of self-help settlements known as “model subdivisions,” which barring the presence of basic water, wastewater, and electricity services, are nearly identical to colonias. We present the results of household surveys conducted with residents in 24 model subdivisions in Hidalgo County, Texas, in June 2014. The results suggest that, unbeknown to legislators, many of the problems that characterized colonias are now being reproduced in hundreds of model subdivisions that have formed since the 1990s, and which now require concerted attention and intervention by policy makers.     

Do Shrinking Cities Allow Redevelopment Without Displacement? An Analysis of Affordability Based on Housing and Transportation Costs for Redeveloping,Declining, and Stable Neighborhoods

Abstract

Plans and policies to combat or mitigate gentrification typically pursue affordable housing production and preservation as the primary mechanism to avoid displacement. However, it is unclear whether affordable housing financing mechanisms function as designed in weak market cities. As such, we question whether the housing-only approach is a complete one and whether increased transportation investments in redeveloping neighborhoods in shrinking cities can be leveraged to improve the lives of the poor. Our results suggest that funding for subsidized housing does not produce units affordable to the poor in declining cities, limiting the efficacy of a housing-only approach. Furthermore, we find that transportation costs make up a larger proportion of household budgets among families living in declining neighborhoods. These results suggest that transportation improvements—particularly those aimed at bicycling and pedestrian accessibility—may be the most efficient approach to mitigating displacement and improving quality of life for low-income households in shrinking cities.     

The road home: an examination of the successes and challenges of housing non-profits in New Orleans since Katrina

Hurricane Katrina claimed the lives of nearly 1000 Louisiana residents and damaged about 80% of the building stock in New Orleans. Unequal protection from the hurricane and uneven recovery patterns have left some communities (predominantly low-income and black) with few options to rebuild their homes. These factors have created a high demand for housing non-profits specializing in new construction as well as low-cost home repairs. Drawing from interviews with a number of stakeholders including non-profits completing home repairs and new construction for low-income residents, this article identifies the type, amount and target areas for work done by housing non-profits in post-Katrina New Orleans. Additionally, it identifies the challenges for future work and limitations in the non-profits’ ability to address housing inequity in New Orleans.     

Research on the Residential Satisfaction with Public Housing——Evidence from Zhejiang

Public housing policies focus on the needs of low-income households. The level of residential satisfaction plays a key role in the assessment of government performance. This paper reviews researches on the residential satisfaction of inhabitants living in public houses and introduces relevant national practices. Based on data from Zhejiang, we found that the average residential satisfaction level is “relatively satisfactory” on the part of the inhabitants. They seem to be satisfied with the supply quantity but a little dissatisfied with the distribution fairness. The factor analysis suggests key factors that significantly affect the residential satisfaction. The study also shows that most inhabitants expect house quality improvement with big developers and are ready to accept the rising price for better quality.     

完善我国城镇住房保障制度的思考

完善我国住房保障制度,是保障中低收入者的居住权,构建社会主义和谐社会的重要方面,需要从科学定位政府职能、增加经济适用房与廉租房的有效供给、完善福利住房保障体系、多渠道保障住房资金来源、制定相关的法律法规等方面,保证住房保障制度的建立与完善。     

拍卖、招标在国有建设用地使用权出让中的利弊研究

抑制房价过快上涨一直是当前宏观调控的重要目标之一。而地价作为组成房价的重要部分,其上涨状况直接关系到房价的调控效果。针对目前地价不断上涨的状况,国家草拟了《深化国有建设用地有偿使用制度改革实施方案》,已上报国务院审批实施。文件的主要内容是要对当前国有土地出让手段中拍卖和招标的比例进行调整,降低拍卖在土地出让总量中的比例、提高招标的比例,希望通过这一手段起到抑制地价的作用。然而,地价的上涨是一个复杂的过程,拍卖和招标作为两种出让手段,确实在其中发挥了一定的作用,但是其对地价的真正影响仍需要检验。同时,考虑到二者在出让过程中公开性上的差异,笔者认为,不能轻易调整二者比例,而是需要经过详细的比较验证过程。本文拟通过比较拍卖、招标两种土地出让方式在对推动地价上涨的效果、出让过程的公开透明度以及对土地价值实现程度的影响程度,分析推动地价上涨的其他原因,进而客观评价拍卖、招标作为出让手段的利弊,同时对当前政策给出相关建议。     

简析经济适用房制度——以泉州经济适用房为例

经济适用房推出以来受到了广大居民的关注,在其政策的实施过程中存在着一些问题,本文试分析其中购买对象界定不明、并不适用、房价失控等问题,并提出一些改革的建议,完善经济适用房制度。     

也谈婚前按揭婚后取得房产证的住房及婚后增值部分之归属——兼评最高院《（婚姻法）司法解释（三）》（征求意见稿）第6条、gll条

婚前按揭婚后取得房产证的房屋及增值部分的归属是离婚争议的主要情形之一,也是理论界、实务界意见相差极大的现实问题。正确认识物权法与婚姻法的关系;坚守婚姻伦理和公平观念,在保护夫妻一方婚前个人财产所有权的同时,必须照顾无房一方的利益。     

预售商品房按揭法律问题研究

本文通过研究国内按揭的内涵,对涉及按揭性质的抵押说、质押说、让与担保说提出了异议,从而将预售商品房按揭界定为一种新型的物的担保方式,并经过分析按揭中存在的风险,提出了完善我国按揭制度的法律构想。     

排污权抵押贷款法律问题探析

排污权抵押贷款是一项主要面向中小企业的绿色信贷措施,旨在解决企业的融资难、发展难等问题。但要在我国现阶段法律体系框架下推行这项措施还存在诸多障碍,如：排污权的用益物权属性存在争议;用益物权作为抵押权的客体没有法律的明确规定;作为排污权客体的环境容量资源的权属不明;排污权交易存在立法空白;绿色信贷缺乏必要的法律支撑等等。然若对我国现有的相关法律进行必要的完善,则排污权用以抵押贷款是完全可行的。