1
U.S. HOUSING POLICY
Course Number: 762:310:01
Instructor:
Time/Location:
Dr. Alan D. Cander ( alan.cander@rutgers.edu
)
Tuesday 9:50AM – 12:50 PM
Scott Hall, Room 101
Office Hours: Thursdays 8:30 AM – 1:30 PM
Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy
Civic Square Building (CSB) Room 259
New Brunswick, NJ 08901
848-32-2757
I.INTRODUCTION
This is a course on housing policy in the United States. We will utilize the readings and the class discussion to analyze U.S. housing policy relative to the larger American political economy. We begin with a general introduction to housing policies, the history of these policies, patterns and trends in housing, and the operations of housing markets and housing finance. Later in the course we shift toward more particular discussions of housing policies, first at the federal level, and eventually to the state and local level. This latter element includes consideration of the role of community organizations in providing housing for low-income persons. We round out the class by considering a set of housing issues that have been paramount in shaping the context within which housing is provided and inhabited in the U.S.
Among the different housing programs and policies we will cover are the following: public housing, vouchers, tax expenditures that subsidize housing, the low income housing tax credit, privately owned rental housing built with federal subsidies, community development block grants, housing trust funds, inclusionary zoning, HOME, Community Reinvestment Act, housing for persons with special needs, and the role of community development corporations
(CDCs).
II. PRIMARY COURSE OBJECTIVES

Gain an understanding and appreciation of the basic dynamics of housing markets in the
United States

Understand the history of, and main concepts involved in, housing policy in the United
States

Gain familiarity with the basic types of housing policies

Interpret the impact of differing housing policies and decisions on affected communities

Conduct research in the field of housing policy
III. REQUIRED READINGS
1.
Schwartz, A. (2010). Housing policy in the United States, 2 nd
Ed. New York: Routledge
(available at the Rutgers bookstore)
2.
Additional required readings are on the class Sakai site under Resources

2
IV. DOING THE READINGS
You MUST complete all of the readings prior to the Tuesday class meetings. We will discuss the readings in class and I will call on people to discuss them.
I also expect that you will raise your own questions about the readings and material we are covering.
V. CHECK SAKAI AND YOUR RUTGERS EMAIL
You must check our class Sakai site and your Rutgers email to stay informed and on top of the class activities and requirements. I use Sakai to make important class announcements.
VI. CORE COURSE REQUIREMENTS
Basis for Your Final Grade
20% = 2 Reaction Papers Based on Class Readings (Each paper is worth 10% of your grade)
20% = Mid-term Exam
25% = Final Exam
25% = Group Policy Report
10% = Class Attendance and Active Participation
The Reaction Papers
Each student is required to prepare reaction papers to any two (they are each 10% of your final grade and each will be graded on a 100-point scale) of the course’s weekly required readings. The reaction papers are to be relatively short only 4-5 pages, typed double-spaced in
12 point font. I do not want mere summaries of the reading. Instead, I want you to draw out the implications of the readings for our understanding of housing and housing policies in the United
States. Reaction papers are to be uploaded onto the class Sakai site by 9:00 AM on the day of the class in which the readings are discussed. Reaction papers cannot be submitted late.
Mid-term and Final Exams
The mid-term and final exams will contain both short answer and essay questions.
Group Policy Report
In groups of 3 or 4 students, you will all write a “policy report” about a housing policy or program of your choice. The report must contain the following components:
1.
Executive summary [1 to 3 pages]
2.
The actual report [18 to 20 pages], containing the following: a.
Background/history of the policy or program b.
Current status of the policy or program c.
Any pending political or legislative initiatives regarding the policy or program d.
Problems with the policy or program e.
Recommendations
3.
References
***Important: On March 20 th each group must hand in a brief (1 page) description of their report and an outline (1-2 pages) of their report. The Final Report from each group is due, in class, on April 24 th . ***

3
Class Attendance and Participation
Class participation is a major requirement in this class and I expect your participation to be active. Active participation means more than simply attending class.
It means raising your hand to respond to the class discussions about the readings, providing your reasoned opinion, and/or posing questions about material that you found difficult or unclear or that further piqued your curiosity. Certainly, I do not expect you to have “the singular brilliant answer” [there really is no such thing in the social sciences] when you participate in class but I do want to know what you think, what you did and did not understand from the reading materials, what you thought made sense, what you thought were not good arguments, and how you related the readings to your own academic and non-academic knowledge and experiences.
Although I will be lecturing I will also be working hard to establish a dialogue with all of you because that enhances the learning environment.
I will take attendance during each class and I quickly get to know names and faces.
Therefore, if I find that you are sitting back and not actively participating I will call on you. Again, I have found that students benefit more from the learning experience by becoming actively engaged in class discussions. It is also a great way to build up your confidence about speaking in front of others.
You are permitted only one unexcused absence for the entire semester.
If you are legitimately sick or expect to miss one or two classes, please use the Rutgers University absence reporting website, which is located online at https://sims.rutgers.edu/ssra/ to indicate the date and reason for your absence. Any further unexcused absences will lower your class participation grade. Thus, it is vitally important to do all the readings, come to class, and actively participate!
VII. GRADING SCALE
A is 90 – 100 B+ is 87 - 89
C is 70 - 76 D is 60 - 69
B is 80 – 86
F is 59 and lower
C+ is 77 - 79
VIII. ACADEMIC INTEGRITY
Plagiarism from other sources or from each other’s work in any manner is not tolerated and will result in a grade of 0 (zero) for that assignment. As well, taking whole chunks from your own previously written papers from other classes and plopping them into any of the written assignments for this class will not be tolerated and will result in a 0 (zero) grade for the assignment. Similarly, you may not turn in a previously or concurrently written paper from another class as a “substitute” for the paper assigned for this class. Doing so will also result in a 0 (zero) grade for the assignment. I use software (Turn It In) on Sakai that will reveal any and all forms of plagiarism. Please consult the updated Academic Integrity document on the web, which is located at http://academicintegrity.rutgers.edu/integrity.shtml#l
IX. CLASSROOM BEHAVIOR AND MANNERS
 I expect you to respect the views, comments, and experiences of your fellow classmates and will not tolerate disrespectful, intimidating, or insulting behavior.

Disruptive behavior during class time is not permitted. This includes holding side conversations, listening to and/or singing along with your IPOD, working on your laptop

or other computerized equipment even if it is academically related, reading non-related course materials, playing videos, playing cards, texting, twittering, reading emails, surfing the Internet, and so forth. Such behaviors and activities are distracting to the other students and the instructor and, therefore, disruptive and will not be tolerated . All cell phones, IPODS, and related electronic equipment must be silenced or turned off during class time.

Students who persist in actively disrupting the class will be asked to leave and that will mean an unexcused absence for them.
X. CLASS SCHEDULE
*All readings that are located on the class Sakai site under Resources are followed by parentheses with the word Sakai inside the parentheses
January 17 Introduction
January 24 Part I: Overview, Housing Markets, and Housing Finance
Topic: General Housing Policies
Readings:

Schwartz: Chapter 1

Dreier, Peter: Federal Housing Subsidies: Who Benefits and Why?”
(DREIER on Sakai)
January 31 Topic: Housing and Housing Markets in the United States
Readings:

Schwartz, Chapter 2
February 7 Topic: Housing Finance
Readings:

Schwartz: Chapter 3

Immergluck, Dan: The Foreclosure Crisis, Foreclosed Properties, and
Federal Policy (IMMERGLUCK on Sakai)
 Apgar, William, Bendimerad, Amal, and Ren Essene: Mortgage Market
Channels and Fair Lending: An Analysis of HMDA Data (APGAR on
Sakai)
February 14 Part II: Federal Housing Policies
Topics: Tax Subsidies and Low Income Housing Tax Credits
Readings:
Schwartz: Chapters 4 and 5
February 21 Topics: Public Housing and HOPE VI
Readings:

Schwartz: Chapter 6

Popkin, Susan et al: A Decade of HOPE VI (POPKIN on Sakai)
4

5
February 28 Topics: Section 8 Projects and Vouchers
Readings:

Schwartz: Chapters 7 and 8

DeFillipis, James and Elvin Wyly: Running to Stand Still: Through the
Looking Glass With Federally-Subsidized Housing in New York City
(DEFILIPPIS on Sakai)
March 6 Mid-Term Examination
March 13 No Class: Spring break
March 20 Part III: State, Local, and Community Roles in Housing Policy
Topics: Overview, Zoning, Land Use, and Eminent Domain
Readings:
 Schwartz Chapter 9, first half

Ihlanfeldt, Keith: Exclusionary Land-Use Regulations within Suburban
Communities a Review of the Evidence and Policy Prescriptions
(IHLANFELDT on Sakai)

Payne, John: The Paradox of Progress: Three Decades of the Mount
Laurel Decision (PAYNE on Sakai)
***Brief Description (1 page) and Outline (1-2 pages) of the Group Policy
Reports Due in Class from Each Group***
March 27 Topic: Community Development and Housing Policy
Readings:

Schwartz Chapter 9, second half

Swanstrom, Todd: The Nonprofitization of United States Housing Policy:
Dilemmas of Community Development (SWANSTROM on Sakai)

Bratt, Rachel and Bill Rohe: Challenges and Dilemmas Facing
Community Development Corporations in the United States (BRATT
AND ROHE on Sakai)
April 3 Part IV: Issues in Housing Policy
Topic: Race, Discrimination and Segregation
Readings:

Schwartz: Chapter 11

Denton, Nancy: Half Empty or Half Full: Segregation and Segregated
Neighborhoods 30 Years After the Fair Housing Act (DENTON on Sakai)
April 10 Topic: Poverty Concentration, De-concentration, and Mixed Income Housing
Readings:

Goetz, Edward : Housing Dispersal Programs (GOETZ on Sakai)

Joseph, Mark et al: The Theoretical Basis for Addressing Poverty through
Mixed-Income Development (JOSEPH on Sakai)

6
 Jargowsky, Paul and Rebecca Yang: The ‘Underclass’ Revisited: A Social
Problem in Decline (JARGOWSKY on Sakai)
April 17 Topic: Housing Tenure
Readings:
 Galster: George and Anna Santiago: Low Income Homeownership as an
Asset-Building Tool: What Can We Tell Policymakers? (GALSTER on
Sakai)
April 24 ***All Group Policy Reports are Due in Class***
***Also: We will hold a Review for the Final Examination***
Final Exam: Date to be announced