Legislators visited Vienna to learn about the city's social housing program. Here's how their states' housing crises would benefit from similar policies.
"By building at sufficient density, maximizing walkability, minimizing building cost, and restricting ownership to Hawaii residents, we can achieve an abundance of affordable housing."
This report on affordable housing policies by county governments and state agencies provides different perspectives on what works and what doesn’t – and what might work better.
Hawaii State Sen. Stanley Chang, shown here when canvassing for his seat in October 2016. Chang has reintroduced a package of bills aimed at increasing the supply of housing in the state. (AP Photo/Cathy Bussewitz)
Sock Yong Phang is a professor of economics at Singapore Management University, and every month, when she gets her paycheck, 20 percent of her income is automatically diverted to a savings account managed by the Singaporean government. Like all Singapore workers, her contribution is required by law. So is an additional 17 percent contribution from her employer. The savings account, called the Central Provident Fund, is meant to help Singaporeans pay for healthcare, retirement, and housing. When workers like Phang want to buy a house, the CPF typically covers both the down payment and the monthly mortgage. Because the Singapore government also builds most of the housing in the city, homes also tend to be priced at levels that typical workers can afford.