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Policy Issues

Understand the issues that drive Enterprise policy initiatives.

 

Affordable Housing

In 2009, forty-nine percent of renter households in the U.S. were cost-burdened—they paid more than 30 percent of their income on rent and utility payments, according to a Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies report. Severely cost-burdened households, defined as those that pay more than 50 percent of their income on rent and utilities, made up 26 percent of renters. These steep housing costs leave low- and moderate-income families with little money left over for the rest of life’s necessities, such as food, education and health care.

Several financing tools and federal policies have been developed to help low-income households live in decent, affordable housing. However, even with these programs, only one quarter of eligible families receive housing assistance. Therefore, the affordable housing field continues to seek new innovations to help meet the affordable housing needs of the nation.

 

Community Development & Finance Regulation

Affordable housing and community development activities require capital from both the private and public sectors. Traditional sources of private financing are complemented by mission-driven for-profit and nonprofit organizations, which provide products and programs to support projects that revitalize neighborhoods and provide opportunity for low- and moderate-income households. In addition, governments at all levels have instituted requirements and incentives for financial institutions to invest in their communities.

The federal government is also responsible for regulating the single-family and multifamily mortgage markets (and financial markets in general) to ensure liquidity, maintain stability, mitigate systemic risk and prevent predatory or unethical practices.

 

Foreclosure & Neighborhood Revitalization

Neighborhoods should be healthy, vibrant places to live and raise families. However, many of America’s neighborhoods are struggling, whether from decades of entrenched poverty or the recent foreclosure crisis. Several federal programs have been developed to help rebuild neighborhoods and make them desirable places to live again. 

 

Green & Sustainable Housing & Communities

It is an Enterprise strategic priority to deliver health, economic, and environmental benefits to low- and moderate income communities through environmentally sustainable development. Green and sustainable building and community development practices promote the efficient use of resources and lessen the ecological impact of the built environment.

In addition to these environmental impacts, such practices can improve quality of life, particularly for people with low- and moderate incomes. Households living in sustainable neighborhoods and buildings can benefit from utility cost savings, health improvements, more robust transportation options, and better connections to services and economic opportunities. 

 

Holistic Community Development & Place-Based Initiatives

Place-based initiatives are part of a growing movement to comprehensively address the needs of communities by coordinating investments in housing, economic opportunities, services, education and other areas. These programs require a thoughtful, holistic approach to community and resident needs, as well as efficient allocation of resources to implement effective neighborhood revitalization strategies. 

 

Tax Incentives

Federal community development and affordable housing tax incentive programs encourage private-sector investment in projects throughout the nation, bringing development capital to the communities that need it the most. Tax incentive programs leverage investment and promote the creation of public-private partnerships as a means of maximizing the impact of federal spending. Incentive programs drive investment to projects that transform communities and directly serve low- and moderate- income workers. 
© 2012 Enterprise Community Partners, Inc.
We are Enterprise. Our family includes Enterprise Community Partners, Inc, a national Section 501(c)(3) charitable organization that provides expertise for affordable housing and sustainable communities. Financing for affordable housing is offered through our tax-exempt subsidiary, Enterprise Community Loan Fund, Inc., and our for-profit subsidiary, Enterprise Community Investment, Inc. Housing development is offered through Enterprise Community Investment's subsidiary, Enterprise Homes, Inc. The content on this website reflects information about all of these entities.