Why Every Affordable Housing Project Needs a Behavioral Science Lens
If I asked you to think of the factors contributing to the housing crisis, you might think of restrictive planning policies, a lack of government investment, shortages of skilled workers or materials, or the general economic conditions. And of course, you would be right.
To improve the housing crisis these structural and economic challenges must be addressed, and moving the needle will require massive effort. But there is another problem that will also require attention for us to make progress on this complex issue. That problem is NIMBYism, and it’s distinctly behavioral.
References
- Davison, G., Legacy, C., Liu, E., Han, H., Phibbs, P., Nouwelant, R., Darcy, M., & Piracha, A. (2013). Understanding and addressing community opposition to affordable housing development, AHURI Final Report No. 211. Melbourne: Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute.
- Doberstein, C., Hickey, R., & Li, E. (2016). Nudging NIMBY: Do positive messages regarding the benefits of increased housing density influence resident stated housing development preferences? Land Use Policy, 54, 276-289.
- Goetz, E. G., Lam, H. K., & Heitlinger, A. (1996). There goes the neighborhood?: The impact of subsidized multi-family housing on urban neighborhoods. Centre for Urban and Regional Affairs Reporter, 26(1), 1–6.
- Goss Gilroy Inc. (2019). Understanding social inclusion and NIMBYism in providing affordable housing. Prepared for Canada Mortgage Housing Corporation.
- Jacoby, W. (2000). Issue framing and public opinion on government spending. American Journal of Political Science, 44(4), 750–767.
- Mangin, J. (2014). The new exclusionary zoning. Stanford Law & Policy Review, 25, 91.
- Nesbitt, C. (2018). Affordable housing and NIMBYism: Urban, suburban, and rural strategies. Prepared for British Columbia Non-Profit Housing Association and Noha Sedky.
- Nguyen, M. T. (2005). Does affordable housing detrimentally affect property values? A review of the literature. Journal of Planning Literature, 20(1), 15–26.
- Scally, C. P., & Tighe, J. R. (2015). Democracy in Action?: NIMBY as Impediment to Equitable Affordable Housing Siting. Housing Studies. https://doi.org/10.1080/02673037.2015.1013093
About the Author
Caitlin Spence
Caitlin Spence is a Senior Associate at The Decision Lab. Before joining The Decision Lab she worked in Aotearoa New Zealand’s justice sector as part of a team using behavioural science to create more accessible and culturally aware systems. Caitlin is interested in using data and experimental design to understand how systems can be designed or changed to favour positive and equitable outcomes. She holds a Bachelor of Arts, majoring in Statistics, from the University of Auckland.
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