Quote:
Originally Posted by popstar
I am also a supporter of this Garfield development. It's not very sexy housing, and it certainly isn't going to match the row houses and Victorian houses that currently exist, but I think this movement will be another nice step in the right direction toward the revitalization of this neighborhood.
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Agreed. And from a broader policy standpoint, I'd make a few points in its favor:
(1) There clearly is a market for this sort of housing, which appears to be increasing. However, in a lot of places, particularly cities, people are struggling to get support/approval from the local authorities. So while this sort of housing may top out at just a small percentage of the overall housing market, it is the sort of thing where not just a neighborhood but maybe the whole city could get some nice national attention just by being accommodating on a small basis;
(2) Affordable housing is a problem in many cities, and sooner or later it will be a problem in Pittsburgh too if we don't find ways to do things a bit different. The main long-term solution is going to be to allow the building of a lot more dense, multi-unit structures in good locations. But I also see a supporting role to be played by low-cost SFH infill. For one thing, individually small-scale infill projects may be less subject to NIMBYism than more massive multi-unit projects. For another, new multi-units might do less to slow down appreciation of existing smaller SFHs.
Again, I don't want to make it sound like I envision Pittsburgh being filled with these things. But I do see a viable role these efforts could play on a limited basis.
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