On December 3, 2018, the Urban Land Institute released a report related to city-building for health and wellness. It addresses lessons from healthy affordable housing for the broader housing marketplace.
The report illustrates opportunities for redevelopers and developers to create financially-successful projects which improve resident and community health and promote social equity and sustainability.
“Each new real estate project represents an opportunity for developers and other project stakeholders to invest in a community’s overall health and well-being, social equity and cohesion, environmental sustainability, and overall quality of life, while promoting the short- and long-term viability and success of real estate projects,” said ULI Global Chief Executive Officer W. Edward Walter.
Healthy Housing for All: How Affordable Housing Is Leading the Way is a collaboration between ULI’s Building Healthy Places Initiative, the ULI Affordable and Workforce Housing Council, and the Center for Active Design. The report examines innovations and lessons from health-oriented affordable housing projects for the broader housing market place, illuminating how a focus on health can lead to positive outcomes for both developers and residents.
The four key insights from affordable and mixed-income housing projects for health include:
- Identify and incorporate healthy housing features at the outset
- Engage residents and stakeholders and conduct research to ensure that projects address their priorities
- Coordinate design, policy, and programming
- Establish innovative partnerships, financing strategies, and revenue streams
The report includes profiles from six projects developed by ULI members and others across the nation. These projects have incorporated healthy housing components including active transportation amenities, community events and classes, access to healthy food, and other features. It concludes with a summary of the strong demand for health-promoting housing which is accessible to people of all income levels.