Session 14: Housing and Transportation
Wednesday, December 5

Major Themes to Be Covered

1. The connection between family circumstances, housing need and affordability, the availability of transportation options, and employment.
2. The way the Federal Government, law and public policy -- including tax policy -- have influenced and can influence transportation choices, the housing market and housing affordability.
3. The extent to which transportation patterns and systems - in particular, our dependence on the automobile -- have influenced and can influence the livability of cities and regions, including housing, traffic, mobility, and job opportunity.
4. The role and effectiveness of public housing and public transportation in addressing some types of housing and transportation needs and their implications for communities.
5. Trying to understand why housing affordability continues to be a serious issue for many of the nation's families, and what some communities are doing to address this issue.
6. The way current transportation and housing patterns and systems - along with race and class - affect low-income residents and families.
7. Examining how the design of housing and transportation systems can facilitate energy conservation, reduce costs and expenses for families, and improve quality of life.
8. Assessing the success of community-based initiatives and key demonstration programs designed to improve the quality of life for families with limited options have addressed housing and transportation issues in innovative ways.
9. Exploring future policy options for more effectively meeting the housing needs of families with special needs.

Students Will Learn

1. The connection between changing family needs and housing need and transportation options.
2. The evolving Federal role in trying to address the housing needs of particular types of households and in influencing our reliance on the automobile.
3. How law and public policy at all levels can influence where and what type of housing and transportation are built and how such laws can be changed
4. The multidimensional impact that our sprawling growth patterns have had on communities, families, housing options, and employment opportunities.
5. The key role that transportation and our reliance on the automobile plays in the form, shape, and living and employment patterns of communities
6. Many policies makers agree that for low-income families there continues to be a "housing crisis" in America, unfortunately there is no consensus on what should be done about it.
7. The extent to which communities are currently involved in broader local and regional transportation and housing decisions that impact them - with examples of communities that have positively shaped transportation and housing choices - and the potential for enhanced involvement.
8. How communities can develop balanced, effective transportation systems - including public transportation and other transportation choices - that can enhance community, housing choices, and economic opportunity.

Required Readings: