Climate Change and Affordable Housing: Time to Make a Strong ConnectionCasey Millsbyline‚ Apr. 10‚ 2007There’s no question the issue of climate change has reached a tipping point in America. Once relegated to technical journals and PBS documentaries, the national news media now splashes climate change issues across front pages and news broadcasts daily. States and cities throughout the country have begun their own initiatives to combat the problem, and the new Democratic-controlled House and Senate look poised to push the dialogue even further. One strategy in particular - increasing density in cities to combat sprawl - has enjoyed increasing popularity, and governments everywhere are pursuing it aggressively. However, while people have flocked to downtowns across America, many low-income and working class residents have been forced out, causing the exact type of sprawl densification was intended to combat. As the country lays the groundwork for how it talks about climate change from now on, housing advocates need to ensure affordable housing becomes an essential component of any plan for tackling the issue. |