Housing subsidies—or other programs that
make safe, decent, and affordable housing
more accessible—can have a tremendous
impact on the families that benefit from
them; but, providing direct subsidies (those
coming directly from public sources) to
families is certain to leave other similar
families unsupported.
On the other hand, these resources can also
support neighborhood development, which in
turn can create additional local tax revenue to
support public safety, education, infrastructure,
and other investments. These benefits have the
potential to help all households in the region, as
well as support broader community
development, economic development, and
reinvestment goals.
Grappling with these questions and trade-offs
can be challenging; they do not often lend
themselves to easy answers. A greater
opportunity for success—however success is
defined—may be realized through the
development of a common agenda through
supporting collaboration across nonprofit sectors
with a stake in the outcomes of low-income
families, aligning with long-term trends,
leveraging resources, and coordinating peopleoriented and place-based strategies.
The outlook for Indianapolis, in this respect, is positive,
as the community has a reputation for being able to come
together and coordinate activities as well as anywhere.
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