Historical and Legal Foundations of the Formation and Development of U.S. Housing Policy
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.35774/app2025.04.006Keywords:
housing, housing policy, public administration, history, legal framework, affordable housingAbstract
The article is devoted to the analysis of the historical and legal foundations of the formation and development of US housing policy. Its evolution from the beginning of the 20th century to the present day is traced, taking into account transformations in state regulation, economic conditions and social priorities. The experience that can be used in the post-war reconstruction of Ukraine has been studied. It has been established that US housing policy was shaped by the interaction of private enterprise, state regulation and public initiatives. Between 1900 and 1930, housing construction was mainly driven by market demand, with some philanthropic support.
The period of the Great Depression and the New Deal policy (1930s) is characterised, which marked the beginning of significant federal intervention, in particular through the introduction of public housing programmes and the implementation of large-scale urban development projects. Despite expanding access to housing, these measures simultaneously exacerbated social and racial inequality, particularly through suburbanisation and controversial approaches to urban renewal.
It has been established that since 1975, US federal housing policy has begun to rely more heavily on market mechanisms supported by non-profit organisations in the field of housing provision. The positive aspects of post-war housing programmes in the United States are highlighted, in particular their ability to effectively mobilise public and private resources, promote rapid construction and stabilise the urban population. This experience has shown that coordinated government action, combined with private sector involvement and public participation, can effectively address large-scale housing problems.
The main research methods are the historical-legal and comparative-legal ones. Their application made it possible to trace the evolution of U.S. housing policy in connection with transformations in state regulation, economic conditions, and social priorities. A systemic approach was also employed to generalize the positive and problematic aspects of the American experience and to assess its relevance for the modernization of Ukraine’s housing policy.
It is emphasised that US housing policy was shaped by both economic interests and the desire to improve social security, although priority was mostly given to economic factors. A review of the evolution of US housing policy was conducted, taking into account the influence of the policies of presidents, federal authorities and local governments. It has been established that there was competition in this area between the economic interests of owners and developers and the social protection needs of low-income groups. It is emphasised that the historical experience of the formation of US housing policy is important for the current stage of reforming Ukraine’s housing policy.
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