Efforts to preserve affordable housing must be mindful of transit, quality and flood risk

A recent Kinder Institute report discussed strategies for preserving affordable housing, particularly Harris County’s vast supply of so-called “naturally affordable” units. But knowing which properties should be preserved is a challenge, and the resources committed to preservation tend to be very limited.

Ideally, NOAH would be preserved in places that are near high-frequency transit serving job centers, and higher-quality units could be renovated at a lower cost than rebuilding lower-quality units. At the same time, attention to NOAH’s flood risk is also key. By looking at each of these factors, housing preservation advocates might be able to better target their efforts.