Anita Miller and Tom Burns wrote a publication several years back titled, Going Comprehensive: Anatomy of an Initiative That Worked. I was reminded of this action-oriented title when I recently read about updates to the Housing and Transportation Affordability Index (H+T Index). The index is a tool which measures the affordability of housing based on its location. If "going comprehensive" means holistically looking at how communities develop and the impact on the families who live there, then housing and transportation are two of the largest costs for Hoosier families.  The H+T Index is a tool to help IACED members understand their work and strategically contribute resources to maximize results.

The H+T Index tackles the long held assumptions in society and policy that housing is affordable if it costs 30 percent (30%) or less of  income. The H+T Index offers a cost of housing based on its location by measuring the transportation costs associated with place. The H+T Index and its accompanying report, Penny Wise, Pound Fuelish, illustrate the direct link between household transportation costs and the location and design of neighborhoods and transit options.

A new analysis by the Center for Neighborhood Technology (CNT) shows that only two in five American communities - or 39 percent - are affordable for typical households when their transportation costs are considered along with housing costs. The CNT analysis shows that for many families savings realized from lower cost housing are eliminated by unexpectedly high transportation costs. Yet, it is difficult for consumers and policymakers to estimate the full costs of a location, including the cost of both housing and of transportation.

An interesting statistic from the report, a community's average transportation costs can range from 12% of household income in efficient neighborhoods with walkable streets, access to transit, and a wide variety of stores and services to 32% in locations where driving long distances is the only way to reach essential services.

To explore the H+T Index or obtain a copy of Penny Wise, Pound Fuelish visit: http://htaindex.cnt.org/. I encourage IACED members to review the interactive maps on the web site and consider the reports conclusions.  The maps explore 13 metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs) in Indiana, encompassing both urban and rural counties. How might your work change if your decisions were made based on the H+T Index? What are the negative repercussions of the H+T Index? What are the implications of the H+T Index for rural Indiana? Please share your insights on IACED's Linkedin discussion board. The first two IACED member respondents on the discussion board  discussing the implications for their work will receive a free registration to their next IACED training.

 
Regards,

Andy Fraizer

Executive Director