Thoughtful design can create high-quality affordable multifamily housing

“Developers who build affordable housing face a lot of hurdles: complex subsidy programs, expensive labor and materials, onerous local land use regulations, and, of course, community opposition. Neighboring residents often worry that low-cost housing will be ugly and comprised of hulking, boxy structures with cheap-looking facades. But while affordable housing developers do have tight budget constraints, there are strategies that allow them to build apartments that are visually appealing and offer comfort and convenience to their residents while meeting all the essential requirements of safe, healthy housing.

In this article, we examine strategies to save costs on three building components: the exterior shell, interiors, and services.”

https://www.brookings.edu/research/affordable-housing-doesnt-have-to-look-cheap-inside-or-out/