Background:

The Shimberg Center for Affordable Housing was established at the University of Florida, in the M.E.,Sr. Rinker School of Building Construction, in 1988 by the Florida legislature (Section 240.5111, Florida Statutes). The provision of safe and decent housing that is affordable to families at or below the median income of an area is not only possible, it is being done! The level of this provision, however, is far below the growing demand.

Young couples, retired elderly, single-parent families, lower-income workers, persons with limited income-earning capacity due to some disability and the general workforce find it increasingly difficult to imagine themselves owning a safe and decent home in a safe neighborhood that is convenient to schools, shopping, health care, churches, and employment. They also face challenges in finding affordable and decent rental housing.

There is no single answer to the provision of safe, decent, and affordable housing. Construction techniques, house and neighborhood design, land use and building regulations, financing methods, material and labor costs, maintenance requirements, and property management all contribute to the cost of providing housing. Affordability is further affected by household incomes, changing household sizes and types, jobs-housing relationships, neighborhood factors, and government programs.

An interdisciplinary approach is required to understand housing affordability and to develop solutions. The Shimberg Center for Affordable Housing was created as a multi-disciplinary center to facilitate such a response.