Interest Group Politics in U.S. "Social Housing" Experiments

Abstract

The rising cost of housing has renewed interest in public sector-led models of mixed-income housing production. Advocates, local governments, and state lawmakers are exploring strategies to involve the public sector more directly in the residential development process by capitalizing revolving loan funds, leveraging public land, and creating new public authorities. While a universal definition for “social housing” remains elusive, most policymakers and supporters agree that social housing is permanently affordable for economically and racially diverse households and includes elements of resident self-governance. This research analyzes how key interest groups—including affordable housing developers, tenant advocates, labor unions, market-rate developers, and pro-housing coalitions—shape and respond to emerging social housing initiatives. Drawing on interviews and case studies of Seattle, Montgomery County (MD), California, New York, Atlanta, and Chattanooga between 2019 and 2025, this thesis examines how political context, institutional constraints, and coalition dynamics influence how social housing proposals are framed, negotiated, and either supported or resisted by key stakeholders. Four key themes emerge from these case studies. First, existing affordable housing developers often interpret new mixed-income, permanently affordable proposals as competition, particularly amidst resource scarcity and institutional constraints. This constitutes a substantial roadblock for the social housing movement. Second, proponents’ theory of change, initiative branding, and their ability to participate in multi-issue bargaining notably impact how affordable housing interest groups respond. Third, private sector actors’ support appears dependent on the public sector’s willingness to partner and how proponents describe the problem they are solving. Fourth, while collaborations around social housing may trigger fault lines between YIMBYs and tenant justice groups regarding revenue neutrality and the value of new market-rate supply, social housing represents an opportunity for bridge-building and collaboration across the housing movements. As interest in these models grows, this research offers practical insights for advocates and policymakers seeking to design locally tailored, politically viable approaches to public-led, mixed-income housing production.