Chapter 9: Collaborating For Affordable and Accessible Housing Opportunities: Pluralism, Systems, and Policy

Affordable housing options are lacking in the United States, especially for individuals with disabilities and low incomes (American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, n.d.; O’Bryne & Dale, 2014; U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, n.d.d). According to research, reduced income makes it difficult for individuals to find affordable housing throughout the United States (Aurand et al., 2020; Government Accountability Office, 2020). Moreover, long waitlists and lack of rentals at fair market value make the task of finding housing for multiple low-income groups extraordinarily difficult (Olmstead Cabinet, 2013).

The creation of affordable and accessible housing options can be achieved through the implementation of open systems theory, pluralism, appreciative inquiry, and situational leadership theory. The challenge of affordable housing would benefit from a pluralistic open system approach, which would gather and use the expertise of partners external to the organization (Ogunnaike et al., 2013). Partnerships between the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and housing providers in the field are pluralistic and provide energy for innovation (Katz & Kahn, 1966). The open systems theory and collaboration among housing systems will help achieve the goal of affordable housing.