According Scott Wiener, a California State Senator, some describe all new market-rate housing as “luxury housing,” because it’s expensive. Well, of course it’s expensive, since for decades we haven’t built enough of it. Senator Weiner continues to argue that while the new project down the street is expensive, so is the 75-year-old house or apartment you’re trying to buy or rent. It’s all: expensive, and that’s not because it’s “luxury.” It’s because it’s scarce.

The challenge in today’s city environments is that property values and cost of land are increasing at an exponentially faster rate than wages and earnings of blue-collar Americans. Eventually, the people who in many cases are putting their lives on the line for those they serve in cities where they are employed, cannot afford to buy a decent home in that same city. Cities across America are starting to understand the need to provide housing for those who are some of their most important citizens.

Across the globe, urban populations have increased rapidly, oftentimes surpassing available housing. A century ago, one out of every five people lived in urban areas; now, for the first time in human history, more than half of us do. In these circumstances — and in many others brought about by various policies, laws and systems — one of the biggest obstacles to a world where everyone has a decent and affordable place to live can be access to land for shelter in the first place.

Permanent supportive housing is part of the overall solution-based approach that combines affordable housing assistance with voluntary support services to address the needs of people with disabilities, the elderly, the homeless, etc. The services are designed to build independent living and tenancy skills and connect people with community-based health care, treatment and employment services.