The Role of the Nonprofit Sector in Low-Income Housing Production: A Comparative Perspective

In recent years, nonprofit organizations in the United States and the United Kingdom have increasingly taken a leading role in the provision of housing to low- and moderate-income households. In this article, the author compares and contrasts how British housing associations and American community-based nonprofit housing providers are financed, the size and scope of their activities, their management, the regulations they are subject to, and the increasing role they play in each nation's housing policy. In addition, the author applies the leading economic theory of the nonprofit sector to examine what the appropriate role of these organizations should be in the development and implementation of housing policy.