Rental housing assistance programs, homeownership programs and regulatory tools all have the potential to advance the goals of a housing policy that supports and promotes healthy families and communities. However, these programmatic approaches often advance one set of goals while undermining others. The affordable housing matrix provides a quick visual synopsis of how well each of the housing approaches meets each of the seven basic goals of an affordable housing policy. In many cases, the effectiveness of a specific housing program depends on the particular way in which it is designed and carried out.
