Scaling Shared Equity Homeownership Models to Grow Affordable Housing Supplies | Lecture by Meagan Ehlenz

Housing affordability continues to be a critical issue in the United States. Housing prices are surging far beyond what many communities can afford, profoundly affecting lower-income households. This trend warrants the need for strategies that promote the production of a larger and more affordable housing supply.

This research explores the potential for scaling shared equity homeownership (SEH) as a strategy to address Arizona’s growing housing affordability crisis. SEH models, such as community land trusts, offer a pathway to expanding affordable housing access, yet their broader implementation faces challenges related to financing, policy restrictions, and market dynamics. This study will evaluate the current landscape of SEH organizations in Arizona, assessing their scale, effectiveness, and future expansion plans. It will also identify barriers to increasing SEH housing supply and explore strategies to overcome these challenges. Building upon the recent national-level efforts by Grounded Solutions Network, this project offers insights into how SEH can be more effectively leveraged to promote long-term housing affordability throughout the state.

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About Meagan Ehlenz

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Meagan Ehlenz, PhD, AICP, serves as the Associate Director of Planning and an associate professor at Arizona State University's School of Geographical Sciences & Urban Planning. Her professional background spans both practical planning and scholarly pursuits focused on community-centered urban planning.

Before starting her academic career, Ehlenz gained extensive experience as a planning practitioner, working for the City of Milwaukee and as a planning consultant in partnership with local governments across Southeastern Wisconsin. She continues to contribute to the profession as a board member for the Arizona Chapter of the American Planning Association. Additionally, she collaborates with local governments in Arizona on applied planning projects, including the City of Phoenix, City of Peoria, and Towns of Clarkdale and Miami. This professional experience forms a cornerstone for her scholarship and academic leadership in the field.

Ehlenz's expertise primarily focuses on housing and community development. Her research agenda explores urban revitalization, the impact of anchor institutions on local housing markets, and strategies for affordable housing. Her current projects include studying how anchor institutions can leverage their assets to increase affordable housing supplies, evaluating shared equity housing models in Arizona, and analyzing housing market dynamics around universities, particularly their impacts on students and local residents. Ehlenz is a principal investigator with the Arizona Research Center for Housing Equity & Sustainability (ARCHES), as well as a Scholar with Penn Institute for Urban Research.

Header image courtesy of Newtown CDC.