Housing Policy Alternatives for the Lafayette-Oxford, Mississippi Community

This thesis explores housing policy alternatives to address housing insecurity in the Lafayette-Oxford, Mississippi community and similar non-metropolitan communities which are experiencing accelerated growth. Policy alternatives were collected through a systematic literature review of the University of Mississippi’s One Search database. Findings reveal that there are a number of housing dynamics in U.S. cities which require different considerations in regards to policy alternatives. Policy alternatives discussed range from subsidized affordable housing, the removal of regulations on new developments, social housing, voucher programs, rent control, creating city connections, unemployment insurance, community land trusts, shifting responsibility to a higher level of government, mitigating and preventing mortgage default, as well as private and public coalitions. Through this analysis, I recommend policy implications and recommendations for the Lafayette-Oxford, Mississippi community. Specific policy recommendations include the cultivation of amenities, the development of transit and infrastructure, the removal of unnecessary regulations, the formation of a public-private coalition, and the implementation of a community land trust