Housing, in more specifically personal housing, refers to the arrangement and designated use of private homes or establishments collectively, for the primary purpose of sheltering individuals from the hazards of the environment-the basic planning or determination delivered by an independent governing body, with associated meanings. The housing plan is generally considered to be enacted by the public at large, although local governments can also issue regulations and rules regarding housing development. In recent years, the process of housing development has been made more centralized by the increased role of housing agencies that are typically incorporated into broader governmental frameworks and that have the ability and legal authority to influence development projects.
Housing in its most common sense, is defined as the arrangement of people into permanent residences. While the trend over the last century has been a gradual move away from the “permanent” concept of housing, there are still many traditional neighborhoods and communities where people live in one-family dwellings, usually for their entire lives. In these communities, often the streets are marked with crosswalks or small crosswalk lights, and there is typically a parking space for each family or group of friends. Most residential communities have schools within the neighborhoods, and there are usually parks or other recreational centers within walking distance. For many people today, there is very little room for an automobile in these communities, and public transportation is used instead.
The rapid growth of the country’s population has, in some ways, helped the rapid expansion of the housing industry. Real estate markets around the country have seen an increase in the sale of both one-time-use residential dwellings and rental units. The growth in this sector has contributed to the rise in both the supply of new homes as well as the demand for new rental units. As the country’s population ages, the need for more affordable rental units is increasing as baby boomers attempt to resettle themselves into retirement communities or other low-paying jobs.