Enhancing the effectiveness of supply-side employer-assisted housing programs to develop affordable workforce housing

Employer-assisted housing programs (EAHPs) can be a valuable tool to supply affordable workforce homeownership and rental housing, especially in areas with tight real estate markets. Despite their potential, EAHPs, especially supply-side programs that increase the housing stock, remain understudied. This paper addresses this gap through a mixed-methods approach that combines an extensive literature review with eight in-depth US-based case studies, including interviews with program administrators. The focus on supply-side EAHPs reflects a key role these programs can play in reducing housing shortages, whereas demand-side programs can risk raising prices without increasing availability. The paper offers recommendations to increase EAHPs' effectiveness, such as employers should align EAHPs with their needs and capacity, consider the project life cycle, not just the construction period, and seek employees’ input while developing EAHPs.