Planning for fair and affordable housing within a community means considering HOW MUCH affordable housing is available to low-income households. FSC helps identify and quantify the supply of affordable housing.

FSC helps local governments and housing planners (private or public) identify WHERE to plan for affordable housing. Planning for affordable housing in a community can occur in any one of a number of contexts. Some common applications involve:

	Evaluating fair housing;
	Assessing community credit needs for Community Reinvestment Act compliance monitoring;
	Determining housing and community development needs for inclusion in Consolidated Plans; and
	Planning for affordable housing within a zoning context.

FSC helps planners to consider FOR WHOM affordable housing is needed. In a series of analyses, FSC found that Belmont (Massachusetts) had an affordable housing problem within its population of older persons, even though most persons within that population were homeowners who were not overextended in their shelter burdens. Belmont seniors lived in homes bigger than they needed (or wanted), because they lacked affordable smaller housing alternatives that would allow them to stay in Belmont.

FSC helps planners identify WHAT RESULTS arise from affordable housing. Planning for affordable housing in a community promotes more than sound housing policy. In a recent memo presented to the Belmont (Massachusetts) School Committee, FSC outlined the connection between the promotion of socio-economic diversity and excellence in education.