The overall effort to solve the national and local housing crisis is paradoxically as straightforward as a game of checkers, but as complex and baffling as a Rubik's Cube puzzle.

 

On a basic level, the issue is clear. It boils down to two fundamental problems: There is a shortage of housing in all categories and the costs of buying or renting a home have escalated beyond the incomes of many people.

 

But because there is no single cause or "silver bullet" solution, the array of initiatives to make housing more plentiful and affordable can seem like a baffling maze of agencies, priorities, policies, regulations, and complex mathematical formulas.

 

The issue can also cause controversies and misunderstandings.

 

And for those who are seeking to buy or rent a home, the shortage of affordable housing can be personally frustrating, confusing, and even frightening. For some, it can lead to homelessness.

 

Nevertheless, while individual affordable-housing policies and programs differ in specifics, most rely on a core of basic strategies to deal with the underlying causes.