Can empty offices be a solution to the housing crisis?
Yes! Seems like a no-brainer, especially given the growing number of empty office spaces. “On the surface, the idea of turning empty offices into housing seems like a straightforward win-win. Optimists say that it would not only add millions of housing units in areas that people are eager to live in but that those new residents would also help revitalize downtown areas that have languished without a steady stream of daily commuters.”
“But skeptics say converting commercial space into housing is a lot more difficult and expensive than many seem to think. One of the biggest issues, they say, is that the layout of many modern office buildings makes them poorly suited to serve as living spaces… Another major hurdle is that residential conversions may not make financial sense for a lot of developers.” The first argument sounds like an excuse for the second one - it’s not a money-maker. Even if office spaces were turned into temporary or transitional housing, given the dearth of affordable housing in Indianapolis and Indiana (150,000 and 450,000 respectively according to Prosperity Indiana), it would be a solution. Not ‘the’ solution, but ‘a’ solution!
