Graduate Certificate in Affordable Housing

The Affordable Housing Certificate is designed for aspiring individuals, or professionals with an earned bachelor's degree, with an interest in gaining further knowledge about the design, policy-making, and development of affordable housing in the United States.

For over 50 years, the University at Buffalo School of Architecture and Planning has made practical work in, with, and for communities in the Buffalo-Niagara Metropolitan and Upstate New York region a central experience in the education of student architects, environmental designers/preservations, urban planners, and real estate developers. Situated within the resurging City of Buffalo and its surrounding binational region, we engage in constant creative dialogue with local firms, designers, planners, developers, governments, and an active grassroots movement. Race, gender, and social equity in housing remain a major concern in our disciplines, and among the organizations that oversee professional education and practice. By addressing new ways to lower the cost of housing planning, design, and development, the graduate Affordable Housing Certificate aims to test innovative solutions to existing challenges, and educate students who ensure future housing is made affordable and inclusive for all. 

In the U.S., the pervasiveness of affordability problems among low-income renters is primarily due to the shortage of appropriately priced housing and the low and decreasing incomes of renters. While renters are becoming poorer, the supply of housing that is affordable and available is shrinking. Access to adequate, affordable housing is fundamental to thriving urban areas, with far-reaching consequences for people’s health, quality of life, and access to opportunities. Individuals may complete the Affordable Housing Certificate as a “standalone” academic credential, or in conjunction with an existing University at Buffalo graduate-level degree program, including an MArch, MSRED, or MUP.