Affordable housing doesn’t mean a rundown neighborhood

Affordable housing is a term that often is frowned upon. This is because many people are ignorant about what affordable housing means. They need to know the facts.

Long ago, affordable housing was associated with dilapidated neighborhoods and crime-ridden streets. However, that was more than a decade ago. Now people in the workforce are taking advantage of these housing opportunities, which fulfill a critical need in the community, especially given the recent urban sprawl that has driven up prices and demand for housing in cities and suburbs.

As a result, people who depend on affordable housing are being pushed out of the communities they live in and serve because of they do not have sufficient income to maintain a home.

Here’s a short list of some people who need affordable housing: cooks, auto mechanics, engineers, public service employees, nurses, policemen, accounting clerks, receptionists, beauticians, bus drivers, teachers, professors, healthcare workers, waiters/waitresses, firefighters, local shop owners. And the list goes on.

The truth is that affordable housing is critical for retaining a lot of these talents in the community. The truth is that affordable housing is not reserved for the drug dealers of the world. It is for good people who make an honest day’s pay.

Affordable housing is now seen as an integral component of sustainable communities—meaning sustainable communities should provide dwellings for rent and purchase for people earning low to moderate incomes.

If these people are constantly pushed out of the community in which they work, then there will be fewer people to fill their shoes, and less of a desire to want to go through the hassle of commuting.

Concern is apparent within the business community—particularly among larger employers—about the lack of affordable housing for employees. Companies are reporting the shortage as problematic in hiring and retaining entry- and mid-level workers, according to a 2007 study by the Urban Land Institute, a nonprofit organization that researches public and private land deals.

The survey of more than 300 companies looked at how long-distance commutes impact business operations and workers’ quality of life.

On the whole, the survey found that the majority of employees will tolerate living farther away from work if housing is more affordable; but there were noticeable differences in opinion when measured by commute time, income and age.

Those with the longest commutes were the most willing to change jobs for a shorter commute and are will move closer to where they work if more affordable housing were available, the survey said.

Affordable housing in a community is critical.

Increasing commutes because of a lack of homes that people can afford is taking a heavy toll on urban areas. It is important for a community to supply affordable housing to people who work in both the public and private sector. The lack of reasonably priced homes is affecting the job market. It is crucial for communities to take action to support its local businesses and prevent further downturn.

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