The Want and The Need

(Post 3 of 4 for Affordable Housing)

Ready to dig deep into affordable housing? This week we will look into the impacts of not having enough affordable housing and the benefit and cost of providing the housing needed. What happens if not enough affordable housing is available? Let’s read on to find out!

Our first two posts on this topic mentioned almost a quarter of homeowners are burdened by housing costs in the United States and almost half of the renters in the U.S. are facing the same issue. And before we go saying “that’s a California issue” or “that’s a New York issue”, the studies show that it is an issue everywhere in the U.S., and definitely also a global issue. Adequate affordable housing creates real positive impacts in a community, including impacts on purchasing power, job creation, tax revenue, sanitation, and homelessness.

To go over some of these effects briefly, affordable housing can enable a household’s purchasing power because the residents do not spend all their money on housing. The increased purchasing power can then stimulate the economy, create jobs, and increase tax revenue for public services. These improvements can then improve the overall economic health of the community as a whole. 

Secondly, the fact that the availability of affordable housing can prevent homelessness should not come as a surprise to anyone. Statistics show many homeless people do have an income but the income is not enough to afford housing. According to studies, workers in the United States on average have to earn $17.14 per hour in a 40 hour week in order to afford a one-bedroom apartment. Those earning a federal minimum wage need to work 94.5 hours in order to afford a modest one-bedroom apartment. Looking at these numbers, a working person in the United States will need to work more than two full time jobs at the federal minimum wage in order to afford housing in an urban area. Thus, being employed i the U.S. is not a guarantee for a plce to live as many employed individuals are still struggling to put a roof over their heads. 

Homelessness, sanitation, and public health come hand in hand. Because being homeless means not having ready access to sanitary facilities such as restrooms and showers, it could be a struggle for homeless people to keep up with personal hygiene. A lack of personal hygiene leads to health issues not only for the individual but also for the community as a whole. The stress from an unstable living environment and the daily insecurity can also affect homeless individuals in adverse ways. 

That is it for our blog for the week of 9/15! Next week we will focus on recap and possible solutions. As always, find us on social media and tell your friends about us. And tell us how we can improve the program for you! Leave a comment or write to us, we love to hear from our readers and listeners. 

Thank you for joining us and have a wonderful Sunday night.

Resources: 

• A Brief Historical Overview of Affordable Rental Housing: https://nlihc.org/sites/default/files/Sec1.03_Historical-Overview_2015.pdf
• Nearly A Third Of American Households Were Cost-Burdened Last Year (December, 2018): https://www.jchs.harvard.edu/blog/more-than-a-third-of-american-households-were-cost-burdened-last-year/
• Impact of Affordable Housing on Families and Communities: A Review Of The Evidence Base: https://homeforallsmc.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/Impact-of-Affordable-Housing-on-Families-and-Communities.pdf