What is Affordable Housing?

According to the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) the generally accepted definition of affordability is for a household to pay no more than 30 percent of its annual income on housing. Families who pay more than 30 percent of their income for housing are considered cost burdened and may have difficulty affording necessities such as food, clothing, transportation and medical care. An estimated 12 million renter and homeowner households in the US now pay more then 50 percent of their annual incomes for housing, and a family with one full-time worker earning the minimum wage cannot afford the local fair-market rent for a two-bedroom apartment anywhere in the United States. The lack of affordable housing is a significant hardship for low-income households preventing them from meeting their other basic needs, such as nutrition and healthcare, or saving for their future and that of their families.

Connected to the statistical face of affordable housing is the social face. It is proven that without affordable housing, not only individuals and families suffer, but also the community in which they live pays a high price.

Our quality of life is directly related to our ability to provide affordable housing. The Housing Corporation of Arlington is doing our part to assure that people who grew up here can continue to live here. Unless we take steps to assure that Arlington is a community for the young and aging populations as well as for the more affluent, this town will lose its sense of diversity and inclusion.