2 ms·
One thing I would really like a clear explanation of: When public officials in CA cities talk about "affordable housing", there is actually some definition of
by supernova87a 6y ago
One thing I would really like a clear explanation of:
When public officials in CA cities talk about "affordable housing", there is actually some definition of this, isn't there? And it doesn't usually match what people in casual conversation mean by affordable housing, right?
"Affordable housing" doesn't just mean a normal house or apartment at an affordable price, does it? Does it mean public housing units built and managed by the city? Or it means housing built by private developers, that's only available for renting or ownership by people meeting certain criteria?
If "affordable housing" means public housing complexes, then I think people voting or advocating for it don't really understand what they're getting into. Because those don't really have a great track record of success.
- z3ncyberpunk 6y agoSure, it means the cheapest option... Like "genuine leather".
- pchristensen 6y ago"Affordable" can mean a lot of things. Usually the official definition is housing that costs less than 30% of the income of someone at some multiple of the local poverty income level. Housing can meet that bar in a number of ways: rising incomes, smaller/less equipped units, no parking, public subsidy for rent, public subsidy for land or development fees, etc. Due to the terrible experience with public housing across the USA in the 1950s-1980s, most governments avoid owning the units if they can avoid it.
- mixmastamyk 6y agoIt's a means-tested govt program for below-market rate apartments, with tons of red tape. Which in true government fashion exacerbates the problem it is meant to solve.
- kwillets 6y agoRight now there's the colloquial meaning, and a proper noun which means taking 10-30% of housing output and selling it at a government-set price to government-approved people.