Tuesday, July 15, 2008

Don't Confuse Subsidised Housing with Affordable Housing

Cathy Wolfe seems to be confused.

She is currently promoting a plan to help the low-income with subsidised rents and first-time homebuyers with downpayment assistance. This is subsidised housing. This is not affordable housing.

Affordable housing is when the people that live in your community can afford the rents and mortgages. You need subsidised housing when the people in your community can't afford the rents and mortgages -- or when there is a lack of affordable housing.

The need to increase subsidised housing is evidence that there is a delcine of affordable housing.

Let's call it what it is. Wolfe is promoting subsidised housing and wants to call it affordable. If she had any foresight, she would be working on an economic development plan that would encourage affordable housing. Then there would be less of a need for subsidised housing.

Download article here.

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