Affordable Housing Facts

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Affordable housing serving low- and moderate-income people is often mixed-income, indistinguishable from surrounding housing, and designed to house the workforce, older adults, people with disabilities, and families. Affordable and accessible housing helps promote long term employment retention, cuts down on commutes and air pollution, and helps those who grew up in the community to remain.

Affordable housing does not lower the property values in my community.

• Numerous studies have documented that contemporary affordable housing developments have no impact on nearby property values and, in some cases, increase property values.

Affordable housing residents will and do fit into the community.

• Most residents of affordable housing already live or work in the community.

Affordable housing developments are a not a waste of taxpayer money.

• Affordable units are typically funded by a variety of resources outside of taxes.

Land in the community is not too expensive for affordable housing.

• The cost of land can be lessened by tools such as community land trusts or land banks.

Affordable housing does not look like “cheap housing.”

• All housing built in the community has to comply with the same building and design standards.

Traffic will not increase, and the affordable housing will not be a burden on the schools and roads.

• Studies show that residents of affordable housing drive fewer cars and the developments do not burden schools any more than other types of housing.

Affordable housing contributes to the local tax base.

• All affordable developments pay taxes in the same way as all other housing.