Workforce Housing: Changing the Affordable Housing conversation

Posted On: April 2, 2019

Workforce Housing is quickly becoming a goal for cities across the nation. Why? Many working families cannot afford to buy a home, let alone be able to purchase one close to where they work. We’re talking people like retail employees, teachers, first responders, nurses. Some of them have been priced out. They do not earn enough to live close to the job and make too much for a subsidy. Living far from work makes for long commutes, less family time, and less living.

Workforce Housing

The National Association of Realtors defines “workforce housing” as “housing that is affordable to workers and close to their jobs. It is homeownership, as well as rental housing, that can be reasonably afforded by a moderate to middle income, critical workforce and located in acceptable proximity to workforce centers.”

Workforce Housing, according to National Real Estate Investor, “serves families and households making greater than 60 percent of area median income (AMI) and up to 120-150 percent of AMI in the country’s highest cost metropolitan areas such as San Francisco and New York City.” They go on to say that having the option to live near where you work is “critical.. particularly those workers who are most essential to the local economy.”

Perceptions of Affordable Housing

And while there is a need for more Workforce Housing that is affordable, the conversation about Affordable Housing shortage continues. Navigate believes in Affordable Housing For All. We believe in Housing Affordability, and so do many of you. In February, we conducted a national survey about the perceptions of Affordable Housing. Please watch the video below for a synopsis of what we found. You can also view the results.

Join the Conversation

Learn more about Workforce Housing!

We at Navigate want to change that with Navigate Communities. As an advocate of building more homes that are affordable for the working class, we want to raise awareness about “housing affordability” and how the development of “Missing Middle” housing can address this. “Workforce Housing” is a significant component of this. Let’s talk about providing homes in a walkable, urban setting, that are affordable and close to the city center and major employers.

Hop on over to the forums at WorkWalkLive.com. We’ve dedicated this website to further the conversation of a real need in America. We’re talking solutions for Workforce Housing.