If you ask anyone about the meaning of affordable housing, most of them won’t be able to provide the right answers says Maxwell Drever. Even though the Department of Housing and Urban Development considers affordable housing as 30% of the household income, the reality of affordable housing is the ability to pay the rent or mortgage easily. When you choose a house, you’re not just choosing a shelter. You’re choosing a neighborhood and a safe place to grow you and your family members.
However, even if you gain access to affordable housing, you might still face financial problems. This is because there are some hidden yet essential costs associated with affordable housing. Here are the top 3 factors that make affordable housing not so affordable.
Transportation Costs
The location is the primary reason why the affordable housing options in the United States are not so affordable. People of the United States have realized that an expensive house will cost a lot less even the location is rural or out of the city. On the other hand, cheap apartments will become expensive if it’s situated in the cities, says Maxwell Drever.
Many people get access to an affordable house outside the cities. However, just because they are living outside the city doesn’t mean they can change the location of their office easily. Therefore, they need to travel daily from their house to the office. Despite the transportation system, you will end up spending thousands of dollars on the transportation cost. Even if you have a vehicle, you need to refill the gas that would also increase up to $3,000 by the end of the month. Living in an affordable home sounds reasonable, but this factor will ultimately increase your expense.
Access to Jobs
When the location of the affordable house is in a neighborhood that has an unreliable and limited transportation system, it will increase your expenses while also impacting your income, says Maxwell Drever.
In many cities of the United States, the zoning codes are so restricted that they keep job centers and housing quarantined from each other. The dominant development pattern is responsible for the massive difference between these two. As per reports, most Americans travel more than 10 miles to get to their office. For the rent-burdened workers, they have to purchase a car. And those who are unable to afford a car will have to rely on unreliable and expensive transportation systems. This will not only cost you money but also the time as you have to spend a couple of hours traveling to and from your office.
Access to Childcare
Do you have a kid? Lower and middle-income families who have a kid are often forced to live in cheap apartments. That might also increase the childcare cost of the kid. Families who are dependent on the daycare centers also need to travel daily as the distance between the office, daycare, and home is extensive and non-walkable.
This is why you cannot increase your living status even after getting access to affordable homes. As childcare is extremely expensive, you need to save money for it too.
Conclusion
These are the top 3 factors that make affordable housing not so affordable. Do you have any other questions? Comment to let us know.