3 Reasons Affordable Housing is Important to Your Community
Does your community have an appropriate amount of affordable housing? Rents and home prices in many American towns, including San Diego, have risen beyond the reach of the average working family. Yet, an adequate supply of budget friendly residences is essential to community health. If there aren’t homes for workers, you may need to advocate for a better municipal housing policy. An appropriate housing policy can contribute to your community’s health in several important ways:
#1 It’s Good for the Environment
In some parts of the county, teachers, police officers, nurses, and other workers cannot afford housing near their workplaces. Instead, they must travel long distances from more reasonably-priced suburbs. These long commutes burn fossil fuels, produce smog, and clog roads. With adequate affordable housing, the people who make your community work can live near their jobs. This will dramatically cut energy use and pollution.
#2 It’s Good for the Social Structure
Communities without affordable housing quickly become segregated by income and family background. In order to promote economic and social diversity, your community needs to provide for the needs of all families. Well-placed affordable housing developments allow communities to welcome a wide range of families and to create a vibrant, diverse, group of residents.
#3 It’s Good for the Economy
In order to thrive, new businesses need easy access to workers. Affordable housing developments ensure that working families will remain in your community. These working families provide the labor that makes the economy grow. In addition, encouraging working families to settle in your community will help provide a growing population of students to keep your local school system healthy and strong. Reasonably priced rentals and houses will also allow families to remain in your community even when they experience temporary job loss, a disruption to the family, or an illness or other crisis.
When families can remain in your community, they become part of the social fabric and advance the common good. Reasonably priced housing creates stability, community, and engagement. Start advocating today and protect the families of tomorrow.
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