A Tale of Two Housing Developments

If you are just getting into housing policy, the terms ‘public housing’ and ‘affordable housing’ may seem to mean the same thing; however, they are two different strategies that local governments have/are using to help house individuals and families who generally make below 120 percent of the area median income. Public housing is “a federal program dedicated to providing decent and safe rental housing for low-income families, older adults, and persons with disabilities,” and was primarily constructed during the New Deal era with federal government funding.¹ Residents pay a percentage of their income–usually 30 percent– in rent. Income-restricted affordable housing is restricted to residents who earn a certain percentage of the area median income (AMI). Private or non-profit developers generally construct them in partnership with local governments. The rent is set according to AMI standards outlined by the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). This is the most common type of housing being developed for the low- and moderate-income families of today. <a href="https://medium.com/@ceinnalittle/a-tale-of-two-housing-developments-7781d12161ed">Learn More</a>