"The generally accepted definition of affordability is for a household to pay no more than 30 percent of its annual income onhousing... A family with one full-time worker earning the minimum wage cannot afford the local fair-market rent for a two-bedroom apartment anywhere in the United States. The lack of affordable housing is a significant hardship for low-incomehouseholds preventing them from meeting their other basic needs, such as nutrition and healthcare, or saving for their future and that of their families." [U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development - hud.gov]
The lack of affordable housing is now leaving low-income families little money for necessities like food, clothing and health care. Families often have to choose between paying the month's rent or buying food. Substandard housing can endanger the health and safety of its occupants, erode their hope and self-worth, and impair their children's ability to succeed in school.
With affordable housing, families are ensured stability so that basic needs can be met. It has been shown that the overall health of children and the quality of their lives improves as heating and cooling, food and healthcare can be afforded. The work of building affordable housing for families in need honors the dignity of each human being, restores lives and offers a future of hope.
A few statistics:
- Of the 30 million households with housing problems in the United States, 14.5 million qualify for government aid, yet only 4.1 million are actually receiving any.
- Approximately 35% of children in Grand Rapids live in poverty, and 79% of them live in substandard housing.
- Today in Kent County, over 9,000 families live in poverty. Seventy-five percent of these families have worst-case housing needs.