The days of the “projects” are far, far behind us. That blighted housing of yesteryear is nothing like today’s quality affordable housing. But somehow, those lingering images still inform our collective opinions of “affordable housing.” And those misinformed opinions are hindering construction of a much-needed segment of housing production. Without more housing affordable to low- and middle-income working families, increasing numbers are being priced out of decent, nearby neighborhoods—or they are living in crowded or substandard conditions.¹

It's simple. We need more affordable housing in our neighborhoods—and we need it to be affordable— for so many reasons.

The housing being built today for low- to moderate income families is indistinguishable from market rate housing. In fact, affordable units are often simply part of market-priced developments—a percentage of units set aside for specific income levels, including market rate.² Many of us live near affordable housing without even realizing that it’s right in the middle of our attractive neighborhood. The housing developments pictured in this brochure all include affordable units. They are typical of today’s affordable housing.

Families being priced out of their communities are moving farther and farther from their jobs. The number of extra hours sitting in traffic has doubled for the average Southland driver since 1982.³ "Smart growth” urban planning that includes mixed-income housing is part of the traffic solution, allowing lowland middle-income workers to remain close to their jobs. Also, those who live in affordable housing tend to have a smaller impact on traffic. In California’s six largest metropolitan areas, more than 75% of renters own only one car or none at all and are more likely to use public transportation, while 66% of homeowner households have two or more vehicles.⁴ Single-family homes also generate more vehicle trips per day than multifamily units—in all categories: weekday, rush hours (A.M. and P.M.), and weekends.⁵

And by “us” we mean nurses, firefighters, police officers, cooks, waiters, retail clerks, social workers, administrative staff, teachers, bank tellers, day care providers, bus drivers, janitors, hotel workers, and librarians. Affordable housing is often being created for families earning between 60% to 120% of area median income; for Los Angeles in 2006, that means between $41,600 and $83,200 for a family of four.

The belief that single-family neighborhoods have lower crime rates is a misconception. Simply by putting more eyes on the street, higher density serves as a crime deterrent. Researchers have found that apartment communities create as much as 50% less demand for police services than single-family houses. Higher density housing can help reduce crime when the design includes careful placement of buildings, good lighting, nearby retail and recreation, and—perhaps most importantly—a mix of both affordable and market rate units.⁶

No study in California has ever shown that property values fell as a result of nearby affordable housing.⁷ Studies have shown that affordable housing production often increases the property values of nearby homes—especially in more affluent areas.⁸

Because housing is increasingly unaffordable to so many working families, businesses are struggling to attract workers, especially those not earning executive salaries. As families move farther away from the city, businesses follow them out of the city.⁹ Increasing the stock of affordable housing for our workforce is critical to the health of local business. The actual production of sufficient housing is itself a boost to local business, and the economy in general, creating a variety of jobs from construction to real estate to retail sales.

Higher density housing, as opposed to sprawl, is an efficient use of community infrastructure such as water, sewer, and power systems, schools, and public transportation. Lower density neighborhoods tend to underutilize infrastructure, risking fiscal strain on municipalities.¹⁰High-density housing also creates walkable neighborhoods and is frequently built near public transportation lines.

According to the Southern California Association of Governments, the region is more than 400,000 units short of its housing need.¹¹ And with the gap between wages and housing costs growing each year, much of the housing that is being produced needs to be affordable. One of the biggest problems of some of the affordable housing produced a few decades ago was that it was not integrated into thriving neighborhoods. It was set apart from the town at large. As a result, it became a way to warehouse lower-income families away from nice neighborhoods, higher-paying jobs, resources, good schools, and cultural centers. Studies have shown that it’s healthier for all concerned when housing at all income levels is available in every community.¹²