Affordable housing saves lives.
Homelessness is something frequently overlooked and seen as something. Once it is done, there is no coming back. A safe and stable home is essential for a healthy lifestyle. Sadly, many do not get a chance to live in a stable home or even a home. Decent, affordable housing reduces stress, which leads to improvement in both physical and mental health. People become homeless for many reasons, and people overlook the not-bad related issues of why. Additionally, affordable housing frees up money that families with limited resources can use for food and medical expenses. A huge reason a lot of these affordable housing residents need this additional help is due to health issues and issues with getting older and paying for medications. Everyone deserves a chance to live in a better home and area, and affordable housing programs help people.
Although every state does everything differently, a certain number of apartment complexes have to be affordable. Ch. Massachusetts “law went into effect in 1969 (widely known as the “Comprehensive Permit” law or “Chapter 40B”) that establishes a mandate for all communities in Massachusetts to have a minimum of 10 percent of their housing stock be affordable to middle- and lower-income households.”
What makes you eligible for affordable housing? It differs from state to state, but in Massachusetts, where I am from and work for an apartment complex, to be eligible for state-aided public housing, your household income must be at or under 80 percent of the area median income. The housing choice voucher program within affordable housing is the federal government’s major program “for assisting very low-income families, older people, and the disabled to afford decent, safe, and sanitary housing in the private market.” How to know if you are eligible for a Section 8 voucher The Housing Choice Voucher program (Section 8) the PHA (Public Housing Agency) determines eligibility for a housing voucher based on family size and total annual gross income. Eligibility is restricted to US citizens and specific non-citizen categories with eligible immigration status. When the PHA chooses a very low-income family to participate, they are urged to look at several housing options to find the best one for their needs. Based on the size and makeup of the family, the housing voucher holder is informed of the unit size for which they are qualified. This then goes through many steps with the PHA and apartment complex. This means everyone, including the tenant, landlord, and PHA, has obligations and responsibilities under the voucher program. This fantastic program can save and reshape the lives of people in need and those who need help. I give apartment tours at work and show you how our apartment complex is set up. Random units are labeled affordable, with different floor plans and units of various sizes for different affordable needs. All affordable go through a different process when applying for and signing a lease for an apartment. I know that affordable housing programs help families and individuals each day, and there is a lot that goes behind the scenes of how affordable housing works, and each step helps people transform their lives.
