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The Affordable Housing Hoax

And who pays for this affordable housing that is likely not available to a large percentage of the population because they make too darn much money?

What is affordable housing? Sounds good. We all want an affordable house.

How is it different from “unaffordable” housing?

Is affordable housing available to me? Why not?

Maybe it’s because I make too much money.
Maybe it’s because I’m above the property line.
Maybe it’s because I’m not on public assistance.
Is that the catch?

If I were a politician, I could get a lot of votes by saying I am for affordable housing. And it doesn’t sound too bad to voters who don’t necessarily require, or even qualify for, affordable housing.

According to a US News and World Report article dated 13 September 2022:

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development defines affordable housing as housing where the occupant is paying 30% or less of the gross income on total housing, including utilities.

The phrase “affordable housing” is also colloquially used as a general term to refer to housing assistance for low-income individuals, including housing vouchers or housing designated for residents below a certain income for the area

If housing weren’t affordable, how could housing be sold? Real estate developers understand this better than anyone. Realizing that if housing is priced at the outset at an unaffordable level to a certain population segment, some public assistance would be required.

Housing is an absolute requirement for all of us, but too expensive for some of us. We all have to live somewhere, so we can, among other things, vote.

Affordable housing
Subsidized housing
Public assistance housing
Rent control
Multi-family dwellings
Multi-story structures
MPDUs (moderately priced dwelling units)

Affordable housing in many districts means votes, and running on this means donations from wealthy donors who may or may not have business interests in real estate development. Who pays for affordable housing,likely unavailable to a large segment of the population because they make too much money? Why, the middle class taxpayer, of course. Be assured, real estate developers aren’t paying for it.

From each according to his abilities, to each according to his needs.
Karl Marx

Why can’t politicians just be honest with us and tell us what affordable housing really is?

Is this the American dream?

How does this affect the tax base, realizing those on public assistance are taxed less?

Occupants of subsidized housing tend to depend upon community services (Medicaid, food stamps, etc), paid by you, the middle-class taxpayer. So, if these occupants pay far lower taxes, but consume more community services, who picks up the tab?

The generosity of middle-class taxpayers pick up the tab, even though they had no choice in the matter. Your taxes just skyrocketed.

This is the redistribution of wealth. It doesn’t matter that you aren’t wealthy. The supporters of this type of redistribution will tell you that it is charitable. Charity is supposed to be a voluntary act.

Everything needs to work at the same time. But what keeps society vibrant permanently is jobs, industry, business, and stuff like that. It pays for everything else. If you just build affordable housing, and those people don't have jobs, it'll no longer be affordable soon. So you really have to build around the business community.
Jamie Dimon, CEO JPMorgan Chase

A vibrant economy makes housing affordable. At a time when our state and federal governments have spent way beyond their means, politicians must be more honest with us.

Affordable housing, can we really afford it?

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Login Required to view?	No
Created:	2025-05-30 18:43 GMT
Updated:	2025-06-10 07:00 GMT
Published:	2025-06-03 12:46 GMT
Converted:	2025-11-11 12:05 GMT
Change Author:	Steve Shapero
Credit Author:	Dave Hafer, District Captain Southern Maryland