What is Affordable Housing?

Pastor Mitch here.

As we minister in and around West Greenville, you will hear concerns about affordable housing. Therefore, it may be helpful for you to have a definition of affordable housing in the back of your mind.

The general definition of affordable housing is a safe, livable space (apartment, house, etc.) for a family unit that does not cost them more than one-third of their monthly income.

When people spend over one-third of their income on housing, they often cannot afford the other basic necessities of life. They also have a much higher chance of defaulting on their loans.

The more specific definition of affordable housing, in most contexts, refers to governmental laws or programs that aim to help families with low incomes acquire and stay in homes for one-third of their monthly income, even if that amount is lower than the city’s fair market value. Stratham Place, right across from Mountain Goat, is one example in our neighborhood. These apartments are funded by the government, and the wonderful folks living there pay different rents based on their income, which must be below the poverty line to qualify.

In Greenville, the average income is $60,000, meaning the average home buyer can afford a $250,000 home. Yet, the average home in Greenville costs over $300,000. This means people with average incomes will struggle significantly to find a home, and those with low incomes are almost completely locked out of home buying.

The situation is similar with renting. Middle-class and low-income families must constantly choose between having fewer bedrooms than needed or spending over one-third of their income on rent.

As a result, they either have to move away from Greenville or endure a very low quality of life. This can create economic, safety, and crime issues that lower the overall well-being of the city.

The government is compelled, at least in theory, to try and create ways for low-income families to stay, work their jobs, and make progress. There are cases in which this works out and cases in which it does not. For example, I have seen civic leaders claim they are addressing affordable housing, while in reality, they are just developing homes that are slightly less luxurious and expensive than they could be. Thus, they get social credit for caring about the poor while benefiting from partnerships with high-end developers.

Many times, the best solutions come from Christians in our community who care about this issue, like our good friends at Homes of Hope, Front Porch Housing, and Soteria Community Development Corp. These are all non-profits that we fully support. They also aid families in finding and maintaining affordable housing, not by rule of law or tax incentives but through the giving and volunteering of the church and the community at large.

When ministries tackle affordable housing, they often care for people in a more holistic way. For example, they may require (and provide) treatment for addiction as part of their housing program.

This often results in boosting people's financial health AND spiritual health which is a huge, God-honoring win for Greenville.

Because we follow Jesus, we care about affordable housing and recognize it as a need. As a church, our contribution to the issue is to continually pray for and, when we can, support our fellow Christians who have dedicated their ministries to housing our neighbors Jesus’ way and in Jesus' name. They are true heroes who are doing what has to be one of the most challenging ministry tasks there is.