Myths & Facts About Affordable Hosuing

MYTH: Affordable housing will reduce property values.

•  REALITY: Studies have shown that housing developments which are well-designed do not have a negative effect on neighbouring property values.  In fact, some developments may actually increase property values.  (Source: "Impact of Non-Market Housing on Property Values" - BC Government - Feb. 2000 - http://www.housing.gov.bc.ca/housing/00_Jan_PropVal.html

 MYTH: People in affordable housing are on welfare and don't fit into my neighbourhood.

• REALITY: The word affordable simply means that housing should cost no more than 30% of a household's income.  As housing costs rise, many of our neighbours struggle to keep up.  Most residents of modern and affordable mixed-income housing work full-time at lower or moderate paying jobs.  People already working in our town to serve our citizens are in need of housing they can afford.

MYTH: Affordable housing will increase crime in the community and bring in undesirable residents.

• REALITY: Affordable housing can help a community maintain a stable population by making it easier to retain people who already live and work there.  In fact, a Denver study shows that "…there was no statistically significant evidence that supportive housing development led to increased rates of reported violent, property, criminal mischief, disorderly conduct or total crimes.  These findings were equally true of supportive housing for perceived "dangerous clientele" ex-offenders, people with mental illness and recovering substance abusers."  Source: "Impact of supportive housing on local crime rates" - HUD, Urban Institute, Wayne State University - 2002

http://www.homecomingcoalition.com/research/documents/Galstersupportivehousingandcrimerates.doc

"… there are no studies that show affordable or supportive housing increase neighbourhood crime. Ontario studies have shown that neighbours of supportive housing have few complaints about safety, noise or building maintenance." Source: "Supportive Housing: Neighbourhood Fears and Realities" - Sharon Hill et al. - Toronto 1994.

http://www.housing.gov.bc.ca/housing/NEIGHBOUR/check11.html

• MYTH: Affordable housing means poor quality construction.

REALITY: Builders of affordable housing must meet the same building codes and design standards as market rate housing.  In fact, housing built with public money sometimes needs to comply with even higher standards and additional restrictions.

• MYTH: Affordable housing causes traffic congestion.

REALITY: Studies have shown that people who live in affordable housing own fewer cars per household and drive fewer miles.  Living closer to their work dramatically improves traffic flow. With proper planning, a community can keep pace with its overall transportation needs while also providing a variety of housing choices. (Source: "Myths and Facts about Affordable Housing & High Density" - California Planning Round Table, California Department of Housing & Community Development - 2002) http://www.hcd.ca.gov/hpd/mythsnfacts.pdf

• MYTH: Affordable housing means large, uninviting projects.

REALITY: The latest generation of affordable and mixed-income housing is based on good planning, minimal environmental impact, and a neighbourhood design with attractive, energy efficient buildings clustered to leave areas of green space.  For many reasons, it is important for the housing market to provide a variety of home types at different price levels within communities so as to avoid the isolation of low-income families in ghettoes.