Sunday, May 31st, 2020
Since the middle of March, a fairly, new term became part of our everyday language – the Essential Workers. Who are these people? What is essential? Do we know any of these people? Where do they live? If they are essential – they must live in a castle and make lots of money.
Well it turns out – essential workers are the people we count on every day. You know who they are. They are our healthcare workers and childcare providers. Essential workers are the people who fix our cars, pack and drive trucks to deliver goods to your doorstep, check us through the grocery store register, prepare our food, pick up the trash, clean our offices, repair our roads, and take care of us when we are sick. Again – the people we count on every day. Wouldn’t it be nice to live next to someone that is considered essential? Sounds like these folks would make great neighbors.
Clearly, none of these people live in a castle, nor do they earn lots of money. Many of these people do not earn a living wage and have great difficulties paying their rent. Many of the workers I describe above earn between $20,000 and $30,000 a year – perhaps some – a little more. In fact, many of these essential workers qualify for affordable housing. Ya know – the apartments for those people.
I’m a numbers and data kinda guy – so let’s take a look at some figures and break it down. Imagine a married couple with two children. One works at the hospital as a nurse and the other works full time as a mechanic. Their total combined income is $70,000 a year. Not bad for a young family with a few kids – probably makes a good neighbor. Guess what? This family would qualify for an affordable housing rental apartment in Orange and Dutchess County. This family would qualify for a rental assistance program called Section 8.
So, what’s the connection? Let me put it in simple terms. If I were to get sick – the nurse could take care of me. If my car breaks down the mechanic could fix my means of transportation. I sure hope they live in a healthy environment and close to their jobs. I sure hope their children are fed and being properly cared for. I hope this is the case because when I need their help – I will need them at their best.
Housing that is affordable is vital for a healthy family and a sustainable community. The problem is – there just ain’t enough of it.
I have been working in the community development and housing field for over thirty years. When I began my career – everyone in the affordable housing sector spoke about an affordable housing crisis. They all said, “We are in the worst affordable housing crisis ever”. Well – here I am three decades later and some of the very same people, and the newcomers, in the affordable housing arena say the exact same thing – we are in the worst crisis ever. Unfortunately, I think they are right and the pandemic has only heightened the need.
According to the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), a home is affordable when a family pays no more than 30% of their gross income for housing. When a family pays more than 30% of their income for housing – they are considered cost burdened. When a family pays more than 50% of their income for housing – they are severely cost burdened. Establishing the number of families living in these conditions is critical when assessing the need for housing that is affordable to the residents.
For example, in Orange County alone – over 21,000 renters at all income levels pay over 30% of their income toward housing and are considered cost burdened. Of the 21,000 households – just over 12,000 are severely cost burdened and pay over 50% of their income for housing. In Dutchess County – over 16,000 are cost burdened, of which over 9,000 are severely cost burdened. In Ulster County – over 11,000 are cost, of which more than 6,000 pay over 50% of their income for housing.
Why is there such little housing available for these families? The answer is very simple and there are three basic reasons. First, it is very expensive to build housing. The cost of land and construction is astronomical, and of course, the taxes are very high. Now, before anyone gets in an uproar – the vast majority of today’s affordable housing developers do pay taxes. Secondly, getting a housing development through the local approval process is extremely expensive and requires a multitude of professional studies and reports, which takes a very long time.
The last reason why there is such little housing – many, not all, but many communities simply do not want those people living next to them. Not In My Back Yard – NIMBY usually rears its ugly head. The stereotype and perception of people living in affordable housing is that they don’t work and they abuse the system. This belief needs to be dispelled.
Perhaps after reading this blog people will understand that many essential workers are in need of affordable housing. Imagine if you will – a community with the vision to not only allow the development of affordable housing, but also provide financial incentives and a streamlined approval process to reduce time and costs.
A few closing thoughts. The next time you are sick or your car needs repair – think about the person that you are counting on to take care of you. Wouldn’t it be nice if they could count on their community in the same manner as we count on them?
Perhaps there is a glimmer of hope in this unbelievably tragic time in our history. Maybe, just maybe there will be a new appreciation for who the essential workers are…the people we count on every day.
