What’s the answer

WORKFORCE HOUSING

Workforce housing does not mean low-income housing, subsidized public housing, Section 8 housing, group homes, or unattractive or rundown homes at the edge of town. The idea behind workforce housing is that vital members of the local workforce—such as teachers, health care workers, police officers, firefighters, childcare workers, municipal employees, and retail salespeople—may not be able to afford to live near their place of employment. Our workforce deserves the opportunity to live near the places they make a difference every day. Simply put, workforce housing is homes for working households. It is housing that is aimed at middle- and moderate-income residents making between 80 percent and 100 percent of the area’s median income. Some workforce housing initiatives consider households that make as much as 115 percent of an area’s median income eligible for assistance.