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iceflame1211 t1_j5v8mfc wrote

Reply to comment by ZingZongZaddy in MaineHousing releases 2023 housing outlook report by InterstellarDeathPur

Why? They recently started switching over to adapting this terminology over "low-income housing" because of the stigma.

What term should they use instead?

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heavymetaltshirt t1_j5vb0nf wrote

I think the pain is that it’s called “affordable” and yet still out of the reach of many

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iceflame1211 t1_j5vbk5s wrote

But the rentals they offer are affordable. What a tenant pays is literally based on a percentage of their income..

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heavymetaltshirt t1_j5vdbz4 wrote

Subsidized Section 8 housing is one type of affordable housing, and I think that’s what you’re thinking of. The waiting list for those is years long. I got on it when my kid was 12 and got called for an apartment after her 18th birthday, when I no longer qualified for family housing.

There is also “affordable housing” through tax credit programs for developers. This type of housing is often unaffordable to people who are very low income.

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iceflame1211 t1_j5velxg wrote

I think you're misunderstanding what MaineHousing does. The Section 8 wait list being years long is regrettable, but isn't their fault.. their entire purpose is to assist developers creating more affordable housing units (typically not single-family homes). MaineHousing doesn't build the housing themselves. The reason we haven't had much development is because there isn't enough money in it for developers, which is why Maine actually recently passed its own affordable housing credit to piggy back off of the Federal to spur more developments.

The affordable housing through tax credit program for developers is absolutely available to people who are low income- but when you mention very low income, it depends on the project. The minimum set aside requirements for units based on income is typically some blended rate. These developments are not made to shelter the homeless, just workers who earn less than median income. Whether that's someone earning 50% of the median income or 60% depends on the project and its unit split- it varies.

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ZingZongZaddy t1_j5vabl4 wrote

I'm not going to get into the political semantics of the terminology, but it's simple matter of the metrics they're using not even beginning to crack the threshold of affordable. It's all a smoke and mirrors game to the people writing these reports.

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iceflame1211 t1_j5vc4uq wrote

The Affordable Homeownership Program is brand new, of course it hasn't begun to crack the threshold.
Their rentals however have absolutely made a significant dent, and helped Maine house families that wouldn't otherwise find any. These are based on tenant income (therefore, quite affordable).

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ZingZongZaddy t1_j5vlkt5 wrote

I'm saying the metrics they use to determine affordability are flawed and misleading. Like using median income, for example.

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iceflame1211 t1_j5vnniu wrote

I completely agree that the government statistics on income in general are horribly inaccurate and dated. MaineHousing uses market rate, size, utility cost, and other things in addition to median income to determine their rental rates, but their formula could probably be improved or updated.

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