It is recognized that having shelter is a human right. This is why low income housing is provided and eligibility is calculated using a simple formula: the monthly rent of a property should never be more than 30% of the income of the family who lives there. By ensuring that rent doesn’t exceed that 30% threshold, it is expected that families should also be able to pay for other important things, including insurance, health care, food, utilities, the cost of raising children, and so on. These are all expensive things, and it is thanks to low income housing that some families are able to barely get by.
The Disadvantages:
Clearly, this sounds like an amazing idea to help the world as a whole. However, there are some disadvantages as well. One of the biggest problems encountered with low income housing is to actually find a property to live in. Unfortunately, there is low availability in most areas, with housing stock depleting rapidly and many private landlords not accepting low income families. Most of the properties that are available are in areas that are often undesirable, unsafe, and with poor quality educational facilities.
Other Housing Programs:
Besides low income housing, there are other options available as well, including Section 8 housing and senior housing. They all work in similar ways and, naturally, have similar downsides. The exception is in senior housing, which is generally somewhat easier to find, mainly due to the fact that senior houses are often smaller and, by their very nature, not occupied for very long.
Families and seniors alike can ask for help to ensure they are able to find shelter. Most of these will require them to demonstrate that their income is really low. In fact, they usually have to show that their income is less than 80% of the median income in the area in which they live. A number of other qualification criteria are also often set, although those are mainly in place to ensure that the most needy people are given priority when there are properties available. For instance, those with disabilities and those with children have priority, including those who earn less than 80% of the median geographical income. To check whether or not you might qualify for this type of housing, or if other help exists for you, it is best to visit your local housing department. They will have a full list of all the different qualifying requirements, regulations, and rules that are in place.
The concept of low income housing is hugely important. Everybody deserves to be able to live in a house that they can afford based on their income. Shelter, after all, is a human right. Unfortunately, with private rent continuously rising and salaries not following suit, as well as the fact that many people are unable to work due to disabilities or unavailability of jobs, being able to remain in a home can become incredibly difficult. Help is out there but you may have to be patient before you can actually access that help.
