Who cares about affordable housing?!?! ... This guy, and you should too!
Afforda-what? -wait a minute... so what the heck is affordable housing.
Affordable housing is just what it sounds like, shelter that is affordable for the people living in it. In 2001 95 million Americans faced housing cost burdens or lived in crowed or inadequate conditions. This is a problem that is increasing over time. In 1991 a typical low income family devoted 38% of household income to housing and by 2001 the costs jumped to 48%.
Affordable houses are often built by non-profit organizations like Habitat for Humanity, or rebuilding together. They are simple, decent houses built with the help of the homeowner (partner) families, sold to them at no profit, and finanaced with affordable no-interest loans. In addition to down and monthly payments partner families have to invest their "sweat equity" (better known as elbow grease) into building their house and the houses of others.
So why should you care?
As stated above 95 million Americans faced housing cost burdens in 2001, and that was before hurricane Katrina decimated New Orleans.
The cost of housing can put a huge burden on familes. Parents have to spend more time working and less time raising their kids. Families live in sub-standard housing, sometimes without running water or adequate heat. Imagine the difficulties of trying to focus on school and learn in that environment, or trying to parent your children when you have to spend so much of your time working. I'm not saying it can't be done but if you could make it easier for a family wouldn't you? Imagine how much an affordable house could improve the lives of that family.
Through much contemplation of life, social equity, and opportunity in my college years I have decided one thing that I hope you agree with:
People are only able to achieve great things by a lot of hard work, and a little bit of luck. The support they receive is a the part of that luck and defines how much hard work it will take to achieve their goals.
The way that we grow in our accomplishments as individual people and a society is through hard work and luck, and support for eachother is a component of both of those. Support of others can be hard work, and people like me who have recieved support are lucky, and better off, to have had it.
Affordable housing organizations use both a lot of hard work and luck to try and help everyone in our society meet their basic needs. They require the hard work of the individuals they are helping through the "sweat equity" explained above and by requiring them to pay for their houses instead of getting them for free. The luck comes from support of people like you who donate time and money to this valuable cause.
So is this the solution to all our problems?
It's definately not the entire solution, but it's a big part of it. The sooner everyone in our society has their basic needs met, like sustainable and affordable shelter, the more productive our society can be and the sooner we can start tackling problems that are even more complicated and harder to fix; like healthcare, energy and environmental issues.
In a brief summarized fashion, that's why I support affordable housing groups, and why I'm riding a bike 3,464 miles to raise money for their cause and donating over $200.00 of my own money and a ton more time. Affordable homes help meet peoples basic needs. They give people a chance to work hard and reach their dreams. A chance that I've been lucky enough to have my whole life, and now I want to help others have the chance for their hard work to pay off!
What can you do to help? - you knew this was coming didn't ya!!
If you've got the time and will power join an affordable housing group in your area and start building! Check out some organizations:
both have groups in most areas.
and / or
Support me in my fundraising and building efforts. I'll do the work for you! I'm riding 3,464 miles and spending 11 days building houses on this trip. Sponsor a day of riding or building. Check out the donation information and the trip schedule. You can sponsor a day for $70.00, it's all tax deductable, you get a donor t-shirt (and more gear depending on how much you give), your name on this site, and a call from me on your sponsored day! (unless you don't want to hear from me, then I'll leave you alone, and contingent on my having cell phone service or finding a pay phone)