Stable, affordable homes and strong futures build vibrant communities. Unlike the notorious public "projects" of the past, well built and well managed affordable housing can prevent problems before they start and provide resources that transform neighborhoods.
Affordable housing with services helps children and adults learn. |
- Stable homes allow students to focus on school
- Learning resources close to home provide extra support
- Services help adults access higher education
When families aren’t worried about where their kids will sleep, kids can focus on school and parents can devote their energies to help them succeed. |
Education builds from a stable homeOver and over again, studies have shown that kids who have a consistent, safe home do much better in school. Research indicates that 43% of homeless students repeat a grade, 25% are placed in special education, and 50% are failing academically (
Bassuk & Rubin, 1987).
However, in the Minneapolis school district alone, there are 5,400 homeless or highly mobile students, nearly 15% of the student population. These new students represent a nearly 20% rise from the same time the year before (Minneapolis Public Schools, 2008).
On-site help: taking learning to the next level
Supportive services combined with affordable housing (like Advantage Services) build on the stability of affordable, stable housing to help residents succeed academically. These services can range from simply providing access to computers and internet, to one-on-one mentoring through programs like Study Buddies and help filling out college applications.
Supportive services help move students from simply keeping up in school to succeeding. Advantage Centers often partner with a student’s school to address a child’s learning difficulties and goals. This way, everyone in the community is working together towards a child's success.
Continuing education
CommonBond also helps adults succeed academically, providing adult education like ESL classes, job training and assistance pursuing higher education. This type of education can help break the cycle of poverty, providing residents the tools to access better jobs and make more informed life choices.
For seniors, learning new skills through Advantage Centers can help them stay mentally sharp and living independently longer.
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Affordable housing with services helps safety. |
- Engaged property managers prevent problems before they start
- Stable housing and economic support reduces many reasons to commit crimes
When families can afford basic needs and kids have a place to go after school, there are fewer reasons (and opportunities) to commit crimes. |
Engaged property managers solve problems
Despite the negative stereotypes, well managed affordable housing often makes communities safer.
When CommonBond took over one affordable housing community, we were able to reduce annual police calls to the building by 75%. We estimate that this drop alone saved the county nearly $300,000 in police and prison fees (Public Benefits Summary of Affordable Homes with Services 2006).
Responsive property managers, rigorous resident requirements and quick management of crises means the difference between a crime-ridden project and a safe, valued housing community.
Economic stability prevents the reasons for the crime
Stable, safe housing can also reduce the instability that leads people to commit crimes. The National Council for Prevention of Crime recommends affordable housing because “neighborhood cohesion and economic stability are enhanced in areas where the continuing supply of dispersed, affordable housing is assured.”
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Affordable housing with services helps the environment. |
- Allowing everyone, no matter their income, to live close to where they work and play reduces their carbon footprint.
- Easy access to public transportation encourages people to drive less.
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The Impact of Affordable Housing on the Environment
Convenient housing reduces carbon footprint
Workforce housing, or affordable housing close to where people work and play, can have a great impact on an area's carbon footprint. People who work in affluent areas often can not afford to live there, and so often have very long commutes to work.
"Our old apartment [in Woodbury] was really expensive," recalls Aryn, a resident at CommonBond's The Commerce Building in downtown St. Paul, "And I was spending $100 a week on gas to get to work." Now, Aryn is able to walk to her job downtown. By adapting to a communities' specific needs, affordable housing can make being sustainable convenient.
Easily accessible public transportation for residents
Affordable housing planners can also plan to make public transit easily accessible to residents. Building affordable housing near bus stops and close to community bus pickups helps people with low incomes get by, and reduces driving.
For example, CommonBond worked with Hennepin County's Transit-Oriented Design to fund expanded sidewalks and extra lighting to the bus stop for resident seniors at Robbins Way.
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Affordable housing with services helps the economy. |
- Creating new homes creates more jobs
- Stabilizing workers' lives allows them to keep and move up in jobs
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New homes mean new jobs
Affordable housing stimulates the housing market, creating many new jobs. For example, the Minnesota Housing Finance Agency, which often supports CommonBond developments, estimates that over 10,000 new jobs were directly or indirectly created by investment in affordable housing over two years. These jobs amount to over $1 billion in generated revenue.
More stable workers
When workers have stable housing, they are more able to be productive in their jobs. Supportive services like job training and employment retention also provides employers with a more skilled workforce.
