TO THE EDITOR:
The recent article about Chapel Hill’s new Affordable Housing Development Reserve misrepresents the issue of affordable housing.
The view expressed by representatives of the town of Chapel Hill imply that the purpose of affordable housing efforts is to have “less people on the streets.” The town should make efforts to assist individuals suffering from homelessness, but housing affordability is about more than that.
According to American Community Surveys produced by the U.S. Census, the median monthly housing cost for renters in Chapel Hill is $1,141. Housing costs are generally considered to be a burden if they exceed 30 percent of your income.
Even if you managed to pay one half of the median monthly housing cost in Chapel Hill, you would need to earn a yearly salary of $23,000 not to be burdened by housing costs. Paying 100 percent of the median rental cost would require a salary of over $45,000. Salary.com reports that the median income of a custodian in Chapel Hill is around $26,000.
Clearly, you could work full time as a custodian and still struggle with housing affordability.
