New Sacramento development spotlights changing definition of affordable housing
SACRAMENTO — The ribbons are officially cut on Arden Way. The Salvator is a new affordable housing project open for Sacramento residents like Viesha King.
"I don't have to compromise anything," she told CBS13. "I don't have to break my pockets in order to live nice in a safe community."
King is a single-working parent with a full-time job — a demographic that used to be able to easily afford housing.
"That's the huge misconception," King said. "It's not a low-class thing. It's not an upper-class thing. It's something right in the middle for people."
But it's a demographic that is rapidly becoming unable to find it.
"It's becoming more in the middle-income bracket now so you have real need in those areas," said Sean Spear, the president and CEO of Community Housing Works (CHW) who developed the property.
So what is characterized as affordable housing now?
"Fifty percent of AMI is the low end and 70% of the AMI is the high end for us," Spear said.
Think of it this way: In the Sacramento area, an average family of four makes $100,000 per year. This housing project takes between 50-70% of the average median income, which means families that earn between $50,000 - $70,000 per year qualified for this type of housing. For the 120 units at The Salvator, the property received more than 2,000 applications — highlighting the need for this type of housing.
"That's just not where the market is responding to," Spear said. "And that's where affordable housing has to come in and fill those needs."
Parents and workers like Viesha King say affordable housing is essential to keep a middle class in California.
"This is definitely something that should be done for people so we don't get pushed into that lower class," King said. "So we don't get pushed under the poverty line because this is something that is beautiful and affordable for families across the whole state."
CHW hopes to eliminate old stigmas around what affordable housing means and make people understand that there is a broad spectrum of what can be offered.
"Hopefully people see it as an expanding definition," said Spear, "'Oh! Affordable housing is for people like me.' "