Impact of Affordable Housing

Diversity of income and race is better for our towns and for our schools. Students attending schools with a diverse population are “more culturally sensitive, deal better with diverse work situations, and are less likely to apply racial stereotypes,” preparing them better for their future lives.

 

Crime: The addition of affordable housing units does not increase crime rates in a neighborhood.

 

Home Values: A multitude of studies have found that affordable housing developments had no impact on the value of homes near the development when compared to homes in other parts of town.  In fact, mixed-income developments provide attractive homes that blend in well with surrounding neighborhoods.

 

Schools: Affordable housing developments do not directly cause an increase in the costs of the schools.  This is explained by a few reasons.  First, only larger homes tend to bring children, such as those with 3 or more bedrooms, which are only a portion of affordable housing developments.  Most children that do move into a town through affordable housing are few in number, and tend to be spread across multiple grades, thereby not having a significant impact on the school system.  Furthermore, school enrollment is dropping across Connecticut, so any increase in students would merely maintain current enrollment levels, at most, and therefore most budget increases are not related to enrollment, but rather to the cost of employing teachers and other expenditures.

 

Transportation: People living in affordable housing own fewer cars and are more likely to use public transportation.  At the same time, 75% of families in poverty own a car. Still, CT needs more public transportation.  Once there is a more regional need, there is an increased likelihood that the investment will follow.

 

Cost to the Town: A common misconception around affordable housing is that it does not provide the property taxes necessary to offset the additional use of town resources. However, studies have shown that multifamily housing provides more tax dollars per unit than single family housing. Additionally, the additional population will provide additional income to local businesses, helping the local economy to thrive. Most low-income families are employed or receiving Social Security.

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Growing Together CT Fair Share CLJ v. HUD #OpenWoodbridge Connecticut Zoning Opportunity Data Portal 3.0 Read the Newsletter

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  • Open Communities Alliance
  • 75 Charter Oak Avenue
  • Suite 1-200
  • Hartford, CT 06106
  • Phone: 860-610-6040
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