Background | The City of Seattle and Affordable Housing | Housing Development Consortium | HomeSight & Habitat for Humanity | Closing

Affordable housing within the urban context is of great importance to an ever increasing number individuals and families.  As land values have increased in many cities across the U.S., so too has the scarcity of affordable housing.  This in turn has caused many households to spend an exorbitant amount of their income on housing.  Clearly, this issue is of paramount importance to those that can neither find nor afford housing within their budget.  Indeed some may say: "It's not my problem. I work. I have a job. I'm doing ok!  Why can't they?"   We would argue, however, that it is not just their problem: It is our problem.  Affordable housing and those who need it are both often misunderstood.  This website is intended to shed some light upon what affordable housing is,  some of its providers, and those who qualify for it.  Most importantly, we hope you will agree that affordable housing is a necessity--not a luxury.

Since our goal is to enlighten readers, there are many links throughout the text that will further educate and direct you.  And, just as people and housing are diverse, so too is our website.  You may be surprised at what you find.  Perhaps you are wondering what affordable housing is; maybe you are wondering where to find it. On the other hand, you may not be thinking about affordable housing at all. If that's the case, now would be a good time to start.  Before you begin, examine the interactive map for state minimum wages at the  U.S. Department of Labor's page titled, Minimum Wage Laws in the Sates.

Background | The City of Seattle and Affordable Housing | Housing Development Consortium | HomeSight & Habitat for Humanity | Closing

This website was created and designed by David S. Moore and Maggie Cho during Spring quarter 2004 at the University of Washington.  We wish to thank Professor Suzanne Davies Withers for making this project possible.

Department of Geography, University of Washington | Urban Ecology, University of Washington