WHAT IS AFFORDABLE HOUSING?

In the broadest sense, housing is considered “affordable” if a person pays less than 30% of their income toward housing costs.

Most of the time, however, when people refer to affordable housing they are referring to homes and apartments that are affordable to low- and moderate-income households.

Why Housing Affordability is Important

Community Values — Sufficient housing for all income levels supports the economic, cultural, and demographic diversity our community values.

Economic Impact — Businesses and workers both benefit when employees can find an affordable and stable place to live near their job.

Family and Student Success — Housing affordability helps sustain Arlington schools’ diversity, which allows families and children to thrive.

Environmental Benefits — Commutes are reduced when more people live near their workplaces, yielding a cleaner environment for everyone.

Health and Wellness — Living in good quality, stable, affordable housing reduces stress and improves wellness.
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Addressing America’s Affordable Housing Crisis

Over the past few years, the COVID-19 pandemic, record-high inflation, significant job losses, and rising rent prices have shaped the affordable housing landscape. Between 2019 and 2021, the shortage of homes affordable and available to renters with extremely low incomes worsened by more than 500,000 units, increasing from a shortage of 6.8 million to 7.3 million, and continuing a long-term trend of diminishing supply. Addressing the shortage of affordable and available housing is vital to ensuring families across the US experience financial security, improved health, educational opportunities, and greater economic mobility.

The National Low Income Housing Coalition’s latest annual report evaluates the availability of affordable rental homes, particularly for households with extremely low incomes, defined as incomes at or below either the federal poverty guideline or 30 percent of the area median income. The report uses data from the 2021 American Community Survey Public Use Microdata Sample to catalog and analyze the state of affordable housing in the US. Additionally, the report identifies local, state, and federal policies and programs that can be implemented to address the shortage of affordable homes… READ MORE

Housing Market Predictions for 2024

With mortgage rates and home prices both historically high and inventory tight, many prospective sellers and hopeful buyers are feeling nervous about today’s housing market.

As of July 2023, the median sale price for an existing home in the U.S. was a steep $406,700, the highest July price the National Association of Realtors (NAR) has ever recorded and just $7,000 short of the all-time record. And as of late August, the average 30-year mortgage rate had hit 7.36 percent — higher than it’s been in more than 20 years.

Home prices, mortgage rates, and inventory levels will all shape housing affordability in the coming year. Curious about where these trends may go? Read on to learn what the experts predict for the 2024 housing market.

What will happen to the housing market in 2024?

A lot depends on what happens with mortgage interest rates. Rates roughly doubled in 2022, thanks in part to the Federal Reserve’s war on inflation, and have stayed high since. While the Fed does not directly set mortgage rates, mortgage lenders take cues from them, and mortgage rates climbed in tandem with the Fed’s long string of rate hikes… READ MORE

Ralene Nelson, REALTOR®
JUSTLISTED – 4052 Heaton Ct. Antioch
4 bed/3 bath/2,873sqft/4,748sqft lot

$759,000 – Move in ready, with curb side appeal. This home shows pride of ownership. Newer 24 tile floors greet you at the entrance, & through out the main floor w/6 baseboards. Den & full bath are at the front of home then passing to the livingroom & dining, where high ceilings provide a feeling of grandness. The remodeled kitchen has new white cabinets w/soft closing doors, quartz counters w/alined vines & chevron tile backsplash, new stainless appliances, Bosch dishwasher & refrigerator. Gas stove w/air fryer oven & standard oven & Zepher hood make for a gourmet chef’s delight. The chef has a pantry, stainless work station sink & ambiance lighting above the cabinets. Kitchen opens up to the family room with a corner electric fireplace enhanced by tile surrounding wall. Venture upstairs to the 4 bedrooms, LVP flooring 4 baseboards throughout. Laundry room is at the top of stairs, & primary bedroom is at the rear of home with a view of the river. The large primary bath has double sinks, oval tub & tiled shower with beautiful frameless door. READ MORE

PENDING – 181 Cedar Ridge Dr. Rio Vista

$499,900 – 2 bed/2 bath/1,433sqft

$$699,000 – Located in the core Rio Vista, & closer to the Sacramento River, make this custom-built home your next residence. This spacious home has a slate floor entry, 3+ bedrooms, 2.5 baths, a living room, dining room, family room that opens to the kitchen & game room. The kitchen has been remodeled with beautiful cabinets & pull out drawers, newer stainless appliances & corian counters. Family room has fireplace & opens to kitchen w/bar counter, and opens to game room. The game room opens to the back yard with large patio for entertaining. Cook that fabulous meal on the newer built-in BBQ, located in game room & serve that special drink at the bar that is equipped with sink & built-in blender and lots of cabinets for your glasswares & snacks. Game room possibly could fit a billiard table. Primary bedroom features 3 closets & bath with double sinks & walk-in shower. The two other bedrooms have closets with ample storage room. Hall bath is very roomy with shower over tub & storage and hallway has cabinets for your linens. Half bath is located off kitchen & laundry room & next to office/4th bedroom. Landscaped with automatic sprinkler system, possibly room for pool. 1/2 bath will be convenient for those swimmers. Roomy 2 car garage has storage & door to patio, home has paid solar. Bring your water toys. READ MORE

PENDING SALE – 285 Harvest Hills Ln. Rio Vista

Located in the Active Adult Community, this Verano plan offers an abundance of upgrades with solar prepaid by builder to 2036. 2 bedrooms/2.5 baths have wood-style plank tile flooring with carpet in bedrooms & den. Gourmet kitchen with granite counters/backsplash & stainless steel appliances, pendant lights over bar/kitchen sink & large pantry in laundry room. Custom extended patio, a lot is above dog park & pond. The location makes an enjoyable view with morning sun & afternoon shade. A fenced backyard, & a side yard provide space for planting beds. 3 car garage with extra storage, water filtration system. Just bring your furniture & join the fun amenities, golf course, tennis, pickle ball, bocce, billiards, gym, computer, 2 pools/spas & more. Cafe & restaurant on site. READ MORE

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