Affordable housing. It’s a term we hear a lot in Charlotte. But what does it mean? According to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, housing is considered affordable if no more than 30 percent of income is spent on household expenses. For Charlotte, that amounts to a wage of about $17.12 needed in order to afford market-rate housing.
Charlotte City Councilwoman LaWanna Mayfield chairs the council’s committee on housing and neighborhood development. The city has a goal of getting developers to build 5,000 affordable housing units in the next three years. According to HUD data, the city needs about 34,000 more affordable housing units to meet demand. Councilwoman Mayfield joined Morning Edition host Marshall Terry to talk about the challenges of building affordable housing in Charlotte.
