Affordable housing is housing that costs 30 percent or less of one’s income. Over the past decade, the availability of affordable housing has plummeted.
SCC provides safe, healthy, high quality housing options for people of low- and moderate-income. We use traditional bank financing, government subsidies, and grants to sell or rent units for less than it costs to build them. SCC creates housing for:
- Families earning anywhere from less than 30% to 110% of the Area Median Income
- Homeless families and individuals
- Clients of the Department of Mental Health
Why Do We Need Affordable Housing?
According to the National Low Income Housing Coalition, a family living on a minimum wage income, cannot afford a modest two-bedroom apartment anywhere in the United States.
Skyrocketing real estate prices and stagnant incomes for many households have made stable affordable housing crucial in Somerville. Affordable homes allow families to stabilize their finances, save money, prioritize health, and can benefit the entire local economy by allowing families to spend and pump money back into it. Workers in low- to moderate-paying jobs can afford to live near their employment and not commute farther from home, helping both local businesses and the environment.
A vital method to keeping diversity in the city is to develop varied neighborhoods and preserve mixed-incomes across the region. Without affordable options, families are forced to leave Somerville and with that loss, the City becomes less vibrant, equitable, and diverse.
In addition to low- and moderate-income individuals and families, SCC helps move people off the priority waitlist who may have been facing homelessness. Having a roof over one’s head is a basic necessity and the first step to a more stable life.