75 Affordable Housing

I'm a big fan of Habitat for Humanity International and receive its bimonthly publication Habitat World which updates donors on projects, volunteers, shelter needs world wide and makes appeals for more funding.

Although I agree that affordable housing for the very low income family is scarce, I don't think it is helpful to cite the average house price in the US as $224,000 in 2004. There is in many cities housing in the $60-$100,000 range, and in small towns and rural area the prices are even lower. I'm sure there are programs by churches, community groups and government loans to help people buy in these areas--at least I hope there are.

Eventually we will resell to a relative a home we just bought. It is a 3 bedroom, 2 bath ranch for under $117,000 in a good school district, a lovely neighborhood, with parks and shopping, close to free-way access within 5 miles of his employment. Our first priority was location, second price, and third, it couldn't be a fixer-upper. When talking about affordable housing, quoting an average or a median price isn't helpful, especially if it is a first home for the family, a first experience paying a mortgage and keeping property in good repair.

Our first home was a 50 year old duplex in a neighborhood on its way down, not up. The zoning was light commercial, we had no garage, the yard was weeds, and the basement floor had never been poured except where the furnace stood--it was dirt.

My great grandfather inherited his mother's land in Tennessee, sold it and moved to Illinois with his large family. Years later my great grandmother loaned my father money to buy his first home, and he and my mother rented out the extra bedroom to boarders. Twenty five years later my Dad loaned us the money for a downpayment on our duplex, and the renters paid our mortgage and taxes. We'd like to pass along the help we were given which actually was put in motion over 100 years ago. But we'll have to pass on that "average priced" American house.