Myth: “Affordable Housing” people are on welfare and won’t fit in my neighborhood.

Message: “Affordable Housing” is intended to attract workers needed in our community, but who can’t afford the local high housing prices. This is where it is very effective to identify a worker, such as a nurse, that is an asset to the community, and explain that his salary alone won’t allow him to live in your community. Also, “affordable” doesn’t mean they’re going to be a bad neighbor, just like high cost homes don’t guarantee good neighbors.

Myth: Affordable-Workforce Housing will reduce my property values.

Message: Our message should be that affordable housing can be indistinguishable from higher-cost housing. It’s lesser quality housing and neighborhoods that lower property values. Studies show that having a variety of housing options in a community actually increases the value of all properties, and greatly benefits the health of the community.

Myth: Affordable-Workforce Housing will increase crime.

Message: Our message should be that any poorly-managed housing development can attract crime, but that a well-designed and well-managed housing development does not have an adverse effect on neighborhood safety.

Myth: Affordable-Workforce Housing means those ugly high-rise buildings that have proved to be such a disaster in the past.

Message: Modern practices in building affordable housing incorporate good design and energy-efficient building methods and can result in utility savings for homeowners.Manufactured and pre-built housing are additional options for reducing building costs.These can be similar in quality to site-built housing; it’s the quality of the housing, not the method of construction, which determines value.