Providing affordable housing has long been a priority to the home building industry. Now, a new poll from Zogby America shows it’s important to American citizens as well. According to the poll, 90 percent of Americans believe providing affordable housing is a high priority and more than half believe that the nation’s housing policy is on the wrong track to achieving “a decent home and suitable living environment for every American family.” The construction of new Charlotte, North Carolina homes hopes to alleviate some of that worry in America’s South.

The poll of 1,200 adults surveyed by telephone was commissioned by a coalition of public, private and non-profit advocacy groups, including the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), in conjunction with “Housing America 2007,” a nationwide affordable housing awareness campaign.

“The housing affordability crisis has a dramatic effect on the quality of life of millions of families,” said Jerry Howard, NAHB’s chief executive officer. “We need a broad coalition of groups representing the housing industry, business, non-profits and government to make affordable housing a priority in every community.”

There is often a tendency to equate “affordable housing” with “low-income housing.” But the problem is much broader than that. It affects middle-income individuals such as teachers, police officers, firefighters and other public servants, as well as millions of Americans in the service and retail industries. Many of these hardworking families are forced to commute long distances, live in housing that does not meet their needs, or pay far too great a share of their incomes for housing. And it’s a problem many voters are beginning to follow closely.

In fact, 75 percent of respondents in the poll said that a candidate’s ideas on how to provide more affordable housing would be of importance in deciding who they would vote for in the 2008 presidential elections. Sixty-nine percent said they would be more likely to select a presidential candidate who articulated his or her detailed plan for providing affordable housing.

But what is the solution?

There are various factors that serve as barriers to affordability both nationally and for Charlotte, North Carolina homes. In many communities, the problem is made worse by a shortage of buildable land and unreasonable restrictions on zoning, urban growth boundaries, and multifamily housing development.

Policies that encourage builder investment, such as streamlined development approvals for multifamily developments and public investment in infrastructure for affordable housing, can improve affordability. Community stakeholders that collaboratively develop plans and solutions have a better chance of achieving the historical goal of a decent home and suitable living environment for every American family.

To find out more about how affordability is being addressed in your community, or by CedarCroft Homes for Charlotte, North Carolina homes, please contact your local home builders association www.nahb.org.

Learn more about our Charlotte new homes

###