🏡 Workforce Housing!

[Winter2025VA]

Anyone know any details about Workhouse Housing?

I just saw an ARTICLE about it in my Google News.

Got curious.

Thanks,

Nicole  🏡  (Housing Forum)

[Winter2025VA]

Gail @GailL1 , it seems to be a "possible" solution. Any comments?

Thanks,

Nicole

[GailL1]

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@Winter2025VA wrote:

Gail @GailL1 , it seems to be a "possible" solution. Any comments?

Thanks,

Nicole

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Not a solution IMO - I think of this sort of housing as like the ole mill-cities.  You know factory type workers who live in housing built around the factory.  Here those were mostly textile mills - which left the country in the 90’s as other manufacturers did.  In the Midwest, those may have been steel mills.

Workforce Housing is still around but it is a far cry from the mill housing.  This city not too far from me has a few but they really aren’t that much different than other subsidized housing. Most of these are rental - apartments or houses.

Workforce Housing - Decatur Housing Authority 

Where I live, we often subsidize housing for law enforcement officers - in the hopes that just having a “cop” as a neighbor will help reduce crime in a specific area.  I don’t know if they have ever tested this theory to see if it actually works - but maybe.

Getting a slightly below market rate isn’t that much when the overall price of renting or buying is so high.  

Now some Silicon Valley companies who build not just working office building but whole campuses probably have Workforce Housing but i think those might be different than what you are talking about in your post.  Once places like this are built they employ so many people that other needed retail infrastructure builds up around them - grocery stores, restaurants, etc.  - then you have built a city.  Maybe schools would have to be built too, I don’t know since they tend to hire the younger workforce - maybe too young for kids at that point in time.

All housing adds to the supply but housing is very subjective - you get what you want or you get what you can afford and that includes the location.  Some people want convenience, others may want elbow-room with little development around them.  I am in the later camp.  That’s why I built in a watershed area - no commercial development and every home has to have a minimum of 3-acres, etc.

Workforce housing still seems to be ran by the local housing authority,  Most likely under contract with a landlord or company using this as an employment encentive.  I don’t know how many units are currently available but it is like other housing - not many or not many at an affordable price.

Here again, Affordable is subjective.  

[Winter2025VA]

Gail @GailL1 , thanks!!! Oh well, had HOPED maybe it was geared towards housing for workers who were probably traveling hours to work. In my opinion, time to cut the Government Handouts. Grant Money runs out, folks end up on the street. Not sure IF housing crisis will ever be SOLVED. It seems people are encouraged to STAY BELOW a certain INCOME to get the handouts. A vicious cycle. Get a NEW job with MORE income = still cannot afford housing & homeless due to LOSING your Government Handout. Nicole

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[*** GAIL wrote: Not a solution IMO - I think of this sort of housing as like the ole mill-cities.  You know factory type workers who live in housing built around the factory.  Here those were mostly textile mills - which left the country in the 90’s as other manufacturers did.  In the Midwest, those may have been steel mills.

Workforce Housing is still around but it is a far cry from the mill housing.  This city not too far from me has a few but they really aren’t that much different than other subsidized housing. Most of these are rental - apartments or houses.

Workforce Housing - Decatur Housing Authority 

Where I live, we often subsidize housing for law enforcement officers - in the hopes that just having a “cop” as a neighbor will help reduce crime in a specific area.  I don’t know if they have ever tested this theory to see if it actually works - but maybe.

Getting a slightly below market rate isn’t that much when the overall price of renting or buying is so high.  

Now some Silicon Valley companies who build not just working office building but whole campuses probably have Workforce Housing but i think those might be different than what you are talking about in your post.  Once places like this are built they employ so many people that other needed retail infrastructure builds up around them - grocery stores, restaurants, etc.  - then you have built a city.  Maybe schools would have to be built too, I don’t know since they tend to hire the younger workforce - maybe too young for kids at that point in time.

All housing adds to the supply but housing is very subjective - you get what you want or you get what you can afford and that includes the location.  Some people want convenience, others may want elbow-room with little development around them.  I am in the later camp.  That’s why I built in a watershed area - no commercial development and every home has to have a minimum of 3-acres, etc.

Workforce housing still seems to be ran by the local housing authority,  Most likely under contract with a landlord or company using this as an employment encentive.  I don’t know how many units are currently available but it is like other housing - not many or not many at an affordable price.

Here again, Affordable is subjective.  ***]

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[Winter2025VA]

GOOGLE AL SAYS.

Workforce housing is housing that is affordable for the workers in a region's essential industries and workforce. It can include housing for a region's majority workforce, or for households earning up to a certain percentage of the Area Median Income (AMI). Workforce housing can include a variety of housing types, such as apartments, townhouses, starter homes, condominiums, and accessory dwelling units.

Here are some examples of workforce housing programs:

▶️*** Workforce Dwelling Unit (WDU) Homebuyer Program.
This program allows qualified homebuyers to purchase homes at below-market prices near transportation and employment centers. Homebuyers must earn between 70 and 120 percent of the AMI.

▶️*** Workforce Rental Unit.
This type of housing is affordable for households earning up to 80 or 100 percent of the AMI. Lease agreements or deed restrictions limit the annual rent increases for these units.