Is Affordable Housing Really Affordable?

Many people are so eager to try and find affordable housing in their general area, because they want to see how much cheaper they can get their rent. However in some places, especially in New Jersey, affordable housing can be just as expensive. Of course you will be able to get into places that cost a good five hundred to six hundred dollars more than what you are paying. In most areas affordable housing seems to be well out of the reach of many people who are looking for affordable housing.

The other downside is that in most cases there are lotteries that are done to choose who will get the affordable housing. What is the problem? Well apparently there are just not enough affordable housing homes to go around. Even if you do qualify you may still find it difficult to make all of the payments. Some affordable housing units do not cover the heat and hot water or the electric, which will mean that you have to end up paying for it yourself. The other down side that many people who live in affordable housing are finding out is that it’s really not as affordable as they once thought. Once you are in a place and start paying all of the bills you really get an opportunity to see how expensive it truly is. So in order to answer the question as to whether or not affordable housing is really affordable, it depends on your own personal income and circumstances. Remember that each person’s circumstances are different, and therefore what you can afford is different. If you are approved for affordable housing in your area make sure that you can afford it. They may be able to look at your income and tell that you can technically afford it, but you will need to keep a close eye on your utilities and make sure that they do not suddenly get out of control. Keep in mind that if gas prices continue to rise then your gas bill will probably continue to go up as well. You will also need to make sure that you keep an eye on your electric bill if you have a lot of electric appliances such as an electric stove. Of course there are plenty of programs that you can apply for to help you with your utilities when they are unusually high, but these sometimes take a lot of time to get. The key is to make sure that you plan well. In some situations you may not be able to stay in an affordable housing unit if your utilities just get to be too high out of your reach.