The Dilemma of Affordable vs Acceptable Housing

Every day we read about the affordable housing crisis and lots of ideas of to produce that housing are being proposed with about the same regularity. Listening to new startup companies saying they can build 1,000 or more houses a month using modular and prefab construction methods are pouring in from every part of the globe.

One company says they have a house that has laminated wall panels and can deliver 200-300 a week but it needs to be assembled at the job site. A couple of startups say they can deliver folding houses while others are using everything from recycled cardboard to hemp to make their houses affordable.

The biggest problem most of these "affordable" houses will not be acceptable to a majority of the people they could be helping. It should come as no surprise that designing a home with less than 400 sq ft of living space and trying to put a family of 4 inside a cube that in most cases, only has one bedroom, one small bath, and one open room for all family activities just doesn't seem acceptable.

Now put 500 of these cubes in an open lot with a central parking lot, and pathways to the houses and it immediately begins looking more like a free-range chicken village than a functioning community.

Affordable vs Acceptable

Affordable housing is housing that is deemed affordable to those with a household income at or below the median as rated by the national government or a local government by a recognized housing affordability index.

Acceptable housing is considered to be of a decent standard of quality and safety. It should be free from hazards such as dampness, mold, and pests, and should have adequate heating and ventilation. It should also be in a location that is convenient for access to services such as schools, shops, and public transport.

The two terms are not mutually exclusive. Affordable housing can also be acceptable housing and vice versa. However, there is no guarantee that this will always be the case. For example, a property may be affordable but located in an area with high crime rates, making it unacceptable to some people. Conversely, a property may be acceptable but located in an area with high property prices, making it unaffordable to some people.

The difference between affordable and acceptable housing is important because it can have a significant impact on people's lives. If people cannot afford to live in acceptable housing, they may be forced to live in substandard accommodation, which can have a negative impact on their health and well-being. Similarly, if people cannot find acceptable housing that is affordable, they may be forced to live in areas that are not convenient for them, which can make it difficult for them to access essential services.

With median new home prices in the US quickly approaching $450,000, how is a 400 sq ft garden-shed box a solution?

The Solution is Doomed

It's not the modular or prefab factory's fault that they are turning to produce mostly 400-600 sq ft apartments or those chicken coop style tiny boxes. No, it's simply the economy.

Rising prices for just about everything we buy. Incomes for entire sections of the population are stagnant and affordable housing is out of reach for millions of people, the only people that actually seem to be addressing the problem; factory owners; are only reacting to meet the demand for affordable housing but not the need for acceptable housing.

The factories would close their doors if all they could produce were acceptable housing.

Take a minute and ask yourself if you could live the rest of your life in a 400 sq ft cube?