IndexThe problem of affordable housingRisks caused by lack of affordable housingConclusionReferencesThere are many social issues that have become more evident with the ongoing pandemic. One issue involves affordable housing. As with most social issues, addressing the root cause involves difficult choices involving other social issues. Making one problem better will make other problems worse for some people. The paper will look at the issue of affordable housing and what the root causes are. We will present how some entities are addressing the issue of affordable housing. Ultimately, local and national populations must decide what sacrifices to make for others. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay The Problem of Affordable Housing Affordable housing can be defined as any type of housing where a person or family spends less than 30% of their income on rent or house payments. From the 2019 State of the Nation's Housing report, nearly 40 million American families lack affordable housing. In this situation there are slightly more renters than homeowners. A local example of Pinellas County's affordability gap is that the average 2017 rent was $1,014. To afford an apartment, a single person would have to make an hourly wage of $19.50. With the minimum wage below $9, low-income residents must work several jobs to afford a job. One cause of supply limitation is government regulation. Vogel provides an example of how parking regulations reduce the number of units on a piece of land. In Miami, a developer wanted to build eight apartments between two buildings. The parking requirements were larger than the parking itself. The developer had to work with other stakeholders to reduce the obligation to permanently build. Miami did this along with properties close to public transportation. Another factor that has developed in the recent past is how Airbnb is impacting affordability. Los Angeles residents had over 11,000 units listed in 2014. The number of regular hotel rooms was about nine times higher. With the use of Airbnb these units were no longer available for regular residential use. The reduction in demand is in addition to the higher prices charged for rent and the purchase prices of homeowners. With a limited supply of residences and low income, housing affordability is a big issue. Risks Caused by Lack of Affordable Housing Lack of affordable housing presents society with many risks. The biggest risk is that with so much money going towards rent, other needs can be met. Hickey highlights how families could dramatically reduce health care spending. This obviously leads to subsequent problems and impacts on social health services for all. Other risk factors for those affected by housing affordability include lack of food and lack of retirement savings. As with health care, these problems can result in the rest of society having to pay for what others cannot pay for. Other risks include homelessness due to evictions, increased crime in low-income areas, and below-average housing stock.standard. An example from Weathers shows how tenants who were given affordable housing had to live in poor circumstances. The management company has not kept up with maintenance. Various problems were occurring such as broken windows, cockroach infestations, mold and other negative factors. With substandard housing, money must be spent on fixing the problems or, in the worst case, demolished. As stated previously, health issues are a factor along with possible mental health issues. Whether children can learn properly when stressed by poor housing conditions is a big question. Therefore, the risks listed above are a start and provide a basis for society to seek to address them. Figure 1 presents some of the major forces opposing affordable housing. In reality, many more forces influence the situation and there must be social compromises made. From the list of restraining forces, the overall resistance to increasing density is an example of a trade-off. Many people want more space between themselves and their neighbors. They may want more space to move pets with leases, have swimming pools and entertainment spaces. From a personal point of view, more space is needed for neighbors who create noise. However, more space means less housing and higher housing costs in a given area. The restraining force exerted by low-income residents is the main reason for the problem. Affordable housing must help low-income residents, but other solutions, such as better employment situations and educational outcomes, are needed to solve the low-income problem. The local company must determine what the best solution is. Airbnb's restrictive force creates less supply and is linked to government regulation. Governments are struggling to address how to regulate the private use of a home for commercial purposes. Lee examines how Los Angeles has tried to address the problem. Affordable housing has received growing recognition that everyone needs a place to live within their means. At worst, many residents have become homeless or live with others in overcrowded conditions. A driving force is increased public funding. This funding can come from local and national sources. Domestic sources include vouchers in the form of “Section 8” funds. In 2015, approximately 5 million people received these funds to rent from private landlords. As previously stated, the number of those requiring assistance is eight times higher. Much of the problem stems from limited funds creating long waiting lists. Further help can come from publicly owned housing. Metcalfe provides a list of several large cities: Between 1 and 3 percent of all housing is public housing. Therefore, the need for financing sources is extremely important. As with tolerating increased density, residents need to realize that there is a need to help less fortunate people with their housing situations. Intelligent government regulation of housing is a necessity. As previously stated, Miami had parking requirements that made it difficult to construct multi-unit buildings. Taking public transport into consideration, the city government has made available a relaxation of the requirements. Orange County, Florida, loosens some rules by allowing as many affordable units (130) to be built in six months of 2020 than in the entire previous year. By taking more into account the supporting factors in an area,