A crucial concern that directly impacts our citizens’ well-being lies in the heart of our community: affordable housing. As the CEO of the SLO County Housing Trust Fund, a nonprofit affordable housing revolving loan fund, I want to share the significance of this challenge and advocate for its role in shaping our community’s future.
Our mission is committed to increasing the supply of affordable housing in SLO County. The reasons behind this commitment are as diverse as the families and individuals we aim to serve. Here’s why affordable housing is so important:
• Stability and dignity: Affordable housing provides a stable foundation for families, offering them a sanctuary to put down roots and build a life. It ensures that hardworking individuals have a place to call home, fostering a sense of dignity and security that is fundamental to personal and community well-being.
• Economic vitality: Affordable housing availability is directly linked to economic prosperity. It attracts a diverse workforce, ensuring that businesses in our community have access to a talent pool that can drive innovation and growth. When employees don’t have to navigate the challenges of unaffordable housing, they can focus more on their work, contributing to the overall economic vitality of the region.
• Educational opportunities: Children thrive when they have a stable home environment. Affordable housing contributes to the educational success of our youth by reducing the stress and uncertainty associated with housing instability. A safe and secure home provides the foundation for children to excel academically and become the leaders of tomorrow.
• Health and well-being: The link between housing and health is undeniable. Affordable housing promotes physical and mental well-being by offering families a refuge from the stressors associated with inadequate, unstable living conditions. It is an investment in the health of our community, preventing the negative consequences that arise when housing becomes a barrier to wellness.
• Community cohesion: Affordable housing fosters diverse and inclusive communities. It ensures that our neighborhoods are vibrant and rich with a mix of backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives. This diversity strengthens the fabric of our society, promoting understanding, empathy, and a sense of shared purpose among residents.
Affordable housing is not merely about bricks and mortar; it is about building the foundation for a resilient, thriving, and inclusive community. Working together, we can create a community where everyone has the opportunity to flourish.
Jeff Eckles
CEO
SLO County Housing Trust Fund
This article appears in Jan 18-28, 2024.
Societal instability due in part to an unstable, semi-unregulated real estate sales market is indeed at root. Right under our noses, and out in the open.
I often ask why the sale of a house any different than buying a Twinkie in a convenience store?
A convenience store advertises Twinkies for one dollar, so I stroll in to get one. And when I get there, there’s only one left. Fine. Lucky me. So, I take that Twinkie up to the register with my dollar in hand. However, another guy has shown up who also wants that last Twinkie, so he offers the owner $1.25 for the remaining Twinkie. And even though the advertised asking price was $1.00, which I could definitely provide and had expressed my desire to do so, the owner still sells it to the other guy.
Does this seem correct? Legal? Fair? And do you think this practice – legal or not – contributes to the destabilization of the residential real estate market? And, in turn, society as a whole.
I think YES.
Home sales should not have any different selling rules than that of a convenience-store selling Twinkies. A perceived fair price is set and advertised. If someone can meet that price and offers to buy, it should be sold to that person. End of story.
Goodbye bidding wars, goodbye millions of hours and dollars spent searching, planning, and jockeying for a purchase for a price set that a seller may or may not adhere to. A clearly destabilizing act that goes on with thousands of homes up for sale in thousands of cities every day.