How do we put housing within reach of everyone?

To borrow from a candidate for New York’s governor in 2010, “The rent is too damn high.”

What was true in New York then, remains true today in Snohomish County, Washington state and elsewhere in the U.S.: The rent — and mortgages — are too damn high.

Clearly, with nearly half of Washington state households having to pay more than 30 percent of income for rent or mortgage payments — the level deemed “affordable” for housing — those costs are not only high but a burden to paying other expenses.

A panel discussion Thursday sponsored by The Daily Herald centered on the challenges in providing necessary assistance and in building an ample stock of housing that can help keep rents and mortgages affordable. As well, the discussion outlined policies and efforts being employed to address assistance and the need for additional housing and proposals for future legislation and programs.

https://www.heraldnet.com/opinion/editorial-how-do-we-put-housing-within-reach-of-everyone/