The American dream of owning a home is becoming less and less of a reality to millions of Americans. And for those who are financially ill-equipped to buy, it is becoming increasingly difficult to obtain sound, desirable rental housing at affordable prices. What is affordable housing? Affordable housing is generally defined as decent, quality housing that costs no more than 30 percent of a household's gross monthly income for rent/mortgage and utility payments. Contrary to popular belief, the people who are unable to find affordable housing are not limited to those at the bottom rungs of the income ladder. Increasingly, they include growing numbers of middle income families and individuals. More often than not they are the children or elderly parents of residents from our own communities. Many who hold jobs in essential services—trade, manufacturing and government—are being forced to commute long distances to work because they are unable to locate affordable housing near their jobs. For a growing number of workers this means that they cannot afford to live in the same community where they work. Long commutes contribute, in turn, to the worsening of other problems including increased traffic congestion, air pollution and the over-consumption of fossil fuels. Longer commutes also add more stress to daily routines and can result in the disruption of households and lower productivity at work. (excerpt from the document)