1999-2000 Social Action Theme:
Hunger and Homelessness
TJCC has learned that affordable housing is a critical issue in helping to prevent low income families from becomming homeless and to helping homeless people get back into permanent housing.
At our March 5 event, TJCC learned more about affordable housing and how to speak out to make a difference. During the program, thefollowing family scenario was given to a group. Read through the scenario below. If you were the Simpsons, what you you do?? The Simpson Family The Simpsons are a family of four. Both Mrs. and Mr. Simpson did not attend college. Mrs. Simpson works days at a nearby candy factory on the packaging assembly line. Mr. Simpson works in the evening as a custodian in a local office building. Both earn a minimum wage of $6.00/hour and work a 40- hour week. While Mr. and Mrs. Simpson rarely see one another during the week with their different schedules, it allows them each time at home to care for their children, Shani and Alex ages 3 and 6, which saves them the expense of day-care . Over the past few years the Simpsons have had a hard time finding a place to call home. Most recently, they have been living with Mrs. Simpson's mom, but the apartment is cramped to have everyone there, and it is causing a lot tension between Mrs. Simpson and her mom. They need to find a place of their own for the family to settle more permanently, and know that they can only afford to rent an apartment. Total Combined Salary of Simpson Family: $24,960Monthly Income: $2,080 ($24,660 / 12)
As the Simpson family the following options are available to you. What do you choose? 1. A two-bedroom apartment in a housing project in Cambridge. The cost of living here is: $624/month (30% of monthly income = definition of affordable housing) The apartment is part of a large building of housing for low-income families. All of the families in the complex are struggling to make ends meet, just like you. The schools in Cambridge are quite good, but the neighborhood where the housing project is located has experienced some crime. Apartments in this complex are in high demand as there are many people in the area who share your situation. There is a tough selection process to apply for an apartment in this project. Preference is usually given to families who are homeless, or are in crisis (medical emergencies, domestic violence, etc.) 2. Your family can apply for rental support voucher that will pay for the difference of your rental cost over the $624/month you can afford to pay (30% of your monthly income). You can use the voucher to live almost anywhere that meets the State's housing standards and whose rent price falls within the state's calculation of the Fair Market Rent (FMR). (For Boston, FMR for a 2 bedroom is $906, a 3 bedroom is $1040 so you could find an apartment in this price range. Because of the high demand for these vouchers, the general waiting time for a voucher is 39 months. 3. Your family can move to the streets and choose to live homeless. This way you won't have to pay for housing at all. You can apply to live in a family shelter, but in order to qualify to live there, your family can't earn more than $1,071 a month, so someone will have to quit their job to become homeless. 4. On your own, without support from the state, you can rent a 2-bedroom apartment in Dorchester for $1000/month. Typically one should be paying only 30% of their monthly income towards the cost of rent. For the Simpsons, this would be $624 a month. Paying $1000/month for rent could cause making ends meet to be very difficult after food, clothing, transportation, medical and entertainment costs are paid for each month.