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Wages In Lane County One Of Many Challenges Towards Housing Affordability

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Tierra Mallorca
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Affordable housing across Lane County remains a hurdle for many, the board of commissioners learned at their lates meeting Tuesday. 

For over an hour, commissioners listened to Kaarin Knudson, Director of Better Housing Together, as she outlined her organization’s action plan.  Among the issues facing Lane County, she said, was that 75 percent of occupations fall under the full area median income.

“A pre-school teacher for example, making $29,300 a year…that individual’s affordable monthly housing cost, would be $805 a month.  There’s no housing being delivered to the market that that person could afford.”

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Credit Better Housing Together
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A slide from Tuesday's presentation shows how 3/4 of occupations in Lane County are under 100% of AMI.

Among the strategies the county could undertake was leveraging available county land for more affordable housing, and getting trade support from local colleges. Partnering with faith-based groups with available or underutilized property was another option.

Copyright 2020, KLCC.

Brian Bull joined the KLCC News Team in June 2016. In his 25+ years as a public media journalist, he's worked at NPR, Twin Cities Public Television, South Dakota Public Broadcasting, Wisconsin Public Radio, and ideastream in Cleveland. His reporting has netted dozens of accolades, including four national Edward R. Murrow Awards (19 regional), the Ohio Associated Press' Best Reporter Award, Best Radio Reporter from the Native American Journalists Association, and the PRNDI/NEFE Award for Excellence in Consumer Finance Reporting.
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