Today there is a mismatch between the location of many jobs in metropolitan St. Louis and nearby affordable housing. Full-time workers often struggle to find housing close to work that's both safe and affordable. This challenge faces employees such as healthcare staffers, bank tellers, daycare providers, and nonprofit employees, to name just a few.

Many workers must choose between commuting long distances or spending too much of their take-home pay to live closer to work. Others move in with relatives or friends or stay in substandard housing or a homeless shelter.

Since 2005, FOCUS has been working hard to increase the supply and accessibility of affordable-workforce housing. This is housing that is paid for by the working occupants. This initiative is about uplifting people who are gainfully employed to more readily find decent, safe, and affordable homes for their families within a reasonable commuting time frame.

The effort is about creating a more diverse housing stock regionwide. As a family’s incomes and housing needs evolve through the years, this enables people to simply change homes, not communities. 

Workforce housing is good for business. Good for families. Good for the community. 

Affordable Workforce Housing Association

As a result of the FOCUS St. Louis report, “Affordable Housing for the Region’s Workforce,” and the workforce housing policy conference sponsored by Saint Louis University and FOCUS St. Louis in October 2007, a need for a sustained and staffed coalition to address workforce housing policy at the state, regional, and local level, was identified. So, leaders from across Missouri and Illinois have worked with FOCUS St. Louis to create the Affordable Workforce Housing Association. The objectives are to:

• Establish transparency and predictability in the award of resources by the State Housing Finance Agencies (MHDC and IDA),
• Increase Housing Trust Funds at the federal, state, and local level,
• Promote the use of innovative building techniques and materials to reduce costs and improve affordability,
• Implement zoning ordinances that encourage workforce housing and eliminate restrictive zoning requirements,
• Promote incentives for Employer Assisted Housing,
• Tie economic development incentives to the provision of affordable workforce housing, and
• Develop statewide plans to preserve affordable workforce housing.

To join the Affordable Workforce Housing Association, please contact Nikki Weinstein, Policy and Community Engagement Director, at 314-622-1250 x102.

We Need The People Who Need Workforce Housing

The Affordable Workforce Housing Public Awareness Campaign takes a multi-pronged, multi-year approach at combating NIMBYism throughout the region. A collaboration of regional stakeholders including housing service providers, business leaders, government officials, and interested community citizens oversee the implementation of the campaign. More than 10 strategies, including a poster campaign, ad campaign, building of business relationships, advocacy web site, advocate training, and speaker’s bureau, combine to reach decision makers and to educate the public about the issue of workforce housing.

For more information and to become involved in the effort, visit WorkforceHousingStL.org.