Affordable Housing vs. Attainable Housing: What’s the Difference?

Over the past year, we have been discussing the critical and immediate need for attainable housing in our area. As in most cases, situations that are new or different can be confusing and easily misunderstood. In this case, many residents have misconceptions and/or are unfamiliar with the difference between Attainable Housing and Affordable Housing.

Here are a few facts:

“Attainable housing” and “affordable housing”are terms often used interchangeably, but they cater to significantly different income levels and involve distinct strategies to address housing needs.

Affordable Housing:

Affordable housing refers to housing units made affordable to individuals and families with low to moderate incomes, often through government interventions such as subsidies, tax credits, or direct funding. The goal is to ensure that these households do not spend more than 30% of their income on housing costs. Programs like public housing, Section 8 vouchers, and Low-Income Housing Tax Credits (LIHTC) are common mechanisms to provide affordable housing.

Attainable Housing:

Attainable housing, on the other hand, targets middle-income households who may not qualify for traditional housing assistance but still struggle with housing affordability due to market conditions. This concept focuses on providing housing options that are financially accessible to middle-income earners, such as police, fire, EMS, and school teachers.

Sleeping Bear Gateways Council’s goal is to facilitate attainable housing units to grow and maintain a permanent and seasonal workforce in our communities.

Strategies to promote attainable housing include:

  • Missing Middle Housing: Development of diverse housing types, such as duplexes, triplexes, and townhomes, that bridge the gap between single-family homes and high-density apartments. These housing types can offer better affordability due to their smaller size and shared infrastructure costs.
  • Qualifying: Non-profit developers vet potential beneficiaries of attainable housing units through a structured process to ensure that housing is allocated to those who meet the eligibility criteria and have the greatest need. This vetting process typically includes the following steps:

Step 1: Eligibility Screening Income Verification

  • Income Verification: Applicants must fall within a specific income bracket, usually defined as a percentage of Area Median Income (AMI).
  • Employment & Financial Stability: Some require applicants to live or work in the area they serve for a certain period (e.g., 6 months to 1 year). For example, United Properties of West Michigan requires applicants to have been employed for at least six months without significant employment gaps or to have a credit score of 640 or higher if employed for less than six months and financial standing to determine if the applicant can maintain housing costs.
  • Residency & Citizenship Status: Programs require applicants to be legal residents or citizens of the country or region.
  • Household Size & Composition: Unit sizes are often matched to household needs to prevent overcrowding or under-utilization.

Step 2: Background Checks

  • Credit History: Credit reports to assess financial responsibility.
  • Rental History: Prior evictions, landlord references, or history of consistent rent payments may be considered.
  • Criminal Background Checks: Some programs review criminal records (up to 10 years) to ensure the safety of other residents.

Step 3: Needs-Based Prioritization

  • Vulnerability Assessment: Preference is often given to individuals facing homelessness, seniors, Veterans, or persons with disabilities.
  • Local Preference Policies: Some programs prioritize applicants who already live or work in the community where the housing is being developed.

Step 4: Application Review & Interviews

  • Applicants typically submit a detailed application with required documentation (tax returns, pay stubs, IDs, etc.).
  • Some programs conduct in-person or virtual interviews to assess need and fit.

Step 5: Final Approval & Lease Signing

  • Once vetted, successful applicants receive an offer, complete lease agreements, and may be required to attend housing education or counseling sessions before moving in.

Each project can have its own standards, but these are a few of the basic requirements that anyone applying for attainable housing may need to meet.

We Need Your Support

SBGC is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) staffed 100% by volunteers.Our goal is to facilitate additional attainable housing units to grow and maintain a permanent workforce in our community.

How You Can Help

There are several things you can do now to help SBGC in our efforts to mitigate the crisis in workforce housing in our gateway communities:

  1. Please subscribe to our e-newsletter. This sign-up link can be found at the bottom of our homepage.
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  3. Please support us with a donation or volunteer with us.