**Changing NIMBY Opinions About Affordable Housing: Q&A with CHOC’s Joy Silver**
*One solution to America’s housing crisis is to build more affordable housing units for lower-income populations. However, even when knowledgeable developers manage to cut through red tape and secure the necessary tax credits and funding, they often face resistance from community residents who don’t want “those types of apartments” in their neighborhoods.*
ApartmentBuildings.com recently sat down with Joy Silver, Chief Strategy Officer at Community Housing Opportunities Corporation (CHOC), to discuss how to address and counter the “Not In My Back Yard” (NIMBY) mindset that frequently blocks affordable housing development.
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**Q: Why is affordable housing regarded so negatively?**
**A:** It’s all about perception. What housing professionals mean by “affordable housing” and what the general public hears are often two entirely different things.
Affordable housing targets low- and moderate-income households — people earning between 30% and 120% of the area median income (AMI), depending on location. These individuals have steady income but can no longer afford stable housing due to rising costs.
Unfortunately, when people hear “affordable housing,” they often think of homelessness, addiction, mental illness, or other issues associated with visible poverty. The nuance gets lost. The reality is that many who need affordable housing are working families and individuals who simply can’t keep up with today’s housing costs.
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**Q: How do you define affordable housing?**
**A:** A term that’s gaining traction is “attainable housing” — emphasizing homes for people who were once housed but now are not.
This includes individuals and families affected by sudden medical expenses, survivors of domestic violence living in their cars, or working individuals earning too much to qualify for traditional housing assistance, but too little to afford market-rate rents.
These people know how to live in a home. They’ve done it before. What they need is a stable environment because their current housing options have been taken away by economic or social pressures.
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**Q: Can education help communities accept affordable housing?**
**A:** Absolutely. As developers of affordable housing, we frequently meet skepticism. But education makes a significant difference. When we explain the different types of affordable housing and clarify that we’re building attainable housing — not shelters or facilities for chronic homelessness — people begin to understand.
We inform communities that these developments are for people who meet strict qualifying criteria. Applicants must verify their income levels to ensure they fall within certain limits — not too high but enough to sustain themselves — and they must recertify annually. It’s a heavily regulated, structured, and responsible process.
We also stress that we follow proven formulas that integrate certified, income-qualified individuals into stable housing. Once people grasp that these are neighbors who just need a break — a safe, affordable place to live — perspectives begin to shift.
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*This Q&A with Joy Silver originally appeared on ApartmentBuildings.com.*
*Image: Joy Silver, Chief Strategy Officer at CHOC*
