About the resource center

Housing policy is full of acronyms, overlapping programs and income formulas that even professionals look up. Most of what is written about it is scattered across agency manuals, legal code, research papers and news stories. This resource center gathers it in one place and explains it in plain English.

It is organized around three ideas. Affordable housing serves lower-income households, mostly through public subsidy. Workforce housing serves working households who earn too much for most subsidies but too little for the market near their jobs. Affordable workforce housing is where those two meet. Each topic covers its history, how it works today, and the ideas shaping its future.

Who publishes it

The resource center is published by LittleLiving.Org, Inc. (Little Living), a Delaware 501(c)(3) nonprofit that builds affordable cottage communities for working families, seniors and veterans in Sussex and Kent counties. We built this reference because the families, employers and officials we work with kept asking the same questions — and deserved clear, trustworthy answers.

The reference itself is independent of our own projects. It covers every approach fairly, including ones we don't use.

How to use it

• Start with the dictionary when you meet an unfamiliar term.
• Read a guide when you need the full picture of a topic.
• Check the programs directory to see who runs a program and how to get access.
• Use the calculators to run the numbers for a household or a rent.

Everything here is general educational information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Program rules change, so confirm details with the agency that runs a program before making decisions.

Corrections and suggestions

If you spot an error or think a topic is missing, email gjm@littleliving.org. We review every message and fix confirmed errors promptly.