After a more in-depth review of the Carroll County Housing Assessment completed by RDG Planning and Design, Carroll City Manager, Michel Pogge-Weaver, said he wanted to delve deeper into the definition of affordable housing. He said the U.S. Census just came out with median household income figures, which is the number where half of the population makes more and half earns less. For Carroll County, that median income was reported at $43,078 per year.
Now when utilities, insurance and other fixed housing costs outside of a mortgage are deducted, that number is lowered.
Pogge-Weaver said in 2015, there was not one house built in Carroll below $190,000. There were two, however, that were below $200,000, that was a great commentary, he said, that we are building a range of housing, not just expensive homes. But there is a gap in the market to meet the needs of those in the median income range.
He said that doesn’t mean we are just building new homes, but a variety of different types of housing, such as market-rate apartments. He added he wants to use this perspective to continue the discussions that have been raised from the housing assessment in local government and in the private sector.
