CNT In the News

Dexter’s Housing Task Force recently completed its year-long study of housing costs in the City. The report had surprises as well as confirmations of what a lot of people intuitively know.

The Task Force clarifies ‘Affordable Housing’ as housing that costs less than 30% of a household’s gross annual income. If housing costs (rent or mortgage, utilities, taxes) exceed 30%, it is considered a cost burden. Households facing this burden are challenged to afford food, transportation, child care, education, medical costs, and other needs.

The report also took a look at the area’s affordability by including transportation costs stating, “Because housing and transportation costs are intertwined, groups like the Center for Neighborhood Technology (CNT) advocate that both be considered as part of any understanding of affordable housing costs,” they report. “When considering housing and transportation costs together, the income target increases to 45% of gross annual income.”

One interesting symptom of high housing prices is the relationship between inflow and outflow of the daily work commute for Dexter: Where Do They Live? versus Where Do They Work?

The infographics below from the U.S. Census illustrate the surprising fact that only 119 people who live in Dexter also work in Dexter. Of the 2,629 people who work in Dexter, 2,510 commute in from where they live in other communities. There are 1,691 people who live in Dexter and work elsewhere.

The Task Force pointed to this data to illustrate the idea that people who are employed in Dexter cannot afford to live here.

The entire presentation can be found in the Dexter City Council meeting packet for Feb. 10, 2020, found on the City’s website.