Atomictumor

The Oak Ridger is talking about a North Carolina company expressing interest in building some townhouses and apartments on the site that two of the dilapidated Applewood apartments stand now.  Now, its not in the bag yet, but they’ve secured low-income housing tax approvals from the state, and have stated they’ll work with current tenants on finding places for them to move during the construction period, but theres a snag, that the Oak Ridger didn’t run with:

“As proposed, the new housing, designed for families who make up to 60 percent of area median income, will include one-, two- and three-bedroom units.

Rents will range from $400 to $650…”

And theres the rub.  $400 for a one bedroom ain’t cheap.  It ain’t low income.  I haven’t been apartment hunting for some time, but talking to people I know, its about what non-low income complexes like British Wood or Castlewood (isn’t that the one on the far east end?) charge.  Hell, our mortgage payment falls within that range for a 3 bedroom house.

Sure, its not the high end that Oak Ridge has been in heat for, and its not going to cost four digits a month like these apartments being built as we speak at the corner of Emory Valley and Lafayette (seriously, luxury apartments across busy streets from small industrial shops, brilliant), but its still priced too high for struggling single moms, or disabled folks to live in. Sure, there’s federal assistance (one of the moms on our street get housing assistance in renting her place, which is cool), but its a step that some people can’t get off work long enough to jump through, what with all of the meeting impassionate (i.e. brutish asshole) social workers and going through all the impenetrable forms.

Its hard work being poor.