Saturday, November 2, 2024

ICYMI Sept. 17-23: Special series asks ‘can you afford to live in Wilmington?’

Headlines come and go faster than ever. Check out the stories people were talking about in this week's 'In Case You Missed It.'

This week we ran a five-part series on the issue of affordable housing. Frequently misunderstood as government housing, ‘affordable housing’ affects everybody, across all income brackets, and – in essence – means spending a sane and sustainable amount of your income on a place to live. In Wilmington, that’s becoming increasingly difficult to do.

These stories broke the problem down, from the facts and figures to personal stories to possible solutions. In case you missed it, here’s the whole series.

Part One

Can a typical wager earner in Wilmington afford to live in the city limits?
Can a typical wager earner in Wilmington afford to live in the city limits?

In the first part of our series, we looked at the problem and asked basic, but far from simple, question: can you afford to live in Wilmington?

Can Wilmington’s working class afford to live in the city?

Part Two

high rent yields more congestion
Traffic in Wilmington isn’t just aggravating, it’s evidence of a shortage in affordable housing.

In the next part of our series, we looked at the factors pushing Wilmington workers out of the city, and examined how Wilmington’s situation stacks up against the nationwide issue. 

High rents are pushing workers out of Wilmington, but that’s not their only problem

Part Three

Areas like the Mayfaire area serve as 'nodes' acting as a centralized location for residents to travel to for all their needs. (Port City Daily photo/BEN SCHACHTMAN)
Areas like the Mayfaire area serve as ‘nodes’ acting as a centralized location for residents to travel to for all their needs. (Port City Daily photo/BEN SCHACHTMAN)

The City of Wilmington encourages Mixed-Use Developments – projects like Mayfaire – because, in theory, by keeping housing, shopping and businesses together they cut down on traffic. But do these pre-planned neighborhoods really work? We found out. 

Traffic and mixed use developments: Live and play at home, but not if you work there

Part Four

In the next part of our series, we took a more intimate look at housing, employment and traffic. After all, behind the figures and statistics are real people trying to make ends meet. We talked to one worker in the service industry to get an in-depth and personal look at what these issues look like in real life.

What do the people making your food think about the cost of living in Wilmington?

Part Five

As population increases in the Greater Wilmington Area, working class housing will continue to be a topic of discussion (Port City Daily photo/FILE)
As population increases in the Greater Wilmington Area, working class housing will continue to be a topic of discussion (Port City Daily photo/FILE)

By the end of our series, we hope we have painted a clearer picture of why ‘affordable housing’ matters to everyone — and what the issue really boils down to. Now it’s time to push past frustration and look for solutions.

From public transportation to government regulation: possible solutions to address Wilmington’s workforce housing shortage

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