common and has many impacts on the integrity, diversity and continuity of the local culture that makes Santa Fe so unique. Since at least 2003, this has been the case. It was at this point that the entry-level market rate home was no longer affordable to someone earning the median income in Santa Fe. Without the efforts of housing non-profits like The Housing Trust, Homewise and Habitat for Humanity, policy and financial support from the city, county, state and federal governments, or the numerous affordable homes developed by for-profit developers, many of our essential workforce could not live in the community that they serve. It is easy to agree that fireman or police or first responders that live in the community where they work are better equipped to serve that community. High quality social services create a safer, healthier and ultimately more sustainable community.

A sustainable community is not just based on public services like fire, police, or healthcare; it is about weaving a fabric of cultural and economic diversity. A 2007 City Housing Needs Assessment found that over 9,000 people who work in Santa Fe commute from outside the county. People who work in Santa Fe yet live elsewhere, tend to spend their money close to home, and lose quality time by commuting. One study conducted by Homewise found that in-commuting constitutes a $300,000,000 loss to the Santa Fe economy annually. Compounding this is the environmental cost that we all must bear. The average commuter who lives in Rio Rancho can spend over $600 a month in gas, maintenance and other costs associated with commuting to Santa Fe, a number that will go up every year as gas prices rise. Clearly, quality homes for our workforce sustain our local economy and enhance the economic security of families.

Affordable homeownership also promotes sustainability by providing for those most in need in our community; people with special needs like the elderly and chronically ill. With two unique housing programs for people with HIV/AIDS, we have seen this demonstrated firsthand. As modern medical technology turns HIV from a terminal to a chronic disease, many HIV-positive people can again have a future to look forward to. Affordable homeownership provides low, fixed housing costs and stability in home life that is directly linked to improved health outcomes. Low fixed housing costs also benefit the elderly in our community, who often subsist on modest fixed incomes. Homeownership opportunities for the elderly create a stable housing situation free of the challenges of fluctuating rent and the periodic need to move. Providing for those that have spent their lives building our community is in many ways the most honorable example of sustainability.

But the single greatest effect that availability of decent, affordable housing can have is on the sustainability of individual families. No matter what statistical measurements you look at, whether it is overall health, educational attainment, or financial security, homeownership increases positive outcomes across the board. Healthy stable families contribute to a healthy, stable and sustainable community. As we look to the modern challenges that face America and our community, the strength and economic security of our families is crucial.

The Housing Trust commends all our partners, public and private for all they do to support affordable housing initiatives in Santa Fe. But most of all, we commend the families who, despite myriad obstacles to homeownership in our community, continue to work diligently to achieve their dream of homeownership. It is these individual families in all their diversity that truly make up a sustainable community.

Daniel Werwath serves as the Resource Development Manager for The Housing Trust, a local community development non-profit that assists first-time homebuyers. Daniel is also on the Board of Warehouse 21. The Housing Trust may be contacted at 505-989-3960, email: housingtrustonline.org.