Housing is generally thought as affordable or unaffordable depending on one’s income. Generally speaking, housing is considered affordable if one does not spend anymore than 30% of one’s income on housing costs, like rent and utilities or 45% on both housing and transportation costs. Unfortunately, for many of us District 1 residents, we are spending way more than those percentages, living cost-burdened lifestyles. As a city, we must do everything we can to address this affordability crisis for both homeowners and renters, so we can afford to stay to live in the city. As a city council member, I will work with others to address the affordability problems by: – Promoting access to better paying jobs with benefits through workforce development, and skills-training opportunities, -Promoting more affordable housing options for both renters and homeowners and preventing further economic displacement, -Promoting affordable child care and exploration of creating universal Pre-K, and – Promoting better public transit, including high capacity transit.