(SAN BERNARDINO, Calif.) "There are many myths about low in come and affordable housing. Many people think they know what it means but they really don't," said Emil Marzullo, interim executive director of the San Bernardino Economic Development Agency.
The truth is the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) says that a family of four with a total annual household income between $33,000 to $53,000, which is 50 percent to 80 percent of the Inland Empire area’s median income, is considered low-income.
“That defines a lot of people in the Inland Empire," Marzullo said.
Here are more definitions.
What is the average income of the residents of the City of San Bernardino?
The average annual income of residents in the City of San Bernardino is $28,741. However, this not the income calculation used to determine housing income for federal or state funding or rental purposes. The income used is the Metropolitan Service Area or MSA data. San Bernardino’s area is defined as the Riverside-Ontario-San Bernardino Metropolitan Service Area, where the annual median income for a family of four is $64,500.
So, when the City of San Bernardino talks about low income, it is using the federally defined annual median income for a family of four of $64,500.
What are Annual Income and Median Income and how do they work?
Annual income is the total household income for everyone working for one year. The income calculation used to determine housing income for federal or state funding or rental purposes is the Metropolitan Service Area or MSA, created by The United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) for comparison of income and other reasons.
The Riverside-Ontario-San Bernardino Metropolitan Service Area consists of Riverside and San Bernardino Counties. Because of higher income, cost of living (including the cost of housing) is higher in some parts of Riverside and San Bernardino counties.
Cities with a higher cost of living include: Palm Springs, Rancho Mirage, La Quinta, Redlands, Upland, Montclair, Chino, Chino Hills, Corona, Menifee and Temecula.
What is low-income housing?
Monthly rent or housing payments of up to $1,334 for a family of four qualifies as low-income housing in the Riverside-Ontario-San Bernardino Metropolitan Service Area.
What does affordable housing mean?
Affordable Housing" is defined as housing for low to moderate-income households.
Moderate-income households are defined, as households having annual incomes between 80 percent and 120 percent of the Metropolitan Service Area’s median income. For our area that is an annual income of $53,000 to $79,920 for a family of four.
Who are low-income households?
A family of four with a total annual household income from $33,000 to $53,000 is considered low-income.
People with low income include: about 30,000 local university and college students, butchers, bakers, executive secretaries, truck drivers, teachers, cashiers, administrative assistants, restaurant servers, hosts, dishwashers, psychiatric aides, house cleaners, telemarketers, file clerks, gaming dealers, bartenders and 347 job categories of skilled, semi-skilled and professional workers.
"Low income people are our friends and neighbors," said Marzullo.
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