Home From Work

Just returned from New Orleans and the National Association of Realtors Convention. Met lots of great people both in the convention and in the city. New Orleans is still in tatters but her people are what makes her so incredibly unique and they are coming back and they have not changed. If anything, they are more kind and more friendly than I remember them from a couple of years ago when I went there for the first time.
I have the luxury of being able to work from home most of the time. One of the most exciting things for me about the conference was getting involved in the business of Employer assisted Housing which encourages businesses to assit their employees in being able to live close to where they work. New Orleans is an example of a city (or at least it was) that has a good public transportation system that enables people to travel to and from work effeiciently and inexpensively. It remains a very walkable and bike friendly city. While not many people are interested in bringing back the old "company town", many of us ARE interested in creating more affordable housing in areas close to where people work. It will not only save them transportation costs but cut down on congestion and pollution. Walking to work will help you get more exercise and be more familiar with your neighborhood.
Some employers see the benefit of encouraging and assiting employees to buy housing near work as a way to ensure that the area around thier business remains (or becomes) a desireable place to live. Many people who work in retail and service jobs can not afford to live near their jobs and are often late or miss a lot of time with their famiolies because of long commutes and lack of control over traffic. Hospitals and school districts as well as other employers with high turnover rates are beginning to understand that partnering with their employees to help them buy affordable homes helps them to build a stable, loyal workforce. The cost of subsidizing an employee purchase is in most cases less than recruiting and training for the same position over and over.
There are many layers to creating a more sustainable housing situation and we all can contribute in some way.