During a recent government meeting, city officials discussed pressing issues surrounding affordable housing, highlighting the critical need for subsidized options in the community. Council member Burns emphasized the importance of a newly established housing planner position, which has enabled the city to better address housing policy and needs.

Burns noted that the city has historically lacked dedicated housing planning resources, leading to challenges in developing effective strategies for affordable housing. The introduction of this new role is seen as a significant step forward in tackling these issues.

A key focus of the discussion was the situation faced by residents of Wesley, many of whom are low-income seniors on fixed incomes. Burns pointed out that these individuals struggle to afford what is termed \"naturally occurring affordable housing.\" The city has recognized the urgent need for more subsidized housing options, including the expansion of the Housing Choice Voucher program and the development of new affordable housing projects.

Currently, all 19 households from Wesley are receiving rental subsidies funded by the city, a situation that arose due to the lack of market-provided subsidies. This highlights the pressing need for additional subsidized housing to support deeply low-income residents and prevent similar situations in the future.

The meeting underscored the city's commitment to addressing housing challenges and the necessity of expanding affordable housing resources to better serve its community.