affordable housing — housing people can pay for
collocationB1IELTS 5+neutralcommon
Homes or apartments that are reasonably priced so that most people, especially those with lower incomes, can pay for them.
Say it like a native
Textbook There is a shortage of reasonably priced residential accommodation.
Native There's a shortage of affordable housing.
'Affordable housing' is the fixed term used in policy and news; the paraphrase is clumsy.
Pattern: affordable housing (noun phrase)
In use
- The city is building more affordable housing to help families who struggle with high rent.society
- In my opinion, the government should invest in affordable housing so that everyone has a safe place to live.IELTS speaking
Common mistake
✗ The city needs more affordable housings.
✓ The city needs more affordable housing.
'Housing' is uncountable — no plural 'housings'.
Common collocations
affordable housing— build, shortage of, access to, more
Don't confuse it
'Affordable housing' focuses on being within reach for most people, while 'expensive housing' or 'luxury housing' is for people with a lot of money.