Affordable housing is officially defined as housing that costs 30% or less of one’s income. Many government housing programs use this standard since it’s a relatively sustainable level for a lower-income person. However, these days, even a moderate-income person can struggle to afford quality housing in the East Bay. But the challenges are greatest for people at or below the area median income, or AMI. Most affordable housing programs target people at or below 80% of the AMI—those who have the hardest time making ends meet, even with one or more jobs. (See charts on page 5.) In the Bay Area, lower-income people are increasingly finding themselves displaced, and even moderate-income people find their choices limited. As documented by the UC Berkeley Urban Displacement Project, simply building more market-rate housing will not stop displacement or serve the lowest-income people. Today in the Bay Area, true housing affordability is generally achieved either by offering direct assistance to households or by funding homes with lower rents or mortgage payments. One widely-known form of assistance is the Housing Choice Voucher or Section 8, which allows people to rent on the private market with a rent subsidy.