People in the

building industry know that multifamily housing has a significant image

problem. That is why the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB)

and the Home Builders Association of Midwest Georgia are committed to

debunking the myths and misconceptions associated with new apartment development

that often play into the "not-in-my-backyard" syndrome.

Many people,

including many public officials believe that apartments negatively impact

both local schools and the property values of surrounding single-family

homes. Neither of these scenarios is true, according to NAHB research.

Although it

is true that the number of school-aged children varies by housing type

(especially the number of units in the structure), it is not true that

apartments impact schools more drastically than other housing types. The

reason? Simply put, fewer children live in apartments than in other types

of homes.

According to

data from the U.S. Census Bureau, there are about 55 school-age children

(ages five through 18) for every 100 households in the United States.

The same data show that slightly less than 37 school-aged children per

100 live in apartments. The number of school-aged children tends to be

even lower in larger apartment buildings less than 29 school-aged children

per hundred units in buildings with at least 20 apartments.

Another commonly

held notion about new multifamily development is that it will reduce the

value of surrounding property, particularly single-family homes. According

to NAHB research, however, there is no evidence to support such an idea.

NAHB's research indicates that between 1987 and 1999, single-family homes

that were located near apartments in 1987 actually appreciated at a somewhat

higher rate than single-family homes that were not near apartments. This

was true whether the nearby multifamily buildings were low-rise, or mid-

or high-rises.

Here's another

fact that most people don't know: New apartment development has an immediate

and long-lasting effect on a community's prosperity. According to NAHB's

economic research, the construction of 100 new apartments in the average

city results in 122 new jobs, $579,000 in local taxes and fees, and $5.2

million in local income generated by workers and businesses. The on-going,

annual effect of 100 new apartment households in a local economy is 46

local jobs, $308,000 in local taxes and fees, and $1.8 million in local

wages and business receipts.

NAHB's research

also shows that apartments serve a broad and diverse market, ranging from

young professionals establishing new households to empty nesters who want

convenience and flexibility to senior citizens looking for service-enriched

communities. Equally important, multifamily housing is often the first

step on the housing ladder for working families

There's more

good news. Today's apartment communities offer residents more space and

amenities than ever before and are managed by professional companies dedicated

to customer service. Today's apartment renters (30 percent of whom earn

more than $50,000 a year) care about having quality housing choices that

offer an attractive financial and lifestyle option.

We are living

at a time when more than a million new households are being formed annually.

America's home builders will have to construct between 1.3 and 1.5 million

new housing units just to meet the underlying demand for shelter during

the next decade. Many of these housing units must be in apartment communities

if we are to meet the needs of consumers and fulfill the public's mandate

to "grow smarter." Every community needs good multifamily housing.

Luckily, good multifamily housing is also good for every community.

Eddie Lusher,

who is with Jerry Ballard Homes, is president of the Home Builders Association

of Midwest Georgia, which serves a membership of approximately 460 builders

and associate members in Fayette, Coweta, Spalding, Heard and Meriwether

counties.

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