Affordable housing is often targeted at families - in particularly getting homeless families off the streets. The remainder is allocated to special groups like seniors and the disabled, who are often pipelined into special programs (with waitlists a year or longer). What is left may be gobbled up by outsiders with Portable Section 8 who suffered in some boondocks a few years just so they could live in a nice city with centralized services.
Meanwhile, kids emerge from college with enormous debt loads. They want to work in exciting cities to experience a full adult life, maximize their chances of launching a career or meeting their future spouse, and perhaps continue to network with their college friends. However, the their entry level jobs are likely to be low paying if they don't work in tech or brokerage, especially if they want to work in the nonprofit sector. Where can they live?
Perhaps the answer is in something like college dorms for cities, with rent subsidized at the lower end or even housing "fellowships" for justice work. The remainder of the low income and especially rent-controlled units in the city can be freed up for older tenants and families. Perhaps genuine competition will "correct" the rent on these units as well. For this reason even subsidized housing for young singles should be a desirable, fun place to live, at the center of the city.
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