Congratulations! You have completed Step 1 and learned the importance of having a housing plan and patience. You are ready to move to Step 2. In this Step, you will learn how to determine your needs vs. (versus) wants before starting your housing search. A want is what you would like to have; a need is a must-have. 

FYI Corner

How HUD-Certified Housing Counselors Can Help You? Here’s a video to watch for more information

In a housing market with limited supply, which has many people looking for what you want, you must determine your basic housing needs to improve your housing search options.

Let us look at an example of wants vs. needs.  Ms. Smith wants an affordable, one-bedroom apartment on Wisconsin Avenue in N.W.  She has been searching for a while without success. Overwhelmed and frustrated, Ms. Smith met with a HUD-certified housing counselor who recommended including efficiencies and other D.C. neighborhoods in her housing search. Now, Ms. Smith has more housing options because her housing search is not limited to one-bedroom apartments on Wisconsin Avenue in N.W. 

To help you separate your basic housing needs from your wants, write down what you are looking for in an apartment or house. Do you desire wheelchair accessibility? Do you desire to live in a neighborhood within walking distance of a loved one? Do you desire to live on a floor where you can use stairs instead of the elevator? Next, ask yourself if you can live comfortably in your home without what you desire. If the answer is no, it is a "need"; if the answer is yes, it is a "want."  

You must know your basic housing needs to prepare for a realistic housing search in a competitive housing market like the District of Columbia (D.C.). The Housing Wants vs. Needs Form below shows how to separate your “wants” and “needs:”

 

 

Your Housing Search Criteria (List below what you desire to have when searching for your own place.)	Wants (Write Yes if there is another option)	Options (What would cost less or increase your search options for accessible and, or affordable housing)	Needs (Write Yes if this is a must-have; essential)
2-bedroom apartment	Yes	1-bedroom apartment	No
Live in NW near my childhood home.	Yes	Other parts of D.C. close to family or friends	No
Wheelchair Accessible	No	None	Yes

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

You can download a copy of the Housing Wants vs. Needs Form in the FYI Corner.

NEXT PAGE

TABLE OF CONTENTS