By Jorie Schuckman
FOCUS St. Louis

The record-breaking stimulus bill recently signed by President Obama includes something for nearly everyone.  Let’s hope that includes those that many of us take for granted, but most of us couldn’t live without – the day-to-day workers that make our lives go.

The stimulus bill includes $2.4 billion to help states and local governments acquire and repair low-income housing.  It’s critical, particularly in the St. Louis area with the looming cuts to the Metro system, that this low-income housing be made available to workers across the metropolitan region.

Without affordable places to live close to their places of employment, not only do the day care worker in Ellisville, the restaurant cook in Maryland Heights, the janitor in Oakville and the postal worker in Florissant suffer, but those that rely on them every day suffer too.  Living a reasonable distance from where they work benefits everybody.  When they can’t get to work, your daily routine is interrupted and your work suffers.

All levels of government, from federal down to local, have a rare golden opportunity with this stimulus bill to help people both afford their homes and keep their jobs.  Let’s hope they make the most of it - for everybody's benefit.

For more information about the workforce housing initiative in the St. Louis region, visit workforcehousingstl.org