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Glite Dictionary
subsidized housing

subsidized housing

5 3.1
Homes that the government or a group helps pay for so they cost less for people
  • noun
  • /ˈsʌbsɪˌdaɪzd ˈhaʊzɪŋ/
  • US
translation icon : vivienda subvencionada
  • There is an 8-year waiting list for subsidized housing.
  • subsidized housing inventory

Examples

  • Defenders of existing public- and subsidized-housing developments argue that apartment buildings must, through public funds, "be kept affordable."

    Academic text (1997)

  • The city offers subsidized housing to low-income families to help them afford a place to live.

  • Have you ever noticed what happens when people are given homes or subsidized housing?

    Blog text (24)

  • Like OK, I'm living in subsidized housing and my child wants to go to college.

  • Under the communists, they had secure jobs, more or less stable prices, and subsidized housing, food, child care, and health care.

    Academic text (1991)

  • Palestinian refugees were provided with access to the public education system, public sector employment, and government-subsidized housing.

    Academic text (2006)

  • Subsidized housing is the primary answer to the low-income elderly's need for an affordable dwelling.

    Academic text (1991)

  • In the Chicago area, approximately 1,600 low-income adults, largely over 65, live in twenty-two subsidized housing residences owned or managed by Lifelink.

    Academic text (1999)

  • Many families in need can find safety and stability in subsidized housing provided by the government.

  • After losing her job, she applied for subsidized housing to ensure her children had a roof over their heads.

Synonyms

public housing
vssubsidized housing
  • US
41 2.2

Homes the government owns and runs for people with low incomes

is paid partly by a government or organisation to lower residents' costs
low-rent housing
vssubsidized housing
1 2.3

Homes that have low rent for people with little money

is funded in part to reduce costs rather than just priced cheaply

How Affordable

public housing
  • US
41 2.2
subsidized housing
  • US
5 3.1
luxury
322 4.2

Surface Forms

subsidized housing singular
subsidized housings plural

Morphology

subsidized + housing

The meaning is directly compositional: 'subsidized' (financially supported) modifies 'housing' (accommodation), so the phrase denotes housing whose cost is partly paid by a government or organization. This regular modifier + noun pattern is common across languages and follows standard English word-formation, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents should be able to infer the meaning.

Etymology

Subsidized housing comes from the idea of a 'subsidy' or 'help' that pays part of the cost and from housing meaning homes or apartments. Imagine a family paying some rent while a government or charity pays the rest to make the home cheaper, so the phrase means homes partly paid for by a government or charity to make them more affordable.