As a young, divorced mom, I was acutely aware of the resources available to me.

I was a working professional with three degrees, a car and the means to pay for a private babysitter, and I still found myself regularly thinking, This is so hard!

How much harder is it, then, for a single mom without access to those options?

She might have to get up extra early to get herself and her kids ready in time to catch the bus. Then walk them from the bus to their childcare center. Then catch that bus again to head to her job.

In the evening, she’d do it all over again, getting home just in time to get dinner on the table. She might even work a few hours at a second job after the kids go to bed to help pay for that daytime childcare. (Infant care in Ohio costs about $10,000 a year—just 3.3 percent less than in-state tuition for a four-year public college and 3.1 percent more than average rent.)

That single mom is who I think about when I hear that a developer will include onsite childcare at their newest affordable housing project. She’ll have an easier time getting to and from her job, more time at home with her kids and maybe a little more economic stability, too. It’s a huge win.

It’s also a reflection of what I mean when I say we don’t just need more affordable housing, we need better affordable housing.

To be clear: We need both.

But I especially love when developers come to the Affordable Housing Trust with plans for a project that includes resources and amenities beyond apartments. That might be onsite childcare, onsite medical care, onsite educational or job placement resources, a gym or a location that allows for walkability to the essential places like groceries and banks.

These are life-altering benefits for anyone who’s lived without them.

And it makes me wonder: How much richer would our community be if affordable housing offered more than housing? What if it made that person’s life a little easier, too?

Let’s find out.