The definition of affordable housing is often subjective and varies by household. Currently, there is limited research on how consumers define housing affordability in the United States. This study used an exploratory design to find themes associated with consumers’ perceptions of affordable housing. The study analyzed qualitative responses to a question about housing affordability of 738 online survey respondents. Of the nine main themes which emerged, three themes were most commonly used to define housing affordability. The three themes were as follows: low financial strain, percent of income, and community‐level comparison. In addition, a relationship was found between two demographic factors (race and region of the country) and how a respondent defined housing affordability. Implications for housing and financial professionals are presented.

Learning to set age-appropriate boundaries is an integral element of positive youth development. Both parents and youth need guidance in rule-rsetting and negotiating boundaries. North Dakota State University Extension created Boundaries, a program using parent-youth relationships to teach the importance of setting and following rules or boundaries in various environments. Boundaries was written for 7th- through 12th-grade youth and their parents. This study provides an overview of the program’s objectives and curriculum and shares findings from evaluation efforts conducted with over 60 youth and adults during the program’s pilot phase. In six pilot sessions, respondents completed single-session retrospective questionnaires and answered open-ended questions, which were analyzed using descriptive statistics, paired t-tests, and thematic review. Adults reported higher satisfaction than youth with program content and instruction. Both youth and adults increased their knowledge of program-specific content related to boundaries and relationships. Open-ended responses offered positive feedback and suggestions for program improvement. Results suggested the program was perceived positively and increased youth and adult knowledge of boundary setting and social competence in family life and other settings. Key recommendations include increased rigorous evaluation to measure program impacts and focus on effective implementation strategies for the program.