A recent study shows that millions of Americans might be doing better economically if they lived closer to where they worked, and Southern Arizona is a great example.

The Housing and Transportation Affordability report shows that some people are paying as much for transportation as they are for housing because they have moved away from cities which forces many families to have at least two cars, costing them thousands of dollars a year.

Experts say if families could live closer to their jobs or use public transportation so they could get rid of one car, they would have thousands of additional dollars in their budgets every year which could be used for housing. The report covers Tucson as well as Pima and Pinal counties. It was conducted by the Center for Neighborhood Technology in Chicago for the Drachman Institute in the College of Architecture and Landscape Architecture at the University of Arizona.

Analysts say the United States should reconsider the "drive til you qualify" practice in many communities and encourage in-fill projects where walking, bicycling or public transportation are more feasible for residents.

Tony Paniagua reports.

www.htaindex.cnt.org