The city of Seattle needs more affordable housing, but how do you do it? That's the question City council members posed to developers and the members of the public on Friday.

Developers said land and construction costs are so high that they can't bring prices down. They said even though they have to sell or rent their properties at higher prices, the investors aren't making any more money.

At least one local realtor told KOMO 4 News the city needs to offer more incentives to home buyers.

"I don't advocate subsidy as the main source, but I do say, through taxation we should be able to afford to live in the city," said Raymond Anderson. "And I think the city could also help by reducing the tax against homes in the area."

No doubt that others are in favor of that, but the city says a more realistic incentive might be to go through the employers. They're looking at getting Seattle companies to give their workers a loan for the down payment, which would be forgiven after five or seven years of employment with the company.

The city certainly wants to see those who work in the city live in the city, but with housing costs so high, more and more people are being forced out.

Salaries are not keeping up with the price of housing. And it doesn't matter if you're single or in a double-income situation. It also doesn't matter if you're looking for a condo or a single-family home; it's all expensive, too expensive for most.

"To be a part of what makes the city work, (and yet) you can't live in the city," said Joel Moreland, a single guy.

The numbers back up Joel Moreland's statement. The median income for a single person in Seattle is $54,500. On that salary, you could afford a $238,000 house. But the median price of just a condo is around $345,000.

"It's extremely scary," said Fred Choi.

Choi and his wife faced a very difficult search when they decided to buy their first home.

"It was really frightening actually to see what was out there and what was available in the market, for our price range," he said. "You know, our price range continually crept up as we kept on shopping."

Their price range fell below that median condo price, so when their realtor suggested a new neighborhood development in west Seattle, they took a look, with an open mind.

"A lot of the homes we were looking at in the other areas, Ballard, and points north, there were a lot of homes that were really nice. But in our price range, a lot of time and work had to go into them. So a new home was very appealing, especially within the city limits," he said.

Choi now has a garage he can tinker in and his wife and infant daughter have a yard of their own in the High Point neighborhood. A total of five builders are developing this neighborhood.

40 percent of the properties must be designated for low-income rentals and owners with the Seattle Housing Authority.

The other 60 percent are fair market value. The median single-family home price in Seattle is up around $475,000. Many homes in this neighborhood are below that price, but buying and making ends meet is still a struggle for families like the Chois.

"It would be helpful if the tax rates weren't so high," he said.

Right now, the city is offering down payment assistance for those who qualify. The city is also looking at incentives to help builders make new homes more affordable.