11 Facts Proving The United States Needs More Affordable Housing Now

AKA 11 reasons why you may need to move back in with your parents.

If you're not making at least $13 an hour in the least expensive housing market in the country, chances are you can't afford your housing.

Pertain to you? Probably. According to CityLab, there is no county in the United States that has enough affordable housing for those who need it. With half of the US population cited as making major sacrifices to afford their rents and mortgage payments, there's no doubt that something has to be done. Not convinced? These 11 facts may change your mind.

1. There have been more and more cost burdened renters every year since 2003

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Even if you’re earning a moderate income of $30,000-$45,000, chances are you’ll have to make some major sacrifices to keep your home; over 66% of people do. And that doesn’t just mean cutting down on the online shopping.

2. Rents are soaring even higher in metropolitan areas

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The percentage of people considered low- and moderate-income renters is continuing to rise throughout large US cities. According to a US study by The Furman Center, “In all [the largest] 11 cities except Atlanta, the growth in supply of rental housing was not enough to keep up with the rising renter population.” That dream of moving to NYC? Donations welcome.

3. And these rents don’t show signs of slowing down any time soon

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In the next decade, over 14.8 million more households will be spending at least half of their incomes on housing. That’s a 25% more than now! I was hoping for this percentage increase on my finals, but I’ll pass when it comes to this statistic…

4. Meanwhile, the United States population living in poverty is extremely high

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According to a report by The NHP Foundation, “46.5 million Americans live in poverty, 16.1 million of whom are children. Millions live on the edge, one job loss or one illness away from an impoverished existence.” Aaaaand now I have to go find ice cream and a hug.

5. High rent forces families to compromise health, safety, and education due to lack of disposable income

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This means living in substandard housing, commuting greater distances from work, writing off healthy food as a luxury, putting education for themselves and their children on the backburner, and/or experiencing more stress, anger, and hopelessness than those who are unburdened by house (all explained here). And I thought living on Ramen for all of college was a struggle…

6. Even households who aren’t traditionally cost burdened are struggling to afford their homes

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In the article “Unaffordable Housing: A Root Cause of Social Inequality”, it’s stated that even higher income brackets earning 80%-120% of the average median income can’t find sufficient housing for their budgets. This is true in all 50 states. Brb, living on saltines for the rest of my life.

7. Silver linings though! In communities with affordable housing, many more social problems are solved rather than created.

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Communities all over the nation assert that low-cost housing will bring with it crime, traffic, and reductions in property value; however, according to a report by the California Planning Roundtable and California Department of Housing and Community Development, none of this is true. Take that, NIMBY!

8. Medical services offered by many affordable housing developments can make a HUGE positive difference!

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Research by the Enterprise Research Center links affordable housing supplemented by health services to many positive metrics, including better connection to primary care, fewer emergency department visits, improved access to and quality of care, and lower healthcare costs.

9. Affordable housing with educational services can have extreme positive outcomes for community members, too

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According to Adam Dunn in a paper for the Non-Profit Housing Association of Northern California, “cost savings to developers, reduced reliance on public safety resources, promotion of youth development, and a suggestive trend towards improved tenant housing stability.” Many organizations offer life-changing resident services like financial literacy, after-school programming, and health and wellness learning. And they really work! Yay learning!

10. And there are many organizations that are working to create and rehabilitate affordable housing!

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One such network is the Stewards of Affordable Housing Foundation (SAHF), a group of many non-for-profits all working to make affordable housing more readily available. They’re like the clique of awesome, inclusive, socially minded kids in high school that everyone secretly wanted to be.

11. Best of all, people are talking about affordable housing!

Just last year, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of tenants who experienced discrimination and violations of the Fair Housing Act. Furthermore, prominent politicians and famous individuals are showing their support in the media, like Timothy Bloom working in tandem with Make Room. I could definitely add my voice to that crowd!

There you have it! I'd bet you'll be thinking about affordable housing a little more next time you get your wallet out to pay rent. Seems to me that if we add a couple more voices to current supporters, there will be a whole chain reaction of positive social changes that come from affordable rents.

Otherwise, you may need to cozy up to the idea of moving back in with mom and dad again.

Pages for Reference

1. National Low Income Housing Coalition

2. CityLab

3. MarketWatch

4. The Furman Center

5. Enterprise Community

6. Affordable Housing Finance

7. California Department of Housing and Community Development

8. Non-Profit Housing Association of Northern California

9. Stewards of Affordable Housing Foundation

10. The Atlantic

11. The US Department of Housing and Urban Development

12. Timothy Bloom

13. Enterprise Community