Shortage of 7.4 Million Housing Units For Unstably Housed in USA

Nearly every day we read about the economy getting better, unemployment going down and the stock market doing well. But household income is lower today for the poorest 10% of American households than it was in 2007, over 43 million Americans (many of them children) continue in poverty and those households struggle to afford stable housing. There isn’t a single state in the union where there is an adequate supply of housing units for extremely low-income households or those living in deep poverty, and especially in urban areas homelessness is growing.
A recent National Low Income Housing Coalition (CFH partnered with the NLIHC on many advocacy efforts) report documented, nationwide the supply of affordable housing for extremely low-income households was 35 units for every 100 households. Which is why 71% of those households (8.1 million households) are severely cost burdened under HUD’s definition, meaning they spend more than an incredible 50% of their gross household income on housing.
A family of four at the top of the “extremely low-income” monthly income bracket (as defined by the U.S. Census Bureau), spending 50% of gross household income on housing, and the U.S. Agriculture Department’s minimum “thrifty food budget”, would have about $189 left per month to pay for transportation, child care, clothing, and all other necessities. In other words, the family of four would have an annual budget of $2,268 for all family expenses except housing and food.
In some states, it is worse. Nevada has only 15 affordable units per 100 extremely low-income households, but even in the best case, no state has more than 61 units per 100 households. The study pegged New York State’s availability of housing for extremely low-income households at 35 units per 100 households. Among urban metro areas, the range of available units per 100 extremely low-income households ranges from a low of 12 in Las Vegas to a high of 46 in Boston.
The NLIHC study is based on census data through the American Community Survey (ACS), which does not even include people experiencing homelessness! Obviously, including homeless households would dramatically increase the shortfall of housing for extremely low-income households and people living in deep poverty.

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