The nation continues to face a massive shortage of affordable and available rental homes for the lowest-income renters.
According to the National Low Income Housing Coalition (NLIHC), the United States faces a shortfall of 7.3 million affordable and available rental homes for extremely low-income renters—those earning at or below either the federal poverty line or 30% of their area median income.
The report, “The Gap: A Shortage of Affordable Homes,” finds that just 34 affordable and available homes exist for every 100 renters households with extremely low incomes. In addition, every state and the District of Columbia are impacted by the shortage.
As a result, 74% of renters with extremely low-incomes are severely cost-burdened, meaning they spend more than half of their income on rent. While extremely low-income renters account for nearly a quarter, or 11 million, of the nation’s renters, they also account for 44% of all cost-burdened renters and 69% of severely cost-burdened renters.
“As this year’s Gap report shows, even with a strong economy and stabilizing rents, millions of the lowest-income and most marginalized households continue to face housing instability,” said NLIHC president and CEO Diane Yentel. “We know what works to end housing insecurity and homelessness—what we lack is the political will to invest in these solutions at the scale needed. More than ever, Congress should act quickly to enact bold legislation to ensure rental assistance is universally available, build and preserve homes affordable to people with the lowest incomes, create tools to prevent eviction and homelessness, and strengthen renter protections to keep renters stably housed.”
Across the nation, the shortages range from 8,866 rental homes in Wyoming to nearly 1 million in California. In addition to California, the most severe shortages are seen in Nevada, Arizona, Alaska, Florida, and Texas. Nevada only has 14 affordable and available rental homes for every 100 extremely low-income renter households, followed by Arizona and California at 24.
In addition to Wyoming, the states with less severe shortages include South Dakota, Mississippi, West Virginia, Rhode Island, and Maine. South Dakota has 57 affordable and available rental homes for every 100 extremely low-income renter households.
Of the 50 largest metropolitan areas, extremely low-income renters face the most severe shortages in Las Vegas, where there are only 13 affordable and available rental homes for every 100 extremely low-income renter households. Houston; Dallas; Orlando, Florida; and Phoenix round out the metros with the most severe shortages.
The largest metropolitan areas with the least severe shortages of rental homes affordable and available to extremely low-income renters were led by Pittsburgh, where there are 49 homes for every 100 extremely low-income renter households, followed by Providence, Rhode Island; Boston; Cincinnati; and Cleveland.
