The Housing Landscape for America's Working Families, 2007

The number of low- to moderate-income working family renters paying more than half their income for housing has doubled—growing faster than the number of working family homeowners with this problem—according to a new study entitled The Housing Landscape for America’s Working Families, 2007 conducted by the Center for Housing Policy. Specifically, the study found that the number of working family renters paying more than half their income for housing grew 103 percent from 1 to 2.1 million between 1997 and 2005. The number of working family homeowners paying more than half their income for housing increased at a significantly slower rate, rising 75 percent from 1.4 million to 2.4 million during the same time period.

For a national perspective and comparisons across the 31 key U.S. metropolitan areas studied, please go to:

1. Media Release: Number of Working Family Renters Paying More Than Half Their Income for Housing Doubles 2. View Full Study: The Housing Landscape for America's Working Families, 2007 (PDF) 3. Ranking Sheets for 31 U.S. Metropolitan Areas Studied: Least Affordable Rental Markets Least Affordable U.S. Homeownership Markets Critical Housing Needs Rankings Largest Increase in Critical Housing Needs

4. Individual Profiles for 31 U.S. Metropolitan Areas (PDF)

Additional Relevant Resources From the Center for Housing Policy:

Why Housing Matters: Housing’s Connections to Health and Education

Center for Housing Policy’s “Housing Solutions” Handbook (PDF)

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Acknowledgements

The Center gratefully acknowledges the support of Freddie Mac for these materials. The findings and conclusions they present, however, are those of the authors, and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Freddie Mac.

The Center greatly appreciates the work of Sandra J. Newman and David Kantor who produced the data upon which The Housing Landscape for America’s Working Families 2007 is based. The authors also wish to thank Robert A. Braun and Tyronda S. Gibson for compiling the metro area fact sheets and their colleagues Jeffrey Lubell, Michele Anapol, and Rebecca Cohen for their helpful comments on the report and fact sheets.