The Housing Landscape for America's Working Families, 2007

Summary of Key Findings

The Number of Renters Paying More than Half Their Income for Housing Doubles

Between 1997 and 2005, the number of working family renters paying more than half their income for housing grew 103 percent from 1 to 2.1 million.
During the same time period, 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.

Metro Area Analysis Finds Widely Varying Rates of Critical Housing Needs, but Some Common Trends

In the 31 metropolitan areas studied, the rate of critical housing needs among working families ranged from a high of 28 percent in Los Angeles to a low of 6 percent in Columbus, OH.
While critical housing needs were most severe in the West Coast cities of Los Angeles, Anaheim and San Diego, and the hot East Coast markets of New York and Miami, significant numbers of working families in every metro area – including those in Atlanta, Denver and Indianapolis – pay more than half their income for housing.
In several markets, such as Los Angeles, New York and Newark, substantial numbers of working families also live in severely dilapidated housing.
The sharpest increases in the share of working families with critical housing needs are found in Denver – up 162 percent between 1995 and 2004 – Charlotte – up 86 percent between 1995 and 2002 – and other relatively affordable places such as Kansas City, Pittsburgh, Indianapolis and San Antonio.
Across all of the metro areas studied, working families with critical housing needs have both lower incomes and higher housing costs than working families without critical needs.

National Data Tables (PDF and Excel file formats available):

Working Status of All Households with Critical Housing Needs, U.S., 1997-2005 [PDF] [Excel]
Comparison of Characteristics of Families With and Without Critical Housing Needs, U.S., 2005 [PDF] [Excel]
Housing Problems of Working Families, Compared for Owners and Renters, U.S., 1997-2005 [PDF] [Excel]
Metropolitan Location of Working Families with Critical Needs, Compared for Owners and Renters, U.S. [PDF] [Excel]
Incomes of Working Families with Critical Housing Needs, U.S., 1997-2005 [PDF] [Excel]
Housing Problems of Working Families, by Race, Ethnicity, Owner/Renter Status, and Region, U.S., 1997-2005 [PDF] [Excel]



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