United Way of America
has
identified health care and affordable housing as the most serious problems for
families in annual needs assessments over the past several years.AFFORDABLE HOUSING FACT SHEET
United Way of America
has
identified health care and affordable housing as the most serious problems for
families in annual needs assessments over the past several years.
 | The U.S. government contends that no more than 30% of a family's household
income should be used for total housing costs; more than 40% of American
tenants are "rent burdened" using that criteria.
|
| Affordable housing is scarce everywhere. A recent study in Bozeman, MT, a
college town of 45,000 where 60% of the residents are renters, showed that
almost 40% pay more than 35% of there income in rent. Even though the rental
housing stock is generally old and poorly maintained.
|
| There are about 33.4 million renter households and HUD
research has determined that 47% had incomes low enough to be eligible for
housing assistance under various HUD subsidy programs.
|
| More than four million households reside in HUD-assisted
rental units in the U.S., representing 12% of total renters and 26% of
income eligible renters.
|
| Of the total assisted households, approximately 1.1 million
live in public housing units, 1.4 million receive assistance through housing
vouchers or Section 8 certificates, and 1.6 million live in private,
project-based units under various other HUD subsidy programs and low-income
housing tax credits.
|
| According to HUD's 1999 worst case housing needs report, "Rental
Housing Assistance * The Crisis Continues", there are at least 5.3
million households that pay more than half of their incomes for rent and/or
live in severely substandard homes.
|
| The National Low Income Housing Coalition (NLIHC) found, in a report, named "Out of Reach The Growing Gap Between Housing Costs and Income of Poor People in the United States that a full-time minimum-wage worker cannot afford to pay the fair market rent for a two-bedroom unit anywhere in America. |
While the problem is national, even global, in scope, the response must be local.
|
Municipal governments must provide zoning and planning regulations which allow for the development of their fair share of affordable housing in the County. |
|
County comprehensive plans must make a strong statement about the need for municipalities to address the housing affordability issue in their areas. This is especially true for regionally developed comprehensive plans. |
|
The private sector must acknowledge that it is impossible to attract good employees in a community that does not provide affordable housing. Simply providing better transportation from an urban center to an employment center is insufficient and not cost-effective. Employers must express these concerns to their municipal elected officials. Where possible, employers could serve as co-sponsors of affordable housing projects. |
|
The state and federal government must expand the resources available to induce developers to construct affordable housing. This would include both the HOME program as well as the Low Income Housing Tax Credit. The state should match funds that are being collected by county governments under the Housing Trust Fund program. |
|
Churches and other faith based organizations must express their concern for those families who live in the community and who need affordable housing. Church leaders must help their constituents understand that the provision of safe and affordable housing is the responsibility of every community. |
|
Private citizens must disregard the use of fear mongering to organize opposition to affordable housing projects. |
For an explanation of this data, see How to use the Numbers and Where the Numbers Come From.
| Location | Number of Households | ||
| Total Households | Renter Households | Renter Households as Percent
of Total Households |
|
| Pennsylvania | 4,777,003 | 1,370,666 | 28.69% |
| Lancaster County | 172,560 | 50,352 | 29.18% |
2002 Family Income |
||||||
| Location | 2002 Estimated Median Family Income (HUD) | Maximum Affordable Monthly Housing Cost by % of Family AMI | ||||
| Annual | Monthly | 30% | 50% | 80% | 100% | |
| Pennsylvania | $53,134 | $4,428 | $399 | $664 | $1,063 | $1,328 |
| Lancaster County | $53,900 | $4,492 | $404 | $674 | $1,078 | $1,348 |
| 2002 Fair Market Rents by Number of Bedrooms | |||||
| Location | Zero | One | Two | Three | Four |
| Pennsylvania | $437 | $548 | $671 | $848 | $1,001 |
| Lancaster County | $406 | $497 | $620 | $809 | $870 |
| Income Needed to Afford FMR | ||||||||||
| Location | Amount | Percent of Family AMI | ||||||||
| Zero Bedrooms |
One Bedroom |
Two Bedrooms |
Three Bedrooms |
Four Bedrooms |
Zero Bedrooms |
One Bedroom |
Two Bedrooms |
Three Bedrooms |
Four Bedrooms |
|
| Pennsylvania | $17,465 | $21,917 | $26,835 | $33,931 | $40,032 | 33% | 41% | 51% | 64% | 75% |
| Lancaster County | $16,240 | $19,880 | $24,800 | $32,360 | $34,800 | 30% | 37% | 46% | 60% | 65% |
Location |
Housing Wage |
||||||||||
Hourly Wage Needed to Afford |
Percent Change |
As % of Minimum Wage |
|||||||||
Zero |
One |
Two |
Three |
Four |
Zero |
One |
Two |
Three |
Four |
||
| Pennsylvania |
$8.40
|
$10.54 | $12.90 |
$16.31
|
$19.25 | 3.46% | 163% |
205%
|
251%
|
317% | 374% |
| Lancaster County |
$7.81
|
$9.56 | $11.92 |
$15.56
|
$16.73 | 2.52% | 152% |
186%
|
232%
|
302% | 325% |
Location |
Work Hours/Week |
||||
Zero |
One |
Two |
Three |
Four |
|
| Pennsylvania | 65 | 82 | 100 | 127 | 149 |
| Lancaster County | 61 | 74 | 93 | 121 | 130 |
| "Affordable" rents represent the generally accepted standard of spending not more than 30% of income on housing costs. |
| AMI = Area Median Income (HUD, 2002). |
| FMR = Fair Market Rent (HUD, 2003, proposed). |