2009 Worst Case Housing Needs Report Out; Affordable AND Available Units Continue to Plunge for Low Income Renters.

Report is HERE; no state or local level data.  

Nonetheless, I HIGHLY recommend the report, particularly because it shows how affordable AND available rental units vary by income and geography and over time.

I excerpted two charts from the report into a 2 page PDF file HERE that shows as income decreases there are a declining share of units with affordable rents that ALSO remain available to these renters. (Higher income families occupy these units). 

Nationally, for extremely low income renters (=<30% MFI) in 2009 there were only 35.7 rental units that were affordable AND available for every 100 extremely low income renters nationally. I calculate that is a 10.5% decline in the rate of affordable AND available units for extremely low income renters since 2005. (Table from 1st page of linked attachment I created is above and shows this data--double click on it and it will open to larger size).

Moreover, In the West the number of affordable AND available units dropped to only 31.8 units for every 100 extremely low income renters--that's 10.9% worse than the national average of 35.7 units per 100 extremely low income renters. 

Report also has data that shows that

1. The ratio of affordable and available units are LESS in suburbs and non metro areas, compared to central cities.
2. The West has the lowest ratio of subsidized housing to need in the country, and the highest share of renters with worst case housing needs.

Two Take Aways

1. In housing needs planning, don't get caught just looking at the supply of housing. Supply means nothing to extremely low income renters if it is not ALSO AVAILABLE for extremely low income renter use on a priority or an exclusive basis. 
2. Absent a unlikely significant increase in [incremental] housing vouchers, unless the current supply of INCOME restricted rental housing for extremely low income renters is preserved AND expanded, the share of extremely low income renters who can afford AND find available renter units will continue to decline.

Originally created and posted on the Oregon Housing Blog.