Fact Sheet: Affordable Housing Update
Position:
HousingSeptember 2006
The 2005 League of Women Voters of Maryland Convention adopted a focus and update on affordable housing throughout the state with a local information exchange on how to achieve a greater supply of housing for low- and moderate-income households. In 2005 the need for affordable housing was listed as a priority for action and strong local, state and national positions already exist. Recently the disparity between housing costs and family income has become worse. Our goal is the provision of safe and affordable housing in each jurisdiction that is within economic reach of all the community’s citizens, but each jurisdiction must address the problem in its own way.
A rapidly increasing housing affordability gap affecting a wide range of families and individuals exists in our country. According to the Center for Housing Policy of the National Housing Conference, 1 in 8 households in the US pay more than 50% of their income for rent or mortgage payments and/or live in physically dilapidated housing. Various reports from the National Low Income Housing Coalition, state that existing housing programs and policies and their funding fall short of the need for housing assistance. Less than 25% of income qualified low, very low or extremely low households receive any type of housing assistance. Several factors have combined to create the current problem.- Wages have not kept up with housing costs.
- Higher paying industrial jobs have disappeared and low paying service jobs have increased.
- Many low income areas, locally and nationally, have undergone revitalization efforts that have priced current residents out of
the market.
- Recent budget cuts in housing programs, both nationally and locally, have escalated the crisis....
For more, download the attached Word File.
| Attachment | Size |
|---|---|
| 2006.09.AffordableHousingUpdate.doc | 70.5 KB |