AFFORDABLE HOUSING BEGINS WITH A KEY

How can there not be enough housing?

It’s a good question. While it might call to mind people experiencing homelessness and sleeping on city streets, the nation’s affordable housing crisis is broader and deeper than that. It affects both urban and rural areas and people of all races, although people of color are more likely to be considered “extremely low income” and less likely to own property than their white counterparts.

The average monthly rental cost in the United States is $1,715. But an extremely low-income family of four earning $27,750 — that is, living at or below the poverty line — can afford only $615 in rent. This income group makes up 25% of all U.S. renter households. 

An insufficient supply of housing stock, increased demand and rising costs have exacerbated the burdens experienced by low-income renter households. The result: There are only 4 million affordable, available homes for 11 million extremely low-income renter households. That’s a shortage of 7 million units.  

So some renters are forced to spend more than the recommended 30% of income on housing, becoming severely cost-burdened and therefore spending less on food (38% less) and health care (70% less). To make matters worse, only 1 in 4 qualifying families receives any housing assistance to pay shelter expenses.

National data sources: “The Gap: A Shortage of Affordable Homes,” April 2022, the National Low Income Housing Coalition; “Poverty in the United States: 2021,” September 2022, U.S. Census Bureau; U.S. Government Accountability Office; and Bureau of Labor Statistics.  

Developing new and preserving existing affordable units

CCUSA supports member agencies across the country in preserving and creatively growing their affordable housing stock, which includes both permanent housing and temporary housing, such as emergency shelters.

Among other efforts, vacant schools have been turned into low-income senior housing, and permanent supportive housing units now stand on land made available by religious congregations.  

Surplus or unused church properties have been rehabilitated into homes for inpatient substance-use recovery, and those in need — including farmworkers and persons with disabilities — are finding stable housing and living with dignity.  

Existing member agency affordable housing projects are preserved by refinancing substantial rehabilitation to extend their useful life and availability for many years to come.

The Healthy Housing Initiative, which provides supportive, “wraparound” services — emotional, social and physical support — is reducing chronic homelessness and reliance on ER visits for unhoused people in Detroit, Las Vegas, Portland (Ore.), Spokane and St. Louis. 

These initiatives have proven track records of success and demonstrate that it is possible to house people in quality, affordable units. Catholic Charities agencies know this because they’ve been doing it.