Eleven million families are struggling to pay their rent nationwide, according to a new report published by the Make Room campaign. The coalition of policymakers, nonprofit organizations and advocates recently released a list of 12 policy and statistically driven reasons for a more intelligent and fair housing policy in the United States.
The report argues that housing policy should seek to benefit those in the lower and mid- ranges of America’s income bracket. According to the campaign, policy tools already in place such as Section 8 rental assistance vouchers and Low-Income Housing Tax Credits could be enough to keep Low-Income families adequately housed.
A recent study from HUD found that families leaving homeless shelters with Section 8 vouchers were more than twice as likely to remain stably housed and avoid foster care placements compared to families leaving shelters without vouchers. Federal spending on rental assistance has decreased in recent years, while the number of low-income renters has continued to rise. Make Room reports, “ only 23 percent of households who are eligible for federal rental assistance actually receive it, leading to decade-long waiting lists and lotteries for rare openings.”
Make Room suggests it is crucial to simultaneously create more balanced policies and begin tackling some of the systemic problems of concentrated poverty. “In order for families to remain stably housed in a decent neighborhood, they need to earn an income that reflects the actual cost of living in that community.”
Related research published in 2015 by the National Low-Income Housing Coalition supports this conclusion. “In no state can a person working full-time at minimum wage afford a one-bedroom apartment at the Fair Market Rent.”
