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Who Needs Affordable Housing?

 

Families who pay more than 30 percent of their income for housing are considered cost burdened and may have difficulty affording necessities such as food, clothing, transportation and medical care. An estimated 12 million renter and homeowner households now pay more than 50 percent of their annual incomes for housing. A family with one full-time worker earning the minimum wage cannot afford the local fair-market rent for a two-bedroom apartment anywhere in the United States.

Housing problems can be broken down into the following areas: 

 

  • Cost burdens: residents pay an excessively large percentage of income on housing costs. The total number of all renters in 2009 experiencing a housing cost burden (using 30% rule) increased to 18.5 million from 17.4 million in 2008. An additional 14.3 million households spend over 50 percent.

 

  • Physical inadequacy: Lack of hot water, electricity, toilets, bathtubs, and showers are examples of severe physical deficiencies. Unsafe stairs, ramps, and roofs account for just some of the structural dangers families live with. One in seven poor families lives in housing which is physically dangerous or inadequate. 

 

  • Overcrowding: the number of people living in the house is greater than the total number of rooms in the house. Notoriously difficult to track and log. About 6.1 million households live in overcrowded conditions. 

Still want to read more about AH?

Check out these links below!

 

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Stats:
 

  • An estimated 12 million renter and homeowner households now pay more than 50 percent of their annual incomes for housing.

 

  • A family with one full-time worker earning the minimum wage cannot afford the local fair-market rent for a two-bedroom apartment anywhere in the United States.

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Want to learn more about Affordable Housing?

I think you should!

PEDALING FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING (AH) In the United States, 48.5 million people are living in poverty. Minimum wage is not keeping up with the rising cost of living and many workers struggle to afford decent housing. Decent, stable housing provides more than just a roof over someone’s head; it provides stability for families and children. Along with a sense of pride, health, physical safety and security, increase of educational and job prospects. The U.S Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) defines “affordable” as housing that costs no more than 30% of a household’s monthly income. That means rent and utilities in an apartment or the monthly mortgage payment and housing expenses for a homeowner should be less than 30% of a household’s monthly income to be considered “affordable”. Its sad to know that a large percentage of the US population lives burdened with way over 30% of their income dedicated to housing expenses. “Pedaling for Affordable Housing” is more that just a simple saying, it’s a way of living for Bike & Build. I will literally be pedaling my way across the country spreading the message of AH. In order to participate in Bike & Build, each cyclist must raise $4,500 for AH. I'm asking for your support in my cross-country Bike & Build endeavor. But more on that later. 

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