Report: U.S. Rentals Unaffordable to Poor

http://www.commondreams.org/headlines04/1220-01.htm

Published on Monday, December 20, 2004 by the Associated Press

Report: U.S. Rentals Unaffordable to Poor
by Genaro C. Armas

WASHINGTON - Most Americans who rely on just a full-time job earning the federal minimum wage cannot afford the rent and utilities on a one- or two-bedroom apartment, an advocacy group on low-income housing reported Monday.

For a two-bedroom rental alone, the typical worker must earn at least $15.37 an hour — nearly three times the federal minimum wage, the National Low Income Housing Coalition said in its annual "Out of Reach" report.

That figure assumes that a family spends no more than 30 percent of its gross income on rent and utilities — anything more is generally considered unaffordable by the government.

Yet many poor Americans are paying more than they can afford because wage increases haven't kept up with increases in rent and utilities, said Danilo Pelletiere, the coalition's research director.

The median hourly wage in the United States is about $14, and more than one-quarter of the population earns less than $10 an hour, the report said.

..more..

just to be pulling in around $11.50.

Dealing specifically with the issue of affordable housing for public servants such as teachers, police officers, and firefighters. It was amazing to see that these individuals pretty much have to get 35 miles away from the city on the VA side in order to purchase a place.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A8017-2004Dec17.html

Plenty of people talk about the growing shortage of housing that essential workers such as teachers, nurses and police officers can afford. But the National Association of Home Builders has done more than talk. Actually, it has drawn a series of stark pictures for the top 25 metropolitan areas in the nation.

The conclusion, from a survey released last week at an affordable housing conference in Washington: In most metro areas, "people holding three of the important community infrastructure jobs -- police officers, teachers, nurses -- can afford homes in less than one-half the census tracts." Retail clerks, whose pay is even lower, are priced out of 97 percent of the tracts.

(A caveat: The study assumed only a single income in the family rather than two wage earners. But single parents and young families with a stay-at-home parent are key first-time buyers.)

The picture in the Washington area is worse: A police officer, teacher or nurse making the median salary for that profession can afford a median-priced home in only 37 percent of census tracts. Retail workers can afford to buy in less than 1 percent of census tracts.

that really says it all. A clear demonstration of the reality of the "two Americas".