Affordable Housing Crisis Affects Majority of American Families

The strong economy has created an affordable housing crisis for millions of Americans. Prospective home-buyers are finding that the homes they want are beyond their means, while in some urban areas lower and middle-income renters are being priced completely out of the market.

The Mortgage Bankers Association of America recently pointed to the dramatic increase in the number of moderate-income families unable to find decent, affordable houses or apartments. People in the lowest income brackets—those who make 50% of area median income or less—face the most housing problems. But more startlingly is the surge of families earning more income (80-120% of area median income) who are unable to find decent affordable housing. That category grew by 74% from 1997 to 1999.

For information about expanding the availability of housing assistance and investing more resources in the production and preservation of safe, affordable housing, click here.

Source: American Housing Survey

Chart Data (numbers in millions)

Income Bracket	1997	1999
Earning 30-50% of median income	1.56	1.57
Earning 50-80% of median income	.837	1.02
Earning 80-120% of median income	.398	.691