Who needs affordable hsg?

Many people struggle to pay for their housing.

A good number pay more than they really can afford; and as a result, other basic necessities go unmet.

Some people find assistance they are eligible for, but are put on a list that has them waiting for years before they actually get the help they need.

Still other households encounter temporary setbacks — for example, a job loss — and have to borrow against their future or the home they currently own to make ends meet.

While it is difficult to make generalizations considering the many reasons housing may be unaffordable to a household, the following statistics shed light on who needs help and why.  (Remember, housing is defined as affordable when rent / mortgage plus utilities cost no more than 30% of your income.)

There are more than 510,000 renter households in Minnesota.  Of them:

• More than 230,000 cannot afford their housing;
• Approximately 21.7% pay at least half of their income on housing;
• Most receive little to no help –- only 18% of renter households receive any form of federal housing assistance.
• Minnesota has a deficit of over 78,000 rental units affordable and available to people making less than $22,300 a year.

There are slightly over 1.5 million homeowner households in Minnesota.  Of them, 28.7% pay more than 30% of their income for their mortgage and utilities.

For more information, visit:

MN and County affordable hsg profiles published by the MN Housing Partnership

A Family Wage & Budget Calculator published by JOBS NOW