Nearly 1 in 4 Households Use Over 1/2 of Income for Housing Costs

Even with falling home prices, a study from the Center for Housing Policy found that affordability is still becoming increasingly out of reach for homeowners and renters. According to the 2012 Housing Landscape report released by the Center, the share of working households paying more than half their income for housing between 2008 and 2010 went up from 21.8 percent to 23.6 percent.

Source: Center for Housing Policy
As home prices dropped between 2008 and 2010, working homeowners also dealt with shrinking paychecks. For working homeowners over the two-year period, incomes dropped twice as much as housing costs, according to the study.
Jeffrey Lubell, executive director of the Whington-based Center, said this was primarily due to a drop in average hours worked among moderate-income homeowners.
“The data show that homeowners have been hit hard by the housing crisis in more ways than just lost equity,” Lubell explained. “Many working homeowners have been laid off or had their hours cut.”
According to the study, the monthly median income for working homeowners’ fell from $43,570 in 2008 to $41,413 in 2010, which is about a 5 percent decrease. The median number of hours worked per week dropped from 50 to 48 between the two years, which partly explains the decrease in income.
For renters, the monthly median income fell 4 percent from $31,570 to $30,229 between the two years. Housing costs for renters also increased, up by 4 percent over the same period.
Laura Williams, author of the report, said rent rose because of increased demand for rental housing, which was partly encouraged by the housing market crises.
“More and more people are interested in renting,” Williams said. “Some prefer it because it allows them to be more mobile in a tough job market. Others are postponing purchasing a home or facing difficulties obtaining a mortgage. Given the long lead times involved in responding to increased demand with increased supply, the rental market has tightened somewhat and rents increased.”
The five states with highest share of working households with a severe housing cost burden in 2010 were California (34%), Florida (33%), New Jersey (32%), Hawaii (30%), and Nevada (29%).
The five metropolitan areas with the highest share of working households with a severe housing cost burden in 2010 were Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Pompano Beach, Florida (43%); Los Angeles-Long Beach-Santa Ana, California (38%); San Diego-Carlsbad-San Marcos, California (37%); Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, California (35%); and New York-Northern New Jersey-Long Island, New York-New Jersey-Pennsylvania (35%).