The West Coast is defined by progressive politics, booming tech economies and — increasingly — affordable housing crises.
A new study from the National Low Income Housing Coalition looks at the number of affordable units in the U.S. compared to the number of “extremely low-income” households, defined as families living at or below the poverty line. The study found that no state in the country has an adequate supply of rental homes for that group. The most extreme shortages are in a handful of states, including Washington, California, and Oregon, where tech hubs are driving income inequality.
On the West Coast, there are 30 or fewer affordable homes for every 100 extremely low-income families, according to the report. No state in the nation has more than 60 affordable rental units for every 100 families living at or below the poverty line. What’s more, 71 percent of extremely low-income households spend more than half of their incomes on rent and utilities.
