Extremely low-income households, housing affordability and the Great Recession

• Published in: Urban studies (Edinburgh, Scotland) Scotland), 2018-06, Vol.55 (8), p.1615-1635
• Main Author: Lens, Michael C
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Affordability; Affordable housing; Counties; Crises; Efficacy; Great Recession; Home ownership; Households; Housing; Housing authorities; Housing subsidies; Income; Low income groups; Pilot projects; Public housing; Recessions; Regression analysis; Regression models; Rentals; Subsidies; Vouchers
• ISSN: 0042-0980; 1360-063X
• DOI: 10.1177/0042098016686511

The effects of the Great Recession on housing equity and homeownership have been well-documented. However, we know little about how rental households fared and the efficacy of housing subsidies in addressing affordability gaps. This paper examines the extent to which rental housing became less affordable for Extremely Low-Income (ELI) households – those earning less than 30% of the Area Median Income (AMI). I then run regression models to determine the local characteristics most strongly associated with larger affordability gaps, with a focus on whether housing subsidies are effective at combating such gaps. Rental affordability gaps became more pronounced during the Great Recession. In nearly 70% of the counties in my sample, there was an increase from 2007 to 2010 in the number of ELI households per affordable rental unit. Across the country, the increase was 17%, a dramatic increase in only three years. There is considerable variation across the country, with acute affordability crises often concentrated in the South, particularly Florida. Regression models provide compelling evidence that housing vouchers, public housing, and project-based Section 8 subsidies play an important role in limiting the extent to which large numbers of ELI households are competing for a shortage of low-cost rental units. However, these programmes do not respond quickly to local needs – such as those brought about by the Great Recession. A pilot study where local housing authorities had funding to be more agile and responsive would be an important step toward crafting better policy. 关于经济大衰退对住房公平和住房拥有率的影响有充分记述。但是我们对租房居住家庭的生计情况以及住房补贴在解决支付能力差距方面的效果知之甚少。本文研究极低收入（ELI）家庭（这些家庭的收入低于地区中等收入（AMI）的30％）变得更难负担房屋租赁费用的情况。然后，我运用回归模型，确定了与较大支付能力差距密切相关的地方性特征，重点关注住房补贴是否能有效地消除这种差距。租金负担能力差距在经济大衰退时期变得更加明显。根据我研究的样本，2007年至2010年期间近70％的县极低收入家庭数量与低成本租赁房屋的比例都有所上升。全国范围内的增长率为17％，三年内增幅明显。全国各地存在相当大的差异，严重负担能力危机主要集中在南部地区，特别是佛罗里达州。回归模型提供了令人信服的证据，证明住房补助券、公共住房和基于项目的“第八节补贴”发挥了重要作用，缓解了大量极低收入家庭争夺短缺的低成本租赁房屋这一问题。但是，这些计划并没有针对当地需求做出快速反应，比如伴随大衰退产生的需求。目前需要一项试点研究，看看哪些地方住房部门资金充足，做出了更敏捷、更快速的反应，这将是朝着制定更为行之有效的政策迈出的重要一步。