Posted by JP(SC) on December 25, 2004 at 06:26:44:
Depends on where you are. That amount would cover lot rent and most of a Lonnie deal in my location.
Report: U.S. Rentals Unaffordable to Poor - Posted by The55+GuyFromAZ
Posted by The55+GuyFromAZ on December 20, 2004 at 09:26:36:
Report: U.S. Rentals Unaffordable to Poor
Mon Dec 20, 2:10 AM ET
By GENARO C. ARMAS, Associated Press Writer
WASHINGTON - Most Americans who rely on just a full-time job earning the federal minimum wage cannot afford the rent and utilities on a one- or two-bedroom apartment, an advocacy group on low-income housing reported Monday.
For a two-bedroom rental alone, the typical worker must earn at least $15.37 an hour ? nearly three times the federal minimum wage, the National Low Income Housing Coalition said in its annual “Out of Reach” report.
That figure assumes that a family spends no more than 30 percent of its gross income on rent and utilities ? anything more is generally considered unaffordable by the government.
Yet many poor Americans are paying more than they can afford because wage increases haven’t kept up with increases in rent and utilities, said Danilo Pelletiere, the coalition’s research director.
The median hourly wage in the United States is about $14, and more than one-quarter of the population earns less than $10 an hour, the report said.
“A lot of people continue to be squeezed out,” said Judy Levey, executive director of the Homeless and Housing Coalition of Kentucky. “Housing here is relatively inexpensive, but because the wages are so low, people can’t afford housing,”
The report quoted federal Bureau of Labor Statistics data that showed hourly wages rising about 2.6 percent over the past year, slower than the 2.9 percent rise in rents recorded in the Consumer Price Index (news - web sites).
In addition, Pelletiere said, government spending on Section 8 rental vouchers, which helps 2 million Americans ? mainly poor ? pay rent hasn’t kept up with demand.
The study analyzed data from the Census Bureau (news - web sites) and the Housing and Urban Development Department to derive the hourly wage figures.
In only four of the nation’s 3,066 counties could a full-time worker making the federal minimum wage afford a typical one-bedroom apartment, the coalition said. Three were in Illinois: Clay, Crawford and Wayne counties; the other was Washington County, Fla.
California topped all states in the hourly wage needed to afford a two-bedroom apartment, at $21.24, followed by Massachusetts, New Jersey, Maryland and New York.
States with more residents in rural areas were generally the most affordable, although no state’s housing wage was lower than the federal minimum wage of $5.15 an hour, which has not changed since 1997.
West Virginia was the lowest at $9.31 an hour for a two-bedroom rental, followed by North Dakota, Arkansas, Mississippi and Alabama.
Pelletiere said the coalition’s data for 2004 could not be compared with previous years because of changes in the way that HUD calculated “Fair Market Rents,” which is the cost of rent and most utilities for a typical apartment. The fair rent varies widely by metropolitan area.
Overall, though, utility costs appear to be rising at a faster rate than rents, Pelletiere said. Add in stagnant wages and the housing situation for the nation’s poor “has gotten worse over the last year,” he said.
National Low Income Housing Coalition: http://www.nlihc.org/index.html
HUD: http://www.hud.gov/
Re: Report: U.S. Rentals Unaffordable to Poor - Posted by roundhouse
Posted by roundhouse on December 20, 2004 at 19:12:34:
Minimum wage is not designed to provide living expenses,
these folks sould learn a marketable skill, or they will always be poor.
Leanring to be a welder, plumber or truck driver isnt rocket science, but pays good.
When I was a jr in high school, in 1981 living in a the appalachian mtns, I worked one summer and fall part time with a crew of guys building hiking trails.
I was the only student, the rest of the guys were in their 30’s, married with families, and they were working a seasonal job, for min wage, in the rain and snow because it was the only job around.
For me it was just a summer and weekend job for money to fix my 66 Thunderbird, buy gas (at $3.10 a gal factored for inflation) and keep my motorcycles running, but for every one else it was the difference between paying the electric bill and not paying it.
Thats when I decided I would , as much as I hated to, to move to Atlanta, learn a trade, and get a decent job.
Re: Report: U.S. Rentals Unaffordable to Poor - Posted by MMorris
Posted by MMorris on December 21, 2004 at 08:13:33:
I dont think you got it old man. I think that there is only ONE message in that article and if you dont have that thought when your done with that article your stupid…wait no that is not true. But its your attitude.
The truth is that article, and any for that matter can have many conclusions. That is true weather your hell-bent attitude thinks so or not. Opinions vary. Nothing wrong with that. Thanks for the story roundhouse. I enjoyed it. MMorris
Re: Report: U.S. Rentals Unaffordable to Poor - Posted by The55+GuyFromAZ
Posted by The55+GuyFromAZ on December 20, 2004 at 21:16:43:
As usual… you missed the point.
Re: Report: U.S. Rentals Unaffordable to Poor - Posted by Nathan
Posted by Nathan on December 21, 2004 at 10:51:56:
roundhouse, perhaps if you read you own post in an objective manor it will become clear, the other workers were there because it was the difference in paying their electric bill and not. Creative Real Estate is the alturnative to fat cats and the good ol boys making all the money. I like the idea of helping someone that can’t go to the bank and get a loan. Now, maybe that young couple or older couple can own something they can call their own. Nathan
Re: Report: U.S. Rentals Unaffordable to Poor - Posted by Bob
Posted by Bob on December 21, 2004 at 07:11:30:
So… what is the point you are trying to make? Help out the uninformed and unenlightened amoung us…
Bob
Re: Report: U.S. Rentals Unaffordable to Poor - Posted by Jim
Posted by Jim on December 20, 2004 at 22:43:10:
AZ guy sure has a condescending attitude…why say anything destructive? Isn’t this forum designed to be constructive?
Re: Report: U.S. Rentals Unaffordable to Poor - Posted by Barbie
Posted by Barbie on December 21, 2004 at 07:18:32:
I think the message is that this is good news for the mobile home industry.
Re: Report: U.S. Rentals Unaffordable to Poor - Posted by The55+GuyFromAZ
Posted by The55+GuyFromAZ on December 21, 2004 at 24:22:33:
Apparently, you didn’t get it either.
Re: Report: U.S. Rentals Unaffordable to Poor - Posted by Kevin in OK
Posted by Kevin in OK on December 22, 2004 at 17:04:58:
Think beyond the “scary” headlines, designed to promote the article author’s and editor’s agenda, and think opportunity.
Kevin
Re: Report: U.S. Rentals Unaffordable to Poor - Posted by Tarheel T
Posted by Tarheel T on December 21, 2004 at 13:21:20:
This would be a good sign of demand for our low end affordable mh rentals.
No, it’s a bad sign - Posted by Sterling
Posted by Sterling on December 25, 2004 at 02:03:42:
Min wage is $5.15 or $10,712 / year.
30% of that is $267.80 / month.
That’s enough for lot rent and part of the utilities. Nothing left over to
pay a Lonnie dealer. This segment of the population cannot even
afford a MH and the article says their numbers are growing.