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05-07-2009 Out of Reach 2009
Report/Study NLIHC

The National Low Income Housing Coalition has released their latest annual report on rental housing affordability in every jurisdiction in the country.

View the report two ways:

Despite the emphasis on homeownership and the marginalization of renters, renter households still make up fully one-third of the households in the United States — more than 36 million households. Out of Reach is a side-by-side comparison of wages and rents in every county, Metropolitan Area (MSAs/HMFAs), combined nonmetropolitan area and state in the United States. For each jurisdiction, the report calculates the amount of money a household must earn in order to afford a rental unit at a range of sizes (0, 1, 2, 3, and 4 bedrooms) at the area’s Fair Market Rent (FMR), based on the generally accepted affordability standard of paying no more than 30% of income for housing costs. From these calculations the hourly wage a worker must earn to afford the FMR for a two-bedroom home is derived. This figure is the Housing Wage.

Quick Facts for Pennsylvania

In Pennsylvania, the Fair Market Rent (FMR) for a two-bedroom apartment is $799. In order to afford this level of rent and utilities, without paying more than 30% of income on housing, a household must earn $2,664 monthly or $31,969 annually. Assuming a 40-hour work week, 52 weeks per year, this level of income translates into a Housing Wage of $15.37.

In Pennsylvania, a minimum wage worker earns an hourly wage of $7.15. In order to afford the FMR for a two-bedroom apartment, a minimum wage earner must work 86 hours per week, 52 weeks per year. Or, a household must include 2.1 minimum wage earner(s) working 40 hours per week year-round in order to make the two bedroom FMR affordable.

In Pennsylvania, the estimated mean (average) wage for a renter is $13.40 an hour. In order to afford the FMR for a two-bedroom apartment at this wage, a renter must work 46 hours per week, 52 weeks per year. Or, working 40 hours per week year-round, a household must include 1.1 worker(s) earning the mean renter wage in order to make the two-bedroom FMR affordable.

Monthly Supplemental Security Income (SSI) payments for an individual are $674 in Pennsylvania. If SSI represents an individual's sole source of income, $202 in monthly rent is affordable, while the FMR for a one-bedroom is $665.

A unit is considered affordable if it costs no more than 30% of the renter's income.
Issue(s): Affordability: The State of the Market
Topic(s): Census Data, Housing Market
Download(s): Out of Reach 2009 PA Spreadsheet.xls
 
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