Cost-Burdened Families Living in Substandard Housing On the Rise

Money and housing

The latest Worst Case Housing Needs report shows that the number of cost-burdened families also living in substandard housing increased from 2013 to 2015. Issued by the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), the report reveals that in 2015, 8.3 million very low-income unsubsidized families paid more than half their income on rent or lived in substandard housing, and in many cases, both. HUD defines “worst case housing needs” as renters with very low incomes whose housing is not subsidized, and who either paid more than half their monthly income towards rent and/or live in substandard housing. The report finds that these renters live in both urban and rural areas and include all racial and ethnic groups. Further, the data shows that much of the worst case needs were found in households with children, seniors and people with disabilities.

To learn more about the needs of households in North Carolina on a per county basis, please explore our State of Housing map.