Projecting Trends in Severely Cost-Burdened Renters: 2015–2025

Allison Charette, Chris Herbert, Andrew Jakabovics, Ellen Marya, Daniel McCue

This report shows that the number of households spending more than 50 percent of their income on rent is expected to rise at least 11 percent from 11.8 million to 13.1 million by 2025. The report, by Harvard University’s Joint Center for Housing Studies and Enterprise Community Partners Inc, projects a growing renter affordability crisis, with the largest increases expected among older adults, Hispanics and single-person households. The findings suggest that even if trends in incomes and rents turn more favorable, a variety of demographic forces—including the rapid growth of minority and senior populations—will exert continued upward pressure on the number of severely cost-burdened renters.

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