Rental Housing Becoming Unaffordable for Illinoisans
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April 23, 2010
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. - Low-income Illinoisans are being priced out of rental housing units, according to a report released today. The Out of Reach 2010 report found that Illinoisans need to earn $17.44 an hour in order to afford to rent a modest two-bedroom apartment. The study found the average wage for renters is $15.05, which is a 28-cent decrease from last year.
Bob Palmer, policy director for Housing Action Illinois, says the recession and foreclosures are factors impacting housing rental costs for some communities more than others.
"The studies that have shown rents are going down, show that's generally in places where they're at the higher end of the market. Whereas, at the lower end of the market, they don't have to take those measures because the demand is so high."
Palmer says affordable housing needs to become a legislative priority.
"We have to make housing the same type of priority that we're just starting to make health coverage. Until we do that in our society, there's going to be a lot of people who won't be able to afford housing and we're going to have homelessness."
Illinois is the 17th least-affordable state in the nation and has the highest housing wage in the Midwest, according to the report, which was released by Housing Action Illinois and the National Low Income Housing Coalition.