Record breaking numbers of American families cannot afford a decent place to call home. Today’s estimates are that there is a shortfall of almost 7 million rental units available for lower-income families and a single-family home supply shortage of roughly 3.8 million units. (Forbes, September 7, 2021) Only 37 affordable and available rental homes exist for every 100 extremely low-income renter households. (National Low Income Housing Coalition)
Housing is the key to reducing intergenerational poverty and increasing economic mobility. Increasing access to affordable housing is the most cost-effective strategy for reducing childhood poverty and bolsters economic growth. Children living in stable, affordable homes are more likely to thrive in school and have greater opportunities inside and outside the classroom. The shortage of affordable housing costs the American economy about $2 trillion a year in lower wages and productivity. Each dollar invested in affordable housing boosts local economies by leveraging public and private resources to generate income–including resident earning and additional local tax revenue–and supports job creation and retention. (National Low Income Housing Coalition)
We support solutions to the affordable housing crisis in the greater Cleveland, Ft. Lauderdale, and Raleigh areas, with particular interest in supportive housing for adults with profound autism/intellectual disabilities and LGBTQ+ teens and young adults.