The wide gap between rent and income

To the editor: According to "Out of Reach 2007-2008," an annual study released on April 7 by the National Low Income Housing Coalition, renters in New Hampshire have to earn 47 percent more than they did in 2000 just to pay the rent and utilities on a two-bedroom apartment. See the entire report at http://www.nlihc.org/oor/oor2008/.

A renter household in New Hampshire needs to bring in $19.45/hour in order to afford a two-bedroom apartment. But the average wage for renter households in New Hampshire is only $13.73/hour, which means one of several things are happening in renter households. Either the household income is going disproportionately to rent and utilities-as much as 45 percent or more, well above the 30 percent threshold used by HUD to determine affordability, or the average renter must work 57 hours per week for 52 weeks a year to make ends meet, or the household must include 1.4 workers earning the average renter wage full-time, for 52 weeks a year.

All of these scenarios are stressful and precarious, and in many cases, these households face a significant risk of homelessness.

Findings like these make it clear that policy discussions must take seriously the astonishing gap between full-time wages and the cost of living in New Hampshire.




Maggie Fogarty
Economic Justice Project Coordinator
American Friends Service Committee
Concord

YOU read this week by Kimberly Power