“The Rent Eats First”: Rental Housing Unaffordability in the United States

The effect of natural disasters on household economic hardship during a pandemic

“…Bickel et al (2000, p. 6) defined food insecurity as “limited or uncertain availability of nutritionally adequate and safe foods or limited or uncertain ability to acquire acceptable foods in socially acceptable ways.” To better capture economic hardships, the burden of housing costs is also relevant for the present study because housing expenditures are the largest household expense for most Americans, accounting for about a third of household spending (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2020). Moreover, American households often reduce other expenditures such as food to cover a housing cost burden (Airgood‐Obrycki et al, 2021). Not surprisingly, housing insecurity can have long‐term consequences, forcing residents to tap into retirement savings to cover expenses (Pew Research Center, 2020) and influencing credit scores if residents face eviction or foreclosure when they miss payments (Airgood‐Obrycki et al, 2021; Porton et al, 2020).…”

“…Moreover, American households often reduce other expenditures such as food to cover a housing cost burden (Airgood‐Obrycki et al, 2021). Not surprisingly, housing insecurity can have long‐term consequences, forcing residents to tap into retirement savings to cover expenses (Pew Research Center, 2020) and influencing credit scores if residents face eviction or foreclosure when they miss payments (Airgood‐Obrycki et al, 2021; Porton et al, 2020). Lastly, unemployment and/or employment insecurity are major triggers for economic hardship, leading to food insecurity and housing hardships in particular (Eamon & Wu, 2011; Finnigan & Meagher, 2019; Huang et al, 2016).…”

Landlords’ rental businesses before and after the COVID-19 pandemic: Evidence from a National Cross-Site Survey

“…The COVID-19 pandemic has had a profound impact on the ability of US renters to make rent. By December 2020, it was estimated that nearly one in five renter households were behind on monthly payments ( Airgood-Obrycki et al 2021 ), fueling a rent arrears crisis estimated to be as high as $57 billion ( Parrot & Zandi 2021 ). While numerous studies have explored the consequences of this crisis for tenants, comparatively less is known about how rental property owners have absorbed and responded to this financial strain.…”

Food system activism and the housing crisis

“…The housing affordability crisis in the U.S. refers to the nationwide lack of affordable housing, which results in 580,000 unhoused people each night and an astounding 62% of working-age renter households-19.2 million householdspaying over one-third of their income in rent (Airgood-Obrycki et al, 2022), a condition defined as 'shelter poverty' (Stone, 2004). For low-income renters, these numbers skyrocket, with 70% of all extremely low-income households paying more than 50% of their income in rent (Aurand et al, 2021).…”

“…Shelter-poor families often cannot afford other household necessities such as food, daycare, or healthcare because of the high cost of housing. The lack of affordable housing nationwide forces poor families to compete for the small number of affordable units available and to cut costs in other parts of their family budget in order to make ends meet (Airgood-Obrycki et al, 2022;Desmond, 2016). This situation has clear impacts on the food system: farm, restaurant, and grocery store workers need safe, affordable housing, and both unhoused and shelter-poor families experience high rates of food insecurity (Sprake et al, 2013).…”