On the Path to Home Ownership: Low-Income Owners and Renters in Rural Communities

The purpose of the current article was to examine the tenure status of rural, lowincome mothers to understand particularly what family, housing, and health characteristics are associated with tenure status in rural areas of the United States. 7he benefits as well as the risks of becoming a homeowner for low-income families are discussed. 7he study used data from the multi-state research project Rural Families Speak, an investigation conducted by 17 states to assess the circumstances of rural low-income families--403 mothers with at least one child 12 years of age or younger. Two logistical binomial regression analyses were conducted to identify significant predictors of housing tenure among rural, low-income families. In total, 13 variables were included in the regression analysis for the whole sample and 14 variables were used for a subsample of those mothers who reported having a partner. 7he results of the study indicated that determinants of tenure status for this sample were age, education level, partner status, ethnicity, total monthly income, housing costs, housing wage, and food security status. 7he research contributes to an understanding of variables that contribute to attaining homeownership and provides additional information to shape future research, policy, and social programs that benefit rural, low-income families who aspire to become or sustain homeownership