Perceptions & Associations: A Statewide Analysis of Renter Affordability in Oregon Communities

41 pagesNational reports from the Urban Institute, Harvard’s Joint Center on Housing Studies, and Up For Growth point to a housing crisis – cost burden is rising while housing supply is not keeping up with demand. (Urban Institute, 2017; Harvard Joint The lack of housing affordability is an issue facing urban and rural areas alike. While some studies focus on the largest metropolitan areas in the United States, data on Oregon shows that cities of all sizes are facing an increase in the number of households that are cost-burdened. According to Lewis, Parker, Hall (2018), 60 percent or more of the following area median incomes — extremely low income , very low income , low income , and moderate income need housing that is affordable to their AMI within Oregon. Additionally, data shows that within Oregon 48.6 percent (or 288,660) of renter households were cost-burdened, meaning they allocate more than 30 percent of their income towards housing. This is slightly above the national average of 45.8 percent. Knowing this, this research aims to understand the condition of renter affordability using Oregon communities to shed light on the perceptions of housing, the types of housing needed, and why needed housing is not being produced in Oregon communities. Furthermore, this research seeks to understand the associations between community characteristics, demographics, and the share of renters that are cost-burdened