There is a significant gap between the need for and the supply of affordable housing in the United States. The size of the gap can probably best be summarized by the dramatic fact that “more than a third of U.S. households live in housing that exceeds their means.” In addition to the financial burdens this gap places on families and communities, numerous studies have found direct links between affordable housing and positive health, education, economic and other outcomes.
This paper by the Mortgage Bankers Association presents a high-level overview of research on the affordable housing needs facing the country, and on some of the federal programs that have been developed to address them. Because of the central role multifamily rental housing plays — both through federal programs and through the natural market — in providing affordable housing, this paper focuses on that sector.
Read the full report here.
Read a summary of the report in HousingWire.