Many housing and human services providers say their programs are underfunded as the housing crisis in rural parts of America grows.
A chronic economic decline over the last century and a strained housing supply are contributing to a growing housing crisis in rural America, where “one in four rural renters spends more than 50 percent of their income on housing.” Urban Institute researchers interviewed housing and human services providers in 12 rural counties to understand how well these programs are working in rural areas.
Anna Morgan and Corianne Payton Scally describe the results in Urban Wire. “Human services providers told us the rural families they served lacked affordable housing options and faced additional challenges because of low-paying jobs, poor quality of available housing, and high-cost burdens for renters.” Additionally, providers “shared concerns that federal income requirements for the programs they administer result in benefit cliffs for families, which limits their ability to maintain stable housing and meet basic needs.”
Proposed solutions include expanding federal housing programs in rural areas; partnering with local nonprofits to fill gaps in services, understand specific local needs, and share resources; and delivering services to people’s homes in areas where transportation is often a barrier to accessing resources.
Boosting support for housing programs is key to the overall social and economic wellbeing of rural communities, the researchers note.
FULL STORY: Housing and Human Services Programs Aren’t Meeting Rural Renters’ Needs
National Survey Shows ‘Severe, Widespread, and Worsening’ Housing Crisis
Mayors from around the country agree that more support is needed at the federal level to strengthen housing assistance programs.
Rural Renters at Increased Risk of Eviction
Rural residents often have a harder time accessing legal assistance and eviction prevention resources.
Opinion: Federal Government Must Continue Supporting Rural Housing Program
The incoming Congress will have a say in bolstering — or harming — the only federal housing program focused on affordable housing in rural areas.
What ‘The Brutalist’ Teaches Us About Modern Cities
How architecture and urban landscapes reflect the trauma and dysfunction of the post-war experience.
‘Complete Streets’ Webpage Deleted in Federal Purge
Basic resources and information on building bike lanes and sidewalks, formerly housed on the government’s Complete Streets website, are now gone.
Downtown Los Angeles on the Rise: A Promising 2025
Fueled by new developments, cultural investments, and a growing dining scene, downtown Los Angeles is poised for significant growth in 2025, despite challenges from recent wildfires and economic uncertainties.
San Francisco Slow Streets Bucks Citywide Trend, Reducing Injuries by 61 Percent
Low-cost interventions aimed at slowing traffic are making a major impact on road safety.
How Single-Family Conversions Benefit Both Homeowners and Cities
Converting single-family homes to triplexes can ease the housing crisis and offer affordable, flexible options for more households. Why is it largely illegal?
Report: Transportation Equity Requires More Than Electrification
Lower-income households often lack the resources to buy electric cars, signaling a need for a more holistic approach to improving mobility and lowering transportation costs.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Economic & Planning Systems, Inc.
UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
City of Piedmont, CA
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research