The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) recently released its annual “Worst Case Housing Needs: Report to Congress,” part of a longstanding series providing national data and analysis on critical housing challenges faced by very low-income (VLI) renters. Renter households with VLI who do not receive government housing assistance are defined as having worst-case needs for adequate, affordable rental housing if they pay more than one-half of their income for rent, live in severely inadequate conditions, or both. The report revealed that in 2021, 8.53 million households experienced worst-case housing needs, marking a notable increase from the record high in 2011.
Furthermore, the report also discusses factors relevant to aging and disability networks. The report analyzed the proportion of VLI renters by Functional Limitations (Any limitation, Hearing, Visual, Cognitive, Ambulatory) and Activities of Daily Living (ADL) limitations (Self-Care, Independent Living). The report also highlighted that in 2021, 2.35 million older adult renters had worst-case needs, an increase of 108,000 since 2019, even as 145,000 more of these households reported receiving rental assistance in 2021.
Click here to view the full report.
