Survey: 75% of Americans Concerned About Losing Housing New research by The NHP Foundation also finds 40% of Americans fear losing a job will render them homeless New York, NY— With the August Jobs Report cited as the “ worst month for job gains ” of the year, The NHP Foundation , a not-for-profit provider of service- enriched affordable housing, polled 1000 Americans to gauge their feelings about housing and job security. The survey’s highlights include the following: 75% of Americans are concerned about losing housing. When asked how concerned Americans are that they or a friend or relative could lose housing, 30% consider themselves “very concerned”, 27% are “concerned” and another 19% are “somewhat concerned.” Eighty-three percent of respondents are concerned about housing costs in America overall. Over 65% of Americans are “cost-burdened.” Affordable housing is housing for which occupants pay no more than 30% of their income. Those who spend more than that on rent or a mortgage are considered cost-burdened; over 65% of Americans put themselves in that category. 80% welcome more affordable housing in their communities. With this many Americans feeling “cost-burdened,” it’s no surprise that 80% welcome affordable housing. Nearly 40% of those polled welcome affordable housing simply because “everyone deserves” it, while twenty-five percent cite the opportunity for “people to live in the community where they work.” Nearly 20% agree that affordable housing lets a wider range of individuals share a community, and 16% acknowledge affordable housing’s ability to revitalize neighborhoods. Only 20% of those polled were unlikely to welcome affordable housing in their neighborhoods. The NHP Foundation President and CEO Dick Burns attributes this to “an outdated concept of affordable housing.” He adds, “Today’s affordable housing is comprised of new and upgraded garden apartments and high-rises; amenity-laden developments that look nothing like ‘projects’ of the past.”
Onsite financial education and workforce development programs rank highest.
Amenities that attend to life improvement needs and goals have become a critical component of high- quality affordable housing. The survey asked respondents to rank such services on a scale of 1–5, with “1” being “most likely” to improve quality of life.
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THE NHP FOUNDATION
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