The recently released American Housing Survey provides an unparalleled window into U.S. housing conditions. Shockingly, median monthly costs went down for all occupied housing between 2011 and 2013. But, dig a little deeper and another picture comes into focus: Costs for renters went up. These rising rents are the tip of the iceberg of what we call housing insecurity, a growing crisis that threatens Maryland's economic progress, and the health and education of our people.
So what does housing insecurity mean? In our book, people who are either homeless or paying more than half of their monthly income on housing are housing insecure. Since 2000 the number of housing insecure renters nationwide grew an astonishing 82 percent, from 6 million to nearly 11 million people, representing roughly one in four renters — an all-time high.
By 2050, America's population is expected to reach 400 million people. The bulk of this growth will be in cities, meaning 89 percent of America's population will call a city home. America must act now to end housing insecurity, harnessing this coming urban wave by creating and preserving affordable housing connected to jobs, good schools, transit and health care. Easier said than done. But it is possible with smart policies and infrastructure investments, along with the political will to make it so.
The benefits of ending housing insecurity are clear. A burgeoning body of research shows the significant impact of stable and affordable housing on people's health, education and economic well-being — because a home is so much more than a shelter. Whether one is a commuter in Anne Arundel County or an urban dweller in Baltimore City, home is the necessary foundation for a life filled with opportunity and a fair shot at success. Without a home, it's hard for kids to succeed in school, it's difficult for adults to get a job or excel in the workplace, and it's next to impossible for families to stay healthy. This country was built on a key value — every person should have the opportunity to fulfill their potential. But that can't happen for so many with the obstacle of living in an unstable, unhealthy and unaffordable home.
Ending housing insecurity and delivering the benefits of quality, affordable housing cannot be done by any individual company — or industry — on its own. It will require a coalition of the willing, and the public and private sectors working together to access entrepreneurial solutions in support of a shared vision. It will require expanding programs and policies that work, like the Low Income Housing Tax Credit, and eliminating ones that don't.
However, all of the policies and programs in the world will not make the kind of impact we need unless people, including politicians, realize that high housing cost burdens are not good for families, and the number of families facing high housing costs is on the rise. Working people who serve our communities by teaching and protecting the safety of their residents should have access to quality affordable housing wherever they may work.
Maryland families shelling out more than half of their paychecks for rent are forced to make terrible trade-offs between making rent or buying groceries, between paying the light bill and paying for child care. By ending housing insecurity, hard-working families won't have to make these tough choices and will have a shot at a better life. We will also save significant taxpayer dollars and strengthen the economy by reducing health care costs, improving education outcomes and protecting the environment.
For every hard-earned dollar each of us pays in taxes, we should expect a premium return — a more productive state that doesn't just focus on fixing problems, but actually prevents them in the first place. Maryland can make progress on many of its biggest challenges and simultaneously create opportunity for all. And it all starts at home. Together, we can — and will — end housing insecurity.
Chickie Grayson is president and CEO of Enterprise Homes, which creates thoughtfully planned, green, mixed-income communities throughout the mid-Atlantic region. Enterprise Homes is part of the Enterprise Community Partners family of companies, which has set a generational goal of ending housing insecurity in the U.S. Her email is cgrayson@enterprisehomes.com.