“Because of their relative recency, minimal research has been done on state and local middle-income housing policies and programs. Our paper helps close this gap by documenting the rise and features of these programs. Their proliferation speaks to the growing unaffordability that is affecting more people and more places than ever before. However, the cost of addressing middle-income rental affordability must be balanced with meeting the long-standing and deep needs that lowest-income renters face.”
Some local governments are willing to subsidize housing for teachers and public safety personnel they pay but do nothing to help low-wage people like food workers, health aides, and childcare workers. For families at the bottom of the income scale, their message is: “We need you to work for us. But don’t think about being able to live here.”