Baltimore faces significant challenges with housing affordability, as many residents struggle with the rising costs of living. Local organizations dedicated to housing have observed troubling trends where rents keep escalating, making it increasingly difficult for a large portion of the population to find affordable housing.
The Impact of Rising Rent on Affordability
Adria Crutchfield, the executive director of the Baltimore Regional Housing Partnership (BRHP), highlights a worrying trend in the region. Over the past five years, rents have soared by more than 20%, placing a heavy financial burden on residents. Housing is considered affordable when it costs no more than 30% of an individual’s income. However, in Baltimore, the average incomes are not keeping pace with rising rents, making many housing options unaffordable for residents. The standard measure of being ‘burdened’ by housing costs is when 30% or more of one’s income goes towards housing. When it reaches or exceeds 50%, experts consider it severe.
Economic Strain in Predominantly Black Neighborhoods in Baltimore
The issue is even more pronounced in predominantly Black neighborhoods such as Greater Rosemont and Oliver/Johnston Square. These areas suffer from lower median incomes, which are consequences of historical disinvestment, educational disparities, and systemic issues like redlining. For example, residents of Greater Rosemont and Oliver/Johnston Square, where the majority of the population is African American, face median incomes of $35,167 and $37,710 respectively. This situation forces them to allocate about 55% and 51% of their income to rent, respectively, which significantly constrains their financial flexibility and increases economic strain.
Role of Assistance Programs and Challenges in Funding
The BRHP administers Baltimore’s Housing Mobility Program, which offers rental assistance and counseling services to over 4,300 low-income families. This program is crucial as it receives funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to help families manage the high costs of rent. Despite these programs, the gap between the need for affordable housing and its availability continues to widen, particularly for families with the lowest income.
The Broader Impact of Housing Supply and Market Dynamics in Baltimore
Dan Emmanuel, a research manager at the National Low Income Housing Coalition, points out that the shortage of affordable rentals is critical, particularly for families with very low incomes. In Maryland, there are only 32 affordable and available units for every 100 extremely low-income households. Factors contributing to this shortage include high construction costs, restrictive zoning laws, and lengthy and unpredictable approval processes for new developments. Although there has been a slight easing in the rental market, affordable housing remains out of reach for many due to the high costs of building and maintaining properties relative to the incomes of the most economically vulnerable populations.
Solutions and the Need for Political Will
The discussion concludes with a call for more robust interventions and political action to address the housing affordability crisis. There is a clear path to alleviating this situation through expanding rental assistance programs, increasing the Housing Trust Fund, and preserving public housing. However, the lack of political will remains a significant barrier. Comprehensively addressing these issues would help many families in Baltimore and across the nation currently burdened by excessive housing costs.