Out of Reach: The High Cost of Housing

Rents are rising faster than wages, and tenants in many states are burdened by the end of pandemic-era benefits programs that had helped dampen a hostile national housing market. This report examines disparities between wages and rental housing prices across the country and finds that securing housing is financially challenging for workers across occupations and wage levels. It provides affordability data at the county and state levels, and recommends developing new affordable housing, preserving existing rental housing, supporting universal rental assistance programs, and establishing stronger legal protections for renters.