Despite the welcome evidence of the increased capacity of very-low-income renters to pay for housing, there continue to be nearly five million renter households with worst case housing needs - a critical problem that requires continued attention and funding. Moreover, the recent progress is highly vulnerable to an economic downturn which would slow or reverse the income growth among very-low-income households. Due to the fact that rents adjust slowly and that some increases reflect capital improvements, rents would not drop as quickly as incomes in the event of a slowdown.

This report is part of the collection of Affordable Housing & Worst Case Needs Reports to Congress.