In September the National Low Income
Housing Coalition (NLIHC) released is annual assessment of the national affordable housing
shortage. Out of Reach: The Gap Between Housing Costs and Income of Poor People in the
United States analyzes the problems renters face in the private rental market in each
state.
In Delaware --
the percentage of renters unable to afford rent for a two-bedroom
unit – that is, they must pay more than 30% of their incomes for rent –
increased to 39% of all renters,
the hourly wage needed to afford a two-bedroom unit that rents at no
more than one-third of income is $12.90 and $11.79 for Wilmington and Dover respectively,
Sussex County has the largest proportion of renters (44%) unable to
afford a two-bedroom unit, while 38% of New Castle County renters and 43% of Kent County
renters must pay more than one-third of their incomes for a two-bedroom unit;
across the state, renters who earn the new state minimum wage of
$5.65 must work 88.5 hours per week to afford a two-bedroom unit, 75.5 hours to afford a
one bedroom.
from The Housing Journal, Fall 1999
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