This is my shocked face:
https://www.huduser.gov/portal/publications/Worst-Case-Housing-Needs-2025-Report-to-Congress.html
Quote:
Renter households with worst case housing needs are defined as those with very low incomes who do not receive government housing assistance and pay more than one-half of their incomes toward rent, those who live in severely inadequate conditions, or both. During the 2019-to-2021 period, which covered the COVID-19 pandemic, increasing household growth, increasing interest rates limiting homeownership, falling incomes, and increases in rent led to a sharp increase in cases of worst case needsa record high of 8.53 million cases. Between 2021 and 2023, cases of worst case needs remained elevated at 8.46 million households, virtually the same as the 2019-to-2021 period.
One key cause of elevated worst case needs is immigration. Between 2021 and 2024, the foreign-born population of the United States increased by more than 6 millionthe largest such increase over such a short period in American history. The foreign-born population now stands at more than 53 million individuals, making up the highest share of the American population in history. This immigration-driven increase in households has contributed to a significant increase in housing demand, thus driving up housing prices. In fact, in some markets, immigration has accounted for nearly all of the increase in housing demand in recent years.
This year's report shows two realities. The first is that economic growth has been insufficient to lift the wages of low-income renting families high enough to make rent affordable. The second is that national macroeconomic policies, such as record immigration, have combined to drive sustained high rental demand, which has continued to place upward pressure on rent prices.
https://www.huduser.gov/portal/publications/Worst-Case-Housing-Needs-2025-Report-to-Congress.html
