Rents Up Over 1/3 Since '99, Study Says

[spinbaby]

Rents Up Over 1/3 Since '99, Study Says

By GENARO C. ARMAS, Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON - The cost of rent and utilities for a typical two-bedroom apartment has increased more than a third since 1999, making such housing unaffordable for anyone earning minimum wage, according to a study by an advocacy group for low-income housing.


A worker must earn at least $15.21 an hour to afford the average cost of $791 per month and have enough left for food and other necessities, the Washington-based National Low Income Housing Coalition said Monday. Five years ago the average cost for housing and utilities was $576.

(more)
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=519&ncid=519&e=2&u=/ap/20030908/ap_on_re_us/affordable_rent_1

[Hawkeye-X]

1. Ouch. I moved out of Arizona

After my year-long lease was up. My rent? $775 with a covered parking, and worst part? they raised the rent to $850!

Good thing I moved out of AZ and living in a house that my parents own and I'm paying decent rent. They take care of maintenance around the house as needed. So far we've been taking care of the house pretty well.

Hawkeye-X

[LastLiberal in PalmSprings]

9. In Palm Springs, our rent increased 50%

when new owners took over. I just about shit when we got the notice that the rent on our one-bedroom apartment was going to go up from $500 to $700. "It's the market rate," the new manager said, and looking around I found he was correct.

We're looking for somewhere else to live.

[Kathy in Cambridge]

2. My state:

"Among states, Massachusetts had the highest housing wages in 2003 at $22.40 per hour, followed by California, New Jersey, New York and Maryland."

The rents have stabilized here as of late but the Boston area still has ridiculously high rents and little affordable housing. The large student population drives up the rents. A lot of the housing is old (18th and 19th century) and very small space-wise. And you're talking about $1,200 to $2,000 per month for a one-bedroom, depending on location. Two bedroom apartments (we're really taking 1.5 beds here) are around 1,500 and up. Very few come with any amenities, and you can forget about parking.

[NewYorkerfromMass]

4. So i guess chucking rent regulation laws there was a swell idea

:eyes:

[eyesroll]

3. The lead should say housing is unaffordable for TWO

minimum-wage workers.

Jeez.

[userdave2061]

5. Property tax is a large chunk of rent increases

All taxes should be based on income only and get rid of the million or so other regressive taxes. Raise the federal and state income tax rate until it funds all the government programs and stop penalizing people for ownership and purchase of property.

[loudnclear]

6. Another way to attack the poor and working class.

If you can't affor to buy a house, you are shit in this country thanks to greedy corporate landlords.

[bigluckyfeet]

7. Insurance

on houses in Texas is killing us,mine has tripled in the last 3 years.

[BadGimp]

8. It's all part of the plan people...

We are becomming a rentier society.

Wait till you see what comes next.

[happyslug]

10. My rent is only $250 per month

That is cheap compared to the East and West Coasts, but Johnstown has had problems that the Coasts are only facing now, i.e. no jobs.

Johnstown is dead, no jobs so you have more housing than you have people looking for housing. Johnstown a great place to live (if you have a job, which were in short supply even when Clinton was President).