People are waiting seven months longer for affordable housing than in 2010

Wait times have increased as federal spending on affordable housing has more than halved.

Published Fri, April 28, 2023 by the USAFacts Team

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In 2022, new admissions to the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)’s affordable housing program waited seven months longer to receive housing than they did in 2010.

Wait times have increased at the same time federal spending on affordable housing has more than halved. In 2010, the federal government spent $81 billion annually on all HUD programs, and in 2022, it spent $33.4 billion.^[1] Per affordable housing unit, the federal government’s average monthly spending increased $52, from $847 in 2010 to $899 in 2022.

Meanwhile, the average monthly rent contribution remained relatively flat over the decade: It was $387 in 2010 and $386 in 2022.

Despite an increase in wait times and per unit federal spending, the number of subsidized units available has remained steady at 5.1 million units.

HUD affordable housing programs: fewer recipients, longer tenant retention in 2022

HUD affordable housing programs served 9 million people in 2022, down from 9.9 million in 2010. As of 2022, affordable housing recipients had been living there for an average of 10 years since they moved in, up from seven years in 2010.

Average income drops, minority households rise, and households with children fall

In 2022, the average annual household income was $16,019, a $575 decrease from 2010. There was also a slight increase in the percentage of extremely low-income households (77%, up from 76%).

Meanwhile, households of color increased from 63% to 66%, and women-led households decreased from 78% to 74%. The most significant decline was in households with children, which dropped from 41% to 33%.