The Housing Crisis by the Numbers

• The National Shortage: The U.S. faces a staggering deficit of over 7.3 million affordable rental homes available for extremely low-income renters.

• The "3x the Rent" Barrier: A record-high 22.4 million households—or half of all renters in the nation—are "cost-burdened," paying over 30% of their income on housing. Rigid "3x the rent" requirements automatically disqualify millions of working individuals and families from safe housing.

• The Re-Entry Crisis: Housing is the single biggest obstacle to successful reentry. Formerly incarcerated individuals are nearly 10 times more likely to experience homelessness than the general population, creating a cycle of instability.

• The Senior Affordability Gap: A record 12.4 million older households are cost-burdened. Seniors on fixed incomes are being priced out of their long-time homes, and their retirement funds are quickly depleted by the high cost of private care options, leaving them with few safe alternatives.