News

Recently, HUD released the Executive Summary and preliminary findings from its Worse Case Housing Needs: 2015 Report to Congress.  HUD defines the term "worst case housing needs" as very low-income households who do not receive housing assistance and who either pay more than half their monthly income for rent, or live in severely substandard housing, or both. In 2013, there were 7.7 million worst case needs households — a significant drop from the previous record high of 8.5 million in 2011, but nearly 50 percent higher than in 2003. The report found that about one in seven renters with worst case needs—14 percent— included a nonelderly person with disabilities.

The Report’s findings support the need for increased affordable housing and rental subsidies to help reduce the housing burden on renters facing these worst case needs. In 2013, there are 1.6 very low-income households with worst case needs for every very low-income household with rental assistance. HUD will issue the full report in the spring of 2015.

View the Executive Summary