Out of Reach

On Monday, Out of Reach 2011 was jointly released by the National Low Income Housing Coalition, a Washington, D.C.-based housing policy organization, and the North Carolina Housing Coalition. The report provides the Housing Wage and other housing affordability data for every state, metropolitan area, combined non metropolitan area, and county in the country.

The 2011 Housing Wage for North Carolina is $13.81. The Housing Wage is the hourly wage a family must earn – working 40 hours a week, 52 weeks a year – to be able to afford the rent and utilities for a safe and home in the private housing market. North Carolina’s Housing Wage has increased 30% since 2000.

Data from Out of Reach supports what we know about North Carolina: low income families are still struggling to find decent and affordable housing in communities across the state. While we work to rebuild our economy after the recession, we cannot forget the low and moderate income families across the state whose basic housing needs continue to be unmet.

Working at the minimum wage in North Carolina, a family must have 2 wage earners working full-time – or one full-time earner working 76 hours per week, 52 weeks per year – to afford a modest two-bedroom apartment.

The typical renter in North Carolina earns $11.52 per hour, which is $2.29 less than the hourly wage needed to afford a modest unit.

An estimated 50% of renters in North Carolina do not earn enough to afford a two-bedroom unit at the Fair Market Rent. This is the highest level in the history of this report which dates back nearly 20 years.

For more information and to view the report click here.