Local Nonprofit: Increasing Rent Impacting Families in Poverty
More families are struggling to find affordable housing as rent increases, according to Interfaith Outreach.
Interfaith, a local nonprofit that serves low-income families, said monthly rent increase has been a growing trend. This is a problem because more than half the households Interfaith serves earn incomes below the federal poverty line.
“A one person wage earner in a family would need to be making at least 26 dollars an hour to be able to afford local rents and more of the families we work with make $9.86 an hour,” said LaDonna Hoy, Interfaith Outreach executive director.
According to Rent Cafe, monthly rent for a 2 bedroom apartment in Plymouth and Brooklyn Center went up 5%. That’s $1,419 and $1,054 per month, respectively.
Maple Grove saw a 9% rent increase with renters paying an average of $1,620. Brooklyn Park saw a 10% increase with renters paying an average $1,114.
Hoy said paying 30% or below your income is considered affordable. However, families Interfaith serves pay on average 58% of their income.
“We spend over a million dollars a year just helping people stay put. Helping them pay their rent or part of their rent so they can stay anchored in this community and work with nonprofit developers of affordable renters housing,” said Hoy.
Hoy is pushing for more affordable housing, but she said the community is losing those affordable units to market rate apartments. If the rent continues to increase, Hoy’s biggest concern is the increase of homelessness.
Almost 2,000 families Interfaith served last year experienced homelessness.
