Fewer affordable housing units for lower-income US families

Washington

THE number of apartments deemed affordable for very low-income families across the US fell by more than 60 per cent between 2010 and 2016, according to a new report by Freddie Mac.

The report by the government-backed mortgage financier is the first to compare rent increases in specific units over time.

It examined loans that the corporation had financed twice between 2010 and 2016, allowing a comparison of the exact same rental units and how their affordability changed.

At first financing, 11 per cent of nearly 100,000 rental units nationwide were deemed affordable for very low-income households.

By the second financing, when the units were refinanced or sold, rents ha…