Affordable Housing Crisis Deepens as 'Hidden Homeless' Population Grows, CHN CEO Warns
Community Housing Network CEO Kirsten Elliott reveals the growing affordable housing crisis, highlighting how 60% of homeless individuals have jobs and explaining why current metrics severely undercount the true scale of housing insecurity.
The affordable housing crisis in the United States has reached a critical point where even full-time employment no longer guarantees housing stability, according to Kirsten Elliott, CEO and President of Community Housing Network. With over two decades of experience in affordable housing development, Elliott warns that traditional measures of homelessness fail to capture the true scale of the problem, particularly the growing population of "hidden homeless" who face housing insecurity despite having jobs.
Elliott points to alarming statistics that reveal the depth of the affordability gap. There is currently no county or state in the U.S. where a full-time minimum-wage worker can afford a modest one-bedroom apartment. These workers would need to work 86 hours per week just to afford basic housing, before factoring in other essential costs like childcare, transportation, healthcare, and food. This reality contradicts common assumptions about homelessness, as research shows approximately 60% of people experiencing homelessness have jobs.
The official homelessness count severely underestimates the problem, according to Elliott. The 2024 "Point In Time" homeless count found more than 770,000 people experiencing homelessness on a single night in January, representing an 18% increase from 2023. However, this count only includes people living on the street or in homeless shelters, excluding those staying with friends or relatives, or in hotels or motels. A 2017 study by the National Law Center on Homelessness & Poverty estimated that the actual homeless population could be anywhere from 2.5 to 10 times higher than the Point-In-Time Count total.
In Michigan specifically, the situation is particularly dire. Research conducted by United Way shows that 42% of Michigan households struggle to meet their basic needs. This includes 14% of Michiganders living at or below the poverty level, plus an additional 28% of households that cannot keep up with rising living costs. A Michigan family of four now needs $90,096 annually to maintain housing while meeting other essential needs, yet the state median household income is only $71,000.
Elliott expresses serious concern about proposed federal budget cuts to housing programs. While HUD's current budget stands at $72.6 billion, this only provides benefits to 25% of people who need housing support. The most recent White House budget proposed a 44% cut to affordable housing, homelessness, and community development programs, along with changes to rental and homeless assistance that would make it more difficult to receive support. These cuts, combined with reductions to Medicaid and SNAP food assistance, could have catastrophic consequences during an already severe housing crisis.
The most effective solution, according to Elliott, involves preventing homelessness before it occurs. She emphasizes that families who get evicted typically lose most of their belongings and face trauma that can have long-lasting effects. Policy changes around zoning laws represent another critical area for improvement, as current regulations often prevent affordable housing development due to "not in my backyard" attitudes. Elliott calls for increased investment from both private and public sectors to bridge the growing housing affordability gap that threatens to displace more families and destabilize communities.