Families across the US who live in affordable subsidized rental units within a half-mile of transit

Families across the US who live in affordable, subsidized, rental units within a half-mile of public transit are at risk of rising rents in the next five years, according to a report published by AARP. Three converging forces — renewed popularity of urban living, growing support among urban planners for attractive new transit-oriented development, and especially, the pending expiration of large numbers of federal subsidies for affordable homes and apartments — amount to a “perfect storm” that puts these renters at risk, the report says. Reconnecting America and the National Housing Trust mapped the locations of subsidized apartments and transportation in America’s top 20 metro areas. Their conclusion: more than 250,000 families and individuals live in affordable apartments within one-half mile of public transportation, but more than two thirds of the federal subsidies that keep their apartments affordable will expire within the next five years, giving owners an opportunity to exit the government programs.

“The findings of this study are especially alarming because research shows that families living near public transportation save an average of 16 percent on their household transportation costs – which means that this affordable housing is made even more affordable because of its location near transit,” said John Robert Smith, president and CEO of Reconnecting America. The report recommends government funding rules for affordable housing and/or transportation that require plans for both be integrated; that metro area planning authorities integrate transit and housing in land use plans; that local and regional zoning regulations encourage compact, mixed-income, mixed-use development; and that planners favor “complete streets” which accommodate not only drivers, but also pedestrians, bicycles, wheelchairs and public transit. The study is available here.