Reporter Claire Rush’s story began with a striking contradiction she noticed as she reported on housing: While the poorest Americans languished on waitlists or experienced homelessness, thousands of apartments officially designated as “affordable” were sitting empty.
Rush’s ensuing story showed that much of the housing financed through the federal Low-Income Housing Tax Credit program targets people earning at least 50% of an area’s median income, but many of those people were able to afford market-rate apartments. Those with the greatest need had far fewer options. Her reporting showed that just 4 million affordable rentals were available for 11 million extremely low-income households.
Combining data from cities such as Austin, Denver and Portland, with expert analysis and personal stories, Rush – with deft editing by Top Stories Editor Mary Sedor -showed how America’s affordable-housing crisis is not solely a shortage: It is also a failure to build housing affordable to those who need it most.
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