Closing the Gap: Housing (un)Affordability in Philadelphia

Low-income households struggle to afford housing in Philadelphia. Surveys, including the US Census and American Housing Survey, consistently confirm what housing advocates, public officials, and low-income residents already know: housing costs too much relative to what low-income households receive from low-wage jobs and public assistance.This study focuses on the poorest households in Philadelphiathose earning under $20,000. In 2000, Philadelphia had 206,251 households earning less than $20,000 a yeara full 35 percent of all households in the city. The following are our key findings.