US says 5 mln households face critical home needs

[UpInArms]

http://today.reuters.com/investing/financeArticle.aspx?type=bondsNews&storyID=2005-12-13T212201Z_01_N13358700_RTRIDST_0_ECONOMY-HOUSING-LOWINCOME.XML

WASHINGTON, Dec 13 (Reuters) - More than five million low-income American households paid excessive rent or lived in substandard conditions in 2003, nearly unchanged from the mid-1990s, a U.S. government report showed on Tuesday.

The Housing and Urban Development Department, in a report to the U.S. Congress, said 5.18 million low-income households experienced critical housing needs due to low incomes, high rent or substandard conditions compared with 5.20 million in 1995.

The proportion of U.S. families facing such "worst case needs" was 4.89 percent, the department said.

A substantial proportion of those households have "worst case" housing needs despite being fully employed, according to the report.

...more...

[cliss]

1. Oh, that ought to do real well

when the time comes to pick a new President.

Let's see....should we pick a Republican again?

[melody]

2. What do you mean "pick"?

We don't "pick" Presidents in Bush's America, we have them chosen for us.

[HysteryDiagnosis]

3. I lived in a camper for 7 years.... does that count? nt.

[tonyahky]

4. The low minimum wage is a disgrace

If we raised the minimum wage to a level that reflects what it costs for a person to support a family, it would go a long, long way toward ending poverty. The conservative argument that says people should be "paid what they're worth--not what they need" is a justification many corporations use to abuse the human rights of their employees--and all the while they lobby congress to keep the minimum wage low (and promote illegal immigration) in order to cash in on cheap labor. Likewise, many landlords who rent out substandard housing to the poor refuse to maintain their properties because they figure they can get away with it--in many instances, their tenants can't afford to move out, and as a result, these landlords practically get away with murder--all in the name of profit.

[GoddessOfGuinness]

5. First they should raise minimum wage to a livable wage...

then, each time Congress gets a cost of living wage increase, the minimum wage should receive the same raise.

Welcome to DU! :hi:

[GoddessOfGuinness]

6. This report makes it sound as if things are slightly better

than in 1995; and I don't believe it.

I'll bet their statistics do not account for those families who have been rendered homeless thanks to Dumbyass'policies.