Affordable housing is an important issue for many Mid-Hudson Valley residents. 31% of people in the region rate its importance as a priority for their community as a 10 the highest score on the scale.
On average, increasing affordable housing receives a score of 7.1 among Mid-Hudson Valley residents. This represents a considerable increase from the average rating of 6.5 it received from residents in 2002. Only the issue of taxes saw a comparable surge in its average score among all Mid-Hudson Valley residents since 2002.
However, as a priority for the Mid-Hudson region, increasing affordable housing ranks twelfth on the list of residents’ priorities. Despite the considerable increase in its average rating, it only moved up one notch from its rank of thirteen in 2002.
At the county level, despite average scores which range from a low of 6.4 among Greene County residents to a high of 7.2 among Dutchess and Orange County residents, the need for affordable housing ranks twelfth as a priority in each county. The one exception is Columbia County, where increasing affordable housing ranks tenth on residents’ list of priorities.
Not surprisingly, people who rent their homes are more likely to rate the need for affordable housing higher than residents who are homeowners. Increasing affordable housing as a priority receives an average score of 7.8 among people who rent compared with an average rating of 6.8 among homeowners.
For renters who think it is unlikely they will be able to eventually buy a home, the importance of increasing housing that is affordable is even greater. The issue receives an average score of 8.0 from these residents.
As was the case in 2002, affordable housing is a considerably higher concern for residents with low income. It scores an average rating of 7.6 among residents with a household income of less than $30,000 a year. In contrast, residents earning an annual family income of at least $100,000 rate the importance of increasing the amount of affordable housing with an average score of just 6.2.
The need for more affordable housing in the region continues to be of greater concern to single parents, parents with low income, and residents who have received public assistance in the past year. It is also a much higher priority for residents under the age of thirty than it is for older residents.
The desire for more affordable housing also resonates among African Americans and Latino residents. The issue receives an average score of 8.0 among African American residents and 7.6 among Latino residents. In contrast, white residents rate the need for more affordable housing with an average score of 7.0.
