Skip to main content
U-M Poverty Solutions Logo U-M Poverty Solutions Logo

Poverty Solutions at the University of Michigan

Joan and Sanford Weill Hall
Suite 5100
735 South State Street
Ann Arbor, MI 48109-3091
Contact Us

Key Issues

Housing & Homelessness

A safe, affordable, and stable home is often the very foundation for economic stability.

Yet housing insecurity currently affects almost every community in the nation, and for millions of Americans an affordable place to call home remains out of reach. Housing is considered affordable if housing costs do not exceed 30% of a household’s income. An estimated 12 million renters and homeowners across the country pay more than half of their annual incomes for housing.

Video

An estimated

12M

U.S. renters and homeowners pay more than half of their annual incomes for housing

Without affordable housing, people are more likely to fall behind on their rent or mortgage and face eviction or foreclosure. Research shows that without stable housing, children are more likely to struggle in school, and people of all ages are more likely to suffer from poor health outcomes.

Racial disparities in housing have persisted for decades as government policies, programs, and inaction have prevented many Black Americans from securing safe, stable, and affordable housing and building wealth. The fact that the government has offered substantial support to white Americans in their pursuit of safe and stable housing but denied that same support to Black Americans has never been redressed.

Housing & Homelessness Scholars

Affordable Housing Research

Explore Poverty Solutions’ research on affordable housing in the journal articles, working papers, policy briefs, news releases, and ongoing research projects listed below.

Publications

News Releases

Research Projects

Eviction and Foreclosure Research

Explore Poverty Solutions’ research on eviction and foreclosure prevention in the journal articles, working papers, policy briefs, news releases, and ongoing research projects listed below.

Publications

News Releases

Research Projects

  • Michigan Evictions: Assessing Data Sources and Exploring Determinants The project: Each year, tens of thousands of Michigan households lose their homes as a result of court-ordered evictions, and Michigan cities have some of the highest eviction rates in the nation. The goal of this project is to analyze available data to better understand the prevalence, patterns, and causes of evictions in Michigan, and…

Homelessness Research

Explore Poverty Solutions’ research on homelessness in the journal articles, working papers, policy briefs, news releases, and ongoing research projects listed below.

Publications

News Releases

Research Projects

Data Tools

Visit the Data Tools page for interactive maps that show eviction filing rates for Michigan census tracts, student homelessness rates by Michigan school district, and chronic absenteeism rates among homeless students at Michigan school districts.

Read more

In the Media

See all In the Media

The Conversation | Jul. 3, 2024

Op-ed: Detroit’s legacy of housing inequity has caused long-term health impacts − these policies can help mitigate that harm

Read more
Houses on Field St in Detroit

Michigan Advance | May. 29, 2024

Leaders address Michigan’s housing shortage amid rising costs

Read more
Roshanak Mehdipanah

WDET | May. 21, 2024

Many Michiganders spending too much on rent, U-M study finds

Read more