Affordable housing out of reach for many NJ renters

More than half of New Jersey renters can?t afford an average two-bedroom apartment, according to a report released Monday. The report, released by the National Low Income Housing Coalition, estimates

News 12 Staff

Apr 15, 2008, 12:49 AM

Updated 6,179 days ago

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More than half of New Jersey renters can?t afford an average two-bedroom apartment, according to a report released Monday. The report, released by the National Low Income Housing Coalition, estimates that a family needs to make about $22 per hour in order to afford a two-bedroom apartment, while the average hourly wage in New Jersey is $16.50. That means about 570,000 renters can't afford their rent. Lovely Ali, her husband and seven kids lost their home last year. They were able to finds a new place with the help of a local Bergen County organization, but Ali says it's still a struggle to get by. Housing groups say the governor?s plan to create 100,000 affordable housing units by 2015, along with an increase in this year?s budget for rental assistance, are steps in the right direction to reduce the cost of rental housing. To watch extended video on affordable housing in NJ, go to channel 612 on your iO digital cable box and select iO Extra. The Housing and Community Development Network of New JerseyU.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development