Rental trends in Marion County (2012–2017)

Abstract

The availability of affordable housing is a predictor of homelessness, especially among renters. Increasing the availability and quality of affordable housing—particularly rentals—is a common strategy to prevent housing instability and eviction. In Marion County, 46 percent of households are renter-occupied—higher than both the state (31 percent) and national rates (36 percent). Given the relatively large renter population in Marion County, this brief examines two trends related to housing instability among renters—rent burden and stagnant income—and how those trends may be informed by other issues.