Rental Affordability, Coping Strategies, and Impacts in Diverse Immigrant Communities

Rental affordability represents a growing issue across the United States. Existing research largely focuses on consumption trade-offs related to rising rents or the impacts of poverty more generally. Much remains unknown about how rental affordability shapes household, family, and community-level dynamics, including differences in impacts and coping strategies across groups. We use data from focus groups with low-income immigrant and refugee households to reveal deep and far-reaching impacts. We show how residents rely upon unique neighborhood-based resources and social support. Citing significant competition for affordable units and their desire to stay in the neighborhood, residents express that they have limited alternatives to their current housing-even as many described harmful housing conditions and housing-related stress. Furthermore, rising housing costs have strained community and family dynamics, undermining social support. These findings illustrate unique and impactful housing affordability dynamics among diverse populations, which extend far beyond household and housing consumption, force impactful trade-offs, and introduce constraints.

Automated summary

Rental affordability is becoming an increasingly significant issue in the United States. Existing research has mainly focused on the trade-offs associated with rising rents and the impacts of poverty, but little is known about how rental affordability affects household, family, and community-level dynamics, as well as the differences in impacts and coping strategies across different groups. Through focus groups with low-income immigrant and refugee households, we found that rental affordability has deep and far-reaching impacts. Residents rely on unique neighborhood-based resources and social support. However, due to significant competition for affordable units and the desire to remain in their neighborhoods, residents express a limited choice in alternative housing options, despite describing harmful housing conditions and housing-related stress. Additionally, rising housing costs have strained community and family dynamics, undermining social support.