Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (May 6, 2005)
Rising house prices outstrip worker incomes BY SIOBHAN MCDONOUGH THE ASSOCIATED PRESS WASHINGTON — The American dream of having a job and owning a tidy home is becoming a fantasy for more people. Housing prices are outstripping wage increases in many areas, meaning more people are either spending above their means or liv ing in dilapidated conditions, ac cording to a pair of studies being re leased Friday by the Center for Housing Policy, a coalition pushing for more affordable housing. It’s generally accepted that a fami ly should not spend more than 30 percent of its income on housing to ensure there is enough money for other necessities. But in a recent six-year period, the number of low- and middle-income working families paying more than half their income for housing has in creased 76 percent. In 2003, 4.2 mil lion working families spent more than half their income on housing, up from 2.4 million in 1997. The problem is even more acute for immigrant working families: They are 75 percent more likely than native-born working families to pay more than half their income for housing. Barbara Lipman, the research di rector for the center, said a full-time job doesn’t guarantee families a de cent, affordable place to live. "The problem seems to be impervi ous to economic conditions because the number of working families in this situation has grown during the boom-boom ‘90s and |early 2000s,” she said. “More fami lies are competing for a limited sup ply of affordable housing. The price is going up faster than the wages of working families.” One out of every eight families in the United States, or 14 million, had critical housing needs in 2003, de fined as either paying more than half of income for housing or living in run-down quarters. The center found homeowners now are more likely than renters to have critical housing needs — 55 percent of the 14 million are people who own their homes. Meanwhile, the median-priced home in 2003 was $176,000, up more than 11 percent from 2001. During this time, national median salaries went up only 4 percent for licensed practical nurses (to $33,000), 3 per cent for elementary schoolteachers ($43,000) and 7 percent for police of ficers $45,000). And even though some people buy houses farther out that are more af fordable, their commuting costs in crease and consume a chunk of their savings.The group found that for every $1,000 families saved on hous ing by moving some place cheaper farther out, they’re only $225 ahead because their transportation costs go up so much. “Choices are a bit grim — com muting longer distances, working longer hours, having another wage-earner in the family, taking a second job,” Lipman said. For renters, the center found a worker needed to earn $15.21 an hour in 2003 to have a two-bedroom apartment that did not consume more than 30 percent of income. But the national median wages of retail sales workers and janitors, for exam ple, were under $9 an hour. In Los Angeles, the median income for a construction laborer was $29,050, more than $70,000 short of what was needed to qualify for a mortgage on a median-priced home, which cost $335,000. A laborer made only about half the salary required for such a mortgage in Atlanta, New York and nationally. PRICES, page 15B \ Tired of paying too much for inkjet & laser toner cartridges? Reuse your empty cartridge1! Save 40-70% Drop Box Locations on Campus • U of O Book Store • Digital Duck • EMU • Law school Visit one of our four locations or use any of the over one hundred Drop Boxes around town. 830 Willamette St Valley River Center 1925 River Road 3570 West 11th 541.334.4465 541.345.4465 541.689.3513 541.686.4651 www.RapidRefilllnk.com The next MOVING GUIDE will be on newsstands Friday, May 20th Oregon Daily Emerald The campus newspaper for the University of Oregon Community w Student Manor Reserving For Fall Low Summer Rates!! Fall: 1 Bdrm $475, 2 Bdrm $595-615 Summer: 1 Bdrm $350, 2 Bdrm $395 Large, Clean, Quiet, 1 & 2 bedrooms, Nicely Furnished, Laundry Room, Water/Sewage/Garbage Paid, 1 Block from campus. No Pets. 3 1442 E. 18th Mgr. #20 icall Chuck @ 344-4760 please call for appointment == GOT A STORY IDEA? give us a call o-i at 346-5511.i< ; e recycle recycle recycle recycle recycle recycle recycle cyclej-ecycle recycle recycle recycle recycle recycle recycle recycle recycle recycle recycle recycle recycle 110 RECYCLING GUIDE _PLAN AHEAD! Recycle and Donate! Residence Haus RECYCLE PAPER, CARDBOARD, NEWSPAPER, BOTTLES & CANS AT YOUR NEAREST HALL RECYCLING SITE DONATE REUSABLE ITEMS LIKE CLOTHING, BEDDING, SMALLAPPLIANCES °°' , vw>" AND UNUSED SCHOOL SUPPLIES f «***; |r'ot** @ YOUR HALL LOBBY * * 7k * : recycle recycle recycle recycle recycle recycle recycle ^recycle recycle^ecycle recycle recycle recycle recycle recycle recyc Family IIodsinc A University Apts RECYCLE PAPER, CARDBOARD & KITCHEN MATERIALS AT ANY WASTE/RECYCLING STATION DONATE REUSABLE HOUSEHOLD ITEMS TO THE NEAREST NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION * Ca// your area office for dates of upcoming Spring ^ yard sales and household hazardous waste round-upsl For hazardous material disposal year-round, call: /~JT\ Lane Co. Waste Management @ 682-4119. Campus Offices FOR OFFICE CLEAN-OUTS, CALL 346-5275! For more information contact Campus Recycling @ 346-0929. ii. cHrjgJucJt scycle recycle recycle recycle recycle recycle recycle recycle recycle recycle recycle recycle recycle recycle recycle recycle recycle recycle recycle recycle recycle recycle recycle recycl 022039 4075 AERIAL WAY Spacious 1 & 2 bedroom apartment homes Utilities paid Full size washer and dryer included in each apartment Park like view from each patio and balcony Fun clubhouse with fitness center, indoor basketball court, and a brand new hot tub. OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK FOR YOUR CONVENIENCE Full size washer/dryer Expanded basic cable included Beautiful clubhouse Gracious patio with BBQ for weekend fun Friendly on-site staff Fitness center, outdoor basketball court Playground and free DVD/VHS movie rentals OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK FOR YOUR CONVENIENCE Oregon Daily Emerald/ADVERTISING Advertise. Get results. Call 3 4 6.3 7 1 2
