According to government statistics, 6.2 million households live in substandard housing in need of repair. Furthermore, almost 14 percent of U.S. households headed by someone aged 80 and older report difficulties navigating their homes.
- The Joint Center for Housing Studies at Harvard conducted a webinar recently that highlighted these concerns and shared potential solutions for improving housing conditions.
By the numbers: The U.S. housing stock had an estimated $149 billion in unmet repair needs in 2022, with units occupied by low-income households accounting for $57 billion.
Why it matters: Substandard housing harms individuals and communities, with immediate and long-term effects on health, financial stability, wealth, and neighborhood trajectories.
- Researchers noted that because America lacks a national home repair program, what’s available in the marketplace varies dramatically depending on where you live. One possible model for other states is Pennsylvania’s Whole-Home Repairs Program, which was created in 2022 to deal with the commonwealth’s aging housing stock.
