New Report on State of Nations Housing Shows Dramatic Affordability Crisis Worstening

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* The State of the Nation's Housing 2007

*http://www.jchs.harvard.edu/publications/markets/son2007/index.htm

" In just one year the number of households spending more than half their

income on housing increased a startling 1.2 million to 17 million in 2005, "

notes Drew, Research Analyst. " Even if prices or rents soften for a

period of time, the nature of US labor markets, the regulatory restrictions

imposed on residential development, and the fiscal limits of government

assistance to cost-burdened households will make affordability a long-term

challenge. " Some Americans try to escape these cost burdens by taking longer

commutes and incurring higher travel costs, while others double up or live

in substandard housing or undesirable neighborhoods. The prospects for a

substantial easing of these problems are unfortunately dim. "