The Twin Cities area enjoys a strong economy and an enviably low unemployment rate. Unfortunately, with housing costs rising faster than wages, even working full-time does not guarantee access to affordable housing. The Twin Cities metropolitan area faces a severe shortage of decent, safe housing at prices that working families can afford. A home is usually considered to be affordable if a family pays no more than 30 percent of its income in housing costs. Any more than this, and families often must cut back on other necessities such as food and clothing.
Many jobs pay far lower salaries.
The need for affordable housing for working families is especially acute in communities with high levels of employment growth but few lower-priced apartments and houses. Many developing suburbs are experiencing significant job growth, but most affordable housing is concentrated in the center cities and first-ring suburbs. The following graphs and table show what people in different professions can afford to pay for housing and what homes for families actually cost.