U.S. Housing Shortage Leaves Poorest Struggling as Affordable Units Remain Vacant

POLICY WIRE — Portland, Oregon — Mathew Davis, a 49-year-old man living in a shelter in Austin, Texas, dreams of having his own apartment. But with a monthly income of just a few hundred dollars from...

Editorial Desk

September 7, 2026 One Min Read

POLICY WIRE — Portland, Oregon — Mathew Davis, a 49-year-old man living in a shelter in Austin, Texas, dreams of having his own apartment. But with a monthly income of just a few hundred dollars from donating blood plasma, even a $450-a-month tiny home is out of reach.

Despite this, over 4,500 affordable housing units in Austin remain unoccupied, highlighting a growing gap between available housing and those who need it most. Nationally, only about 4 million rental units are available for the 11 million extremely low-income renter households, according to the National Low Income Housing Coalition.

Many of these units are designed for individuals earning 50% or more of an area’s median income, leaving the poorest unable to afford them. In Austin, a single person earning under $28,000 a year qualifies as extremely low-income, while the median income threshold is around $47,000. This disparity has led to rising vacancies and increased homelessness among the most vulnerable.

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Reporting by Policy-Wire (PW)

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