Perceptions and affordable rental housing: A small-town perspective from Georgia

Abstract

ABSTRACT Many rural small towns are facing a shortage of rental housing affordable to low-income households at a time when the stock of existing affordable housing is increasingly vulnerable. Previous research suggests that local decision-makers in small towns may be reluctant to advocate for an increase in affordable housing due to their proximity to residents, local power dynamics and racial inequality. This study uses survey data from 164 decision-makers in rural, small towns in Georgia to examine perceptions of housing affordability and the need for rental housing for low-income households compared to place-level data on rental housing supply, demand, affordability and other community characteristics. Many communities in the study have housing market and economic conditions that are likely affecting their lower-income residents, however increasing affordable rental housing was not an identified need for the majority of respondents in the study. Our analysis found no clear pattern between the data-based indicators of housing need and decision-makers’ assessments of changes needed in housing for low-income renters. Small town politics may contribute to this lack of awareness or acknowledgment of housing need. Further research about the factors that shape perceptions of and actions on housing issues among leaders in rural small towns.