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

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.

KEYWORDS:

• Affordable housing
• rural small towns
• rental housing
• low-income households
• local government

Disclosure of potential conflicts of interest

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This paper was developed through a grant from the United States Department of Agriculture, National Institute of Food and Agriculture, Grant No. 2015-68006-22846

Notes on contributors

Adenola Osinubi

Dr. Adenola Osinubi received her doctorate from the department of Financial Planning, Housing, and Consumer Economics, with an emphasis in Housing Policy and Community Development at the University of Georgia. Prior to pursuing a doctoral degree, Adenola obtained a master’s degree in Agricultural and Applied Economics from the University of Georgia, and a bachelor’s degree in Economics from Spelman College.

Kim Skobba

Dr. Kim Skobba is an Associate Professor in the Housing Management and Policy program and the Director of the Housing and Demographics Research Center in the Department of Financial Planning, Housing and Consumer Economics at the University of Georgia. Dr. Skobba studies rural housing, housing insecurity, and long-term residential mobility patterns among low-income households. She teaches several courses at UGA that focus on community development, affordable housing, and access to housing for low- and moderate-income households. She earned a Ph.D. and M.A., both in Housing Studies, from the University of Minnesota’s College of Design.

Ann Ziebarth

Dr. Ann Ziebarth is a Professor Emeritus in the Department of Design, Housing and Apparel at the University of Minnesota. Dr. Ziebarth focuses her research on the impacts of demographic, economic, and policy change for rural America. As a rural sociologist, her work examines housing as an indicator of these changes for people living in small towns and rural areas. Currently, her research projects include a study regarding the conversion of second homes to year-round residences in high amenity rural counties and a second project addressing rural rental housing in Minnesota. In addition, Ziebarth is interested in issues of rural design and documenting them using visual sociology methodologies.

Karen Tinsley

Dr. Karen Tinsley was the Director of the Housing and Demographics Research Center (HDRC) at the University of Georgia and the Program Coordinator of the Georgia Initiative for Community Housing (GICH), a statewide housing technical assistance program for cities in Georgia. She received the PhD in Economics from the University of Georgia Terry College of Business in 2003.