NLIHC was founded on the principle that data-driven advocacy works. By conducting ongoing, rigorous, and timely research, we make clear the need to ensure housing for America’s lowest-income people.

Every year, we release our signature research publications: Out of Reach and The Gap. Out of Reach reports on the mismatch between what workers can afford and the market rents they must pay in every community in the United States. The Gap documents the gap between the number of renter households and rental units that are affordable and available to them, as well as housing cost burdens, by income groupings in every state and the largest 50 metropolitan areas.

Our research team also produces Congressional District Profiles, which empower policy advocates with specialized data from their own communities. We also produce specialized analyses of current issues, like emergency rental assistance, housing recovery after disasters, and the affordability gap.

Memo to Members and Partners Articles

Median Rental Prices Jumped Nearly 18% in Last Year

Note: Changes are calculated for median prices in January of each year. Source: Apartment List Rent Estimates (2022) Data available: https://www.apartmentlist.com/research/category/data-rent-estimates

Lower-Cost Rental Units More Likely to Have Physical Problems

Source: Joint Center for Housing Studies at Harvard University, “America's Rental Housing 2022,” January 2022. Data sourced from 2019 American Housing Survey. Note: Physical problems include issues with plumbing, heating, and electricity, as well as general upkeep.