Arkansas

  • State Data Overview

    Across Arkansas, there is a shortage of rental homes affordable and available to extremely low income households (ELI), whose incomes are at or below the poverty guideline or 30% of their area median income (AMI). Many of these households are severely cost burdened, spending more than half of their income on housing. Severely cost burdened poor households are more likely than other renters to sacrifice other necessities like healthy food and healthcare to pay the rent, and to experience unstable housing situations like evictions.

    Housing Profiles

    Arkansas

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    Key Facts

    • 107,041 OR 26%

      Renter households that are extremely low-income

    • -55,169

      Shortage of rental homes affordable and available for extremely low-income renters

    • $30,000

      Average income limit for 4-person extremely low income household

    • $43,307

      Annual household income needed to afford a two-bedroom rental home at HUD's Fair Market Rent (FMR)

    Impact on Low-Wage Workers

    A minimum wage worker would need to work:

    • 62 hours per week or 1.6 full-time jobs to afford a 1-bedroom apartment at Fair Market Rent (FMR).
    • 76 hours per week or 1.9 full-time jobs to afford a 2-bedroom apartment at Fair Market Rent (FMR).
    Most Expensive Areas 2-Bedroom Housing Wage
    Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers MSA $25.90
    Memphis HMFA $24.50
    Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway HMFA $22.06
    Texarkana-Texarkana HMFA $21.17
    Hot Springs MSA $20.96
    Common Occupations Median Hourly Wage
    Nursing Assistants $17.01
    Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners $14.70
    Retail Salespersons $14.46
    Home Health and Personal Care Aides $13.67
    Fast Food and Counter Workers $12.97

    Solutions

    • Provide significant resources to build and preserve homes affordable to renters with the lowest incomes through investments in public housing and the national Housing Trust Fund
    • Encourage states and local communities to reform zoning and land use regulations that prevent housing from being built and push up housing costs
    • Bridge the gap between incomes and housing costs by expanding rental assistance so that it is universally available to all eligible households or consider other innovative approaches, such as a fully refundable renters’ tax credit
    • Prevent evictions and homelessness by creating permanent tools, such as emergency rental assistance, to help stabilize families in crisis
    • Other federal housing resources, including the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit, should be reformed to better address the shortage of rental housing affordable to the lowest-income households.
  • State Level Partners

    NLIHC Housing Advocacy Organizer

    Kayla Gilchrist Headshot

    Kayla Gilchrist 

    [email protected]
    202-662-1530 x819

    State Partners

    Arkansas Coalition of Housing and Neighborhood Growth for Empowerment (ACHANGE)
    P.O. Box 3615
    Little Rock, AR 72203
    P 501-558-3102
    www.achange.org

    Martie North
    President, Board of Directors
    [email protected]

    Rich Roy
    [email protected]

    Become an NLIHC State Partner

    NLIHC’s affiliation with our state coalition partners is central to our advocacy efforts. Although our partners' involvement varies, they are all housing and homeless advocacy organizations engaged at the state and federal level. Many are traditional coalitions with a range of members; others are local organizations that serve more informally as NLIHC's point of contact.

    Inquire about becoming a state partner by contacting [email protected]

    Become a Member
  • Housing Trust Fund
    HTF Implementation Information

    NLIHC continues working with leaders in each state and the District of Columbia who will mobilize advocates in support of HTF allocation plans that benefit ELI renters to the greatest extent possible. Please contact the point person coordinating with NLIHC in your state (below) to find out about the public participation process and how you can be involved. 

    Current Year HTF Allocation

    $4,573,938

    See Allocation Amount for Prior Year

    HTF State Resources

    2017

    HTF NOFA for $6.5 million (PDF)

    Announcement that $7.5 million HTF available  (PDF)

    HTF Scoring Matrix (PDF)

    HTF Operations Manual (PDF)

    2016

    HUD-approved 2016 Allocation Plan (PDF) 

    Draft Allocation Plan by Arkansas Development Finance Authority (PDF)

    NLIHC Summary of Draft Allocation Plan (PDF)

    HTF Model Allocation Plan (PDF)

    State Designated Entity

    State Entity Webpage
    Arkansas Development Finance Authority

    Official Directly Involved with HTF Implementation

    Lori Brockway
    Federal Housing Programs Manager
    501-682-3339
    [email protected]

    Lanita Hastings
    Federal Housing Programs IDIS Grant Coordinator
    501-682-5901 
    [email protected]

    Amanda Hill
    Programs Coordinator
    501-682-5893
    [email protected]

    Carol Leek
    Housing Programs Coordinator
    501-682-5993
    [email protected]

    NHTF-specific Pages

    National Housing Trust Fund
    Forms

    Learn More About HTF

  • Resources
    Resources

    Housing Profiles

    State Housing Profile

    State Housing Profile: Arkansas (PDF)

    Congressional District Housing Profile

    Congressional District Profile: Arkansas (PDF)

    Research and Data

    National Housing Preservation Database

    The National Housing Preservation Database is an address-level inventory of federally assisted rental housing in the United States.

    Out of Reach: The High Cost of Housing

    Out of Reach documents the gap between renters’ wages and the cost of rental housing. In Arkansas and Nationwide

    The Gap: A Shortage of Affordable Rental Homes

    The Gap represents data on the affordable housing supply and housing cost burdens at the national, state, and metropolitan levels. In Arkansas and Nationwide

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