HUD released 2018 data on Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) tenant characteristics. The data include income, race, disability status, and family composition of tenants living in LIHTC housing. Since the passage of the Housing and Economic Recovery Act (HERA) in 2008, HUD has required state agencies that administer the LIHTC program to submit demographic and economic data on tenants.
The median annual income of households living in LIHTC housing was $17,522, ranging from $5,856 in Puerto Rico to $24,834 in Hawaii. Approximately 47% of LIHTC households had extremely low incomes, reporting incomes at or below 30% the area median gross income (AMGI). To help with rental payments, 41% of households in LIHTC housing reported receiving some form of additional rental assistance. Of those receiving federal rental assistance, 48% utilized a housing voucher (Housing Choice Voucher or Project-Based Voucher). Thirty-three states, however, did not report data on the source of federal rental assistance.
The report indicates that 36% of all LIHTC households spent more than 30% of their income on rent, making them “housing cost burdened.” Approximately 8% of all LIHTC households spent more than 50% of their income on housing, making them “severely housing cost burdened.”
The report also presents data on the race and ethnicity of heads of households. Under fair housing laws, however, tenants are not required to share this information. Forty-one percent of households did not report the race or ethnicity of the head of household. Of the data collected, 38% heads of household were white, 27% were Black/African American, and 3% were Asian. Approximately 3% of heads of households were American Indian or Alaskan Native or Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander. About 11% of heads of households reported Hispanic as their ethnicity.
In terms of disability status, 11% of households included at least one member with a disability. Approximately 34% of households had at least one member 62 years of age or older and 35% of households had at least one member under the age of 18.
The 2018 LIHTC tenant data are available at: https://bit.ly/3ev0B9e