New research from online real estate company Zillow finds low income renters have been especially hard hit by the pandemic.
February Housing numbers for the Jacksonville metropolitan area show the typical rent at $1,375 a month. Rents in the highest- and lowest-priced ZIP codes have risen an average of 6.6% in the past year.
Zillow Senior Economist Chris Glynn told First Coast Connect host Melissa Ross Monday that many renters have to scramble to make ends meet.
“One of the things Zillow has researched in the past is connections between rising rents and homelessness and we’ve found that when renters tend to spend more than 30% of their monthly income on their rental costs, homelessness in the city tends to rise.”
Glynn said affordable housing policies should be a priority for both the state and federal government during this most difficult time.
The entire interview with Glynn is available on Monday's First Coast Connect with Melissa Ross, which encores at 8 p.m. on WJCT News 89.9.
Michelle Corum can be reached at mcorum@wjct.org, 904-358-6308 or on Twitter at @MCorumonME.
