Thania’s landlord overcharged her and then moved to evict her for rent she did not owe. LSC grantee Legal Services of New York City (Manhattan Legal Services) provided her much-needed legal help.
Many people with high housing costs are not able to get the legal help they need.
Low-income Americans with high housing costs did not receive any or enough legal help for 95% of their civil legal problems in the past year.
The 2022 Justice Gap Measurement Survey showed that 84% of low-income households with high housing costs experienced at least one civil legal problem in the past year, and 49% experienced at least five. The most common types of problems related to consumer issues, health care, income maintenance, and housing. Low-income Americans with high housing costs sought legal help for 21% of the problems that substantially affected them.
Scroll down for an infographic summarizing key findings related to low-income households with severe housing cost burden or download a PDF of the infographic.
* High housing costs are defined as spending more than half (50%) of household income on rent, mortgage, and utilities.
15 million people below 125% of poverty have severe housing cost burdens, which means they spend more than half (50%) of their household income on rent, mortgage, and utilities.
Data source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2019 American Housing Survey.
84% of low-income households with high housing costs had at least 1 civil legal problem in the past year.
49% had 5+ problems in past year.
26% had 10+ problems in past year.
Common problem areas:
Consumer Issues (62%)
Health care (45%)
Housing (42%)
Income maintenance (42%)
n = 826 households with high housing costs
Data source: 2021 Justice Gap Measurement Survey.
Sought legal help for 21% of substantial problems.
Did not receive any or enough legal help for 95% of substantial problems.
n = 1,507 substantial problems
Data source: 2021 Justice Gap Measurement Survey.
At or below 125% of FPL (n=826):
- 40% are confident they could find and afford a lawyer if they needed one to help resolve a serious civil legal problem.
Between 125% and 400% of FPL (n=617):
- 51% are confident.
At or above 400% of FPL (n=82)*:
- 53% are confident.
* Small base size
Data source: 2021 Justice Gap Measurement Survey.
In 2021, LSC-funded organizations handled more than 300,000 cases related to housing.
Data source: Preliminary analysis of LSC’s 2021 Grantee Activity Reports.
Additional Information about Housing
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