Local housing nonprofit Tenfold is holding a free online Zoom workshop on Tuesday evening, June 29, to help individuals and families struggling to find living quarters to rent.
"It's a tough time to be looking for new rental housing, especially if you have limited income, poor credit, or an eviction on your record," Tenfold said.
Tenfold Zoom webinar: Locating Rental Housing
- When: 5 to 6 p.m. Tuesday, June 29
- To register: Click here
Tenfold staff will share tips and answer questions. The webinar runs from 5 to 6 p.m. and registration is required: To register, click here.
Lancaster County's rental market has been tight for years, and has only grown tighter during the coronavirus pandemic. In 2019, the most recent year for which U.S. Census data is available, the estimated vacancy rate was just 2.6%.
The shortage of affordable housing is especially acute. Housing advocates consider households that pay more than 30% of their gross income on rent to be cost-burdened. Based on that standard, Lancaster County households needed an hourly wage of at least $19.63 to comfortably afford a two-bedroom apartment in 2020, according to the National Low Income Housing Coalition.
The median wage among county renters was more than 25% below that figure, at $14.16, according to the coalition's data.