A report from the National Low Income Housing Coalition says Washtenaw County renters pay more than renters in any other Michigan county toward their housing.
The "2014 Out of Reach" report says the average monthly rent for a one-bedroom apartment in the county is around $740, while a typical full-time worker can only afford to spend $665 a month toward rent without forking over more than 30 percent of their income.
Carole McCabe is Executive Director of Avalon Housing, which operates low-income housing projects like Pauline Apartments in Ann Arbor.
"When you have wages that are low, and a low minimum wage like we have now, that all contributes to what people can afford," McCabe said. "Finding jobs that pay enough to cover the cost of rent in Ann Arbor is very hard."
McCabe said rental rates in Washtenaw County are market-driven. She said there's a huge demand for additional affordable housing in the area.
See the complete report here: http://nlihc.org/oor/2014