Fact sheet on renting families and our housing crisis
Protecting renting families would boost San Jose’s economy and reduce racial and gender inequity
San Jose is increasingly a city of renters. Today, over 400,000 San Jose residents live in renter households, but face skyrocketing housing costs. When the rent is too high, little is left over for basics like food, transportation, health care, and education. Thousands of families are at risk of eviction and homelessness.
Key Findings:
- There is no neighborhood in San Jose where two minimum-wage workers can find affordable rents (no more than 30% of family income).
- Women of color renters face the steepest rent burdens — 59% pay over 30% of their income on rent.
- Renters contribute $7.5 billion each year to the San Jose economy.
Produced using data from the Bay Area Equity Atlas partnership between PolicyLink, The San Francisco Foundation, and the USC Program for Environmental and Regional Equity (PERE). Learn more in their report Solving the Housing Crisis Is Key to Inclusive Prosperity in the Bay Area.
