Quantifying the Unsubsidized Affordable SMMF Housing Stock

Using 2017 ACS 1-year microdata, Enterprise Community Partners estimated the total number of unsubsidized affordable units that were in SMMF properties. First, the total number of units affordable at different income levels was calculated. Income levels were calculated as percentages of the local median renter income across the country. The median renter income was calculated based on all renter households in the metro area or state (for households living in non-metro areas). Units were considered “affordable” if they were offered at gross rents at or below 30% the specified income level. Table 1 depicts the total number of affordable units available at each income level, broken down by the number of units in the structure:

Table 1

Total number of affordable units available at each income level, by the number of units
		Affordable by % of Local Median Renter Household Income
Units in structure	Total	0-60%	61-80%	81-100%	101-120%
Mobile home or trailer	1,883,811	597,009	999,753	1,384,339	1,653,526
Boat, tent, van, other	43,797	28,765	35,699	38,611	41,720
1-unit house, detached	12,143,930	2,166,895	3,202,790	4,864,142	6,764,703
1-unit house, attached	2,779,748	404,194	654,446	1,081,121	1,532,131
2-unit building	3,174,710	536,175	1,066,580	1,761,708	2,352,041
3-4 unit building	4,420,559	779,433	1,568,013	2,584,374	3,352,014
5-9 unit building	4,919,335	806,498	1,665,934	2,870,908	3,776,791
10-19 unit building	4,690,255	679,669	1,470,864	2,626,819	3,526,258
20-49 unit building	3,755,879	738,464	1,320,293	2,097,107	2,735,182
50+ unit building	5,472,078	1,386,540	1,973,968	2,762,026	3,498,302
Total	43,284,102	8,123,642	13,958,340	22,071,155	29,232,668

All 2-49 unit	20,960,738	3,540,239	7,091,684	11,940,916	15,742,286
% of total		17%	34%	57%	75%

Among the estimated 21 million rented units in SMMF (2-49 unit) buildings across the country, 34% (7.1M) are affordable at 80% of renter median income, 57% (11.9M) are affordable at the renter median income, and 75% (15.7M) are affordable at 120% of renter median income.

Table 2 depicts a similar pattern for the Atlanta 5-county area (Clayton, Cobb, DeKalb, Gwinnett, and Fulton counties):

Table 2

Total number of affordable units available at each income level, by the number of units
Atlanta 5-county area)
		Affordable by % of Local Median Renter Household Income
Units in structure	Total	0-60%	61-80%	81-100%	101-120%
Mobile home or trailer	5,121	1,704	3,519	4,518	4,855
Boat, tent, van, other	121	35	35	121	121
1-family house, detached	167,834	13,904	30,228	56,892	96,047
1-family house, attached	27,892	3,282	6,391	13,741	18,528
2-family building	15,544	2,975	6,386	11,986	13,497
3-4 family building	33,340	4,954	12,955	21,773	29,103
5-9 family building	82,771	10,572	27,795	53,820	70,502
10-19 family building	99,340	9,578	23,807	51,023	77,481
20-49 family building	53,213	5,541	10,732	21,797	34,141
50+ family building	84,460	15,855	20,173	29,025	42,308
Total	569,636	68,400	142,021	264,696	386,583

All 2-49 unit	284,208	33,620	81,675	160,399	224,724
% of total		12%	29%	56%	79%

Among the estimated 284,208 rented units in SMMF (2-49 unit) buildings, 29% (81,675) are affordable at 80% of renter median income, 56% (160,399) are affordable at the renter median income, and 79% (224,724) are affordable at 120% of renter median income.

Table 3 depicts the findings for Miami-Dade County:

Table 3

Total number of affordable units available at each income level, by the number of units
(Miami-Date County)
		Affordable by % of Local Median Renter Household Income
Units in structure	Total	0-60%	61-80%	81-100%	101-120%
Mobile home or trailer	5,106	741	1,951	3,284	3,582
Boat, tent, van, other	46	35	35	35	46
1-family house, detached	81,615	11,592	13,957	19,963	24,894
1-family house, attached	45,139	7,142	9,147	13,771	17,885
2-family building	12,871	2,783	3,780	5,760	7,949
3-4 family building	26,307	4,421	6,600	11,094	15,628
5-9 family building	36,191	4,872	9,189	17,171	21,989
10-19 family building	51,510	5,889	10,278	19,248	29,063
20-49 family building	62,549	10,833	13,517	21,797	36,432
50+ family building	107,880	17,892	21,697	30,535	42,606
Total	429,214	66,200	90,151	142,658	200,074

All 2-49 unit	189,428	28,798	43,364	75,070	111,062
% of total		15%	23%	40%	59%

Among the estimated 189,428 rented units in SMMF (2-49 unit) buildings in Miami, 23% (43,364) are affordable at 80% of renter median income, 40% (75,070) are affordable at the renter median income, and 59% (111,062) are affordable at 120% of renter median income.

These totals include subsidized SMMF units. The National Housing Preservation Database (NHPD) was used to determine how many of those units were not receiving any subsidy and were still affordable to lower-income households, nationally and in Atlanta and Miami (again using the Atlanta 5-county region and Miami-Dade County as geographic boundaries).

Table 4

Subsidized and unsubsidized SMMF units available at 80% local income level
National, Atlanta, and Miami
	Total Subsidized and Unsubsidized SMMF Units Affordable at 80% Local Median Renter Income	Actively Subsidized SMMF Units (project-level only)	Total unsubsidized affordable SMMF Units*
National	7,091,684	1,691,569	5,400,115
Atlanta 5-County Area	81,675	2,790	79,445
Miami-Dade County	43,364	3,079	40,861
*This may include units where tenants are using tenant-based rental assistance (e.g. Housing Choice Vouchers).