Posted on May 2, 2019 by The Times Union in The Times Union The Times Union, By The Times Union A report drawn from U.S. Census data shows nearly half of all renters across New York state and the Capital Region are increasingly rent-burdened — meaning over 30 percent of their income goes toward rent — with minority communities experiencing the brunt of that burden. Nearly half of all minority renter households in Albany, and 35 percent of white, non-Hispanic renters are rent-burdened, according to a report published by the left-leaning Fiscal Policy Institute. Across New York state, 46 percent of all families pay over 30 percent of their income on rent, and a quarter of all families pay over 50 percent of their income on rent. In Albany, 27 percent of all minority families — defined as Hispanic, Asian and African-American — spend over half their incomes on rent. Housing and tenant advocates say families who are rent burdened are inhibited in their ability to cover food and transportation expenses, and children in those homes often have limited educational and recreational opportunities.
