Views from the Northwest Bronx

More and more Bronx families pay half of their income on rent

​We recently analyzed data from the triennial NYC HVS, and the increasing and disturbing trend of Bronx families paying more and more of their income on rent continues. In Bronx Community Board 5 (University Heights, South Fordham) more than half of all renter households are shelling out more than 50% of their income on rent. Families in the west Bronx typically earn meager to modest incomes, as the median household income ranges from about $20,000 to $27,000. The disconnect between rising rents and stagnating wages has resulted in a dire situation. Very few renter households pay less than benchmark 30% of income unless they have a Section 8 voucher or other form of subsidy. The result in our very dense neighborhoods is that we have the highest concentration of people living paycheck to paycheck in the nation.