Indiana's housing affordability crisis now threatens community, workforce, and economic growth
INDIANAPOLIS, IN – The hourly wage needed for Hoosier renters to afford a modest home has increased much faster than Hoosier renter wages, leaving the average household with $7,696 less annually in purchasing power compared to just three years ago. This is according to Out of Reach – Indiana 2026, co-released by Prosperity Indiana and the National Low Income Housing Coalition, which also finds that together, the median wage of all occupations in Indiana no longer pays enough to make rent for the typical Hoosier household. Without targeted policy change to address housing affordability and economic opportunity by Indiana's policymakers, the report's findings reveal a deep threat to the state's prospects for community, workforce, and economic growth.
Out of Reach, released annually, documents the gulf between wages and what people need to earn to afford their rents. The report routinely shows that affordable rental homes remain out of reach for millions of low-wage workers and their families nationwide. The report’s Housing Wage is an estimate of the hourly wage full-time workers must earn to afford a rental home at HUD’s Fair Market Rent (FMR) without spending more than 30% of their income.
The full report is accessible now on Housing4Hoosiers.org
Click here to read the full Out of Reach – Indiana 2026 Report.
About Prosperity Indiana
The Indiana Association for Community Economic Development d/b/a Prosperity Indiana builds a better future for our communities by providing advocacy, leveraging resources, and engaging an empowered network of members to create inclusive opportunities that build assets and improve lives. Since its founding in 1986, Prosperity Indiana’s network has grown to nearly 200 organizations, representing thousands of practitioners statewide from the public, private, and nonprofit sectors.
About NLIHC
The National Low Income Housing Coalition is dedicated to achieving racially and socially equitable public policy that ensures people with the lowest incomes have quality homes that are accessible and affordable in communities of their choice.
