Families in need of affordable housing live in Kent County communities.  While most of us feel stable and secure in our homes, housing insecurity is a reality for 40% of households in our county who fell below the threshold of a survival budget according to the 2020 United Way ALICE report which is based on 2018 data. 

According to the 2020 United Way Maryland ALICE Report, Maryland’s low income population will be challenged by a number of economic factors.  Renting a home has become less affordable in Maryland as the cost of rentals has continued to rise, while demand for low-cost and multi-family housing has outpaced the supply. Maryland renters devote a high percentage of their household income to rent — the fifth highest percentage in the nation.   In Kent County the demand for affordable housing — both rental and ownership properties — far outpaces the supply. Public Transportation in Kent County is near non-existent, and over 10% of households do not own a vehicle.

In 2016, Kent County had 3191 children under 18 of whom 628 lived with families with incomes below the poverty level as defined by the U.S. Office of Management. The majority of students in Kent County Public Schools also qualify for free and reduced meals. 

When families can live in a decent and affordable home, they don’t have to worry about where they are going to be next month.  Home ownership with an affordable mortgage gives them their first sizable asset and the knowledge that they are not living at the whim of  a landlord.  Most loans for a Kent Attainable home will be far less than renters pay, often for a more updated and energy-efficient house. They have a chance to begin saving and invest in their and their children’s education.  They can create all those memories of home that so many of us have from our growing up experiences.