Groups battling poverty say stable housing is key in helping low-income individuals carve out better outcomes. They say assistance programs play a role, but developers can do their part, too.
Shawn Burke leads Western South Dakota Community Action, which helps eligible families navigate a range of assistance programs. He says not having enough affordable housing units has left many in a bind. Burke says the higher cost of buying a home has had a cascading effect on people.
“So, they’re renting or continuing to rent – and then, the rents have gone up, and so, those people that were able to afford a decent place to rent are now forced into the less desirable places. And then those people who could only afford that – they’re on the street.”
Burke says landlords are becoming more selective about accepting Section 8 housing vouchers. He hopes the public realizes how the lack of affordable housing complicates a person’s effort to escape poverty.
“If you’re just trying to figure out where you’re going to lay your head, to have a safe warm place for them to sleep in the wintertime, you’re not thinking much about a job, you know – it’s not your primary concern.”
Around Rapid City, Burke says there’s new housing activity because of the Ellsworth Air Force Base expansion, but it’s a mixed bag because some mobile-home residents are being displaced. He suggests that developers and planners prioritize building more units that are free of cost barriers.
The U-S Census Bureau puts South Dakota’s poverty rate at 12.5%.
January is National Poverty in America Awareness Month.
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