2006 Housing Opportunity Pulse Survey

Survey Reveals Concern About Lack of Affordable Housing Options

NAR's fourth annual National Housing Opportunity Pulse Survey reveals a growing concern among Americans about the high cost of housing. In a nationwide survey, one thousand adults were asked a variety of questions regarding not only the price of housing, but how a lack of affordable housing has affected them personally. Respondents to the June 2006 survey also indicate great support for the creation of affordable housing in their communities, in their neighborhoods and even on their street.

The telephone survey of 1,000 urban and suburban adults in the top 25 media markets was conducted for NAR by Public Opinion Strategies, a national political and public affairs research firm in Alexandria, VA.

Some key results include:

• By a two-to-one margin, people are worried about their monthly housing payments
• About six in ten say that high property taxes and rising energy costs could cause them to sell their home
• Almost four in ten are worried about rising home interest rates
• Three in ten are worried that they or members of their family may have their home repossessed because they are unable to pay rising monthly mortgage payments
• More than one third are worried that they may have to sell their home and buy a less expensive one because they are unable to pay rising monthly payments
• Over 20 percent of respondents report not seeing friends and family, not being involved in neighborhood, etc, missing out on promotions, lack of productivity, and missing out on vacations, because they have to work to much to pay for their home or they don't have the money because of high home costs.
• Eight in ten would be willing to support more affordable homes being made available for people in their community
• A record high 68 percent cite high housing costs as a voting issue.

Review key survey findings (PDF: 305KB) and complete survey results (PDF: 31KB)

Read the NAR press release and survey coverage in USA Today

Review additional Housing Opportunity Research