The affordability gap between the cost of a home and what people actually make is present in every community in the state, from the most rural to the most urban, and in every state around this country. High costs force many Pennsylvania workers to over-burden themselves, paying more than they can truly afford just to give their family a place to live.

In 2011, fair market rent of a two-bedroom apartment in Pennsylvania is $837. To afford this rate, one needs to earn $16.09 per hour – but the average renter in Pennsylvania only makes $12.49. The minimum wage is only $7.25 per hour, requiring someone to work more than two full-time, minimum wage jobs just to afford a place to live.