Sprawl Hurts Lower Income Families

Suburban sprawl creates high costs that hurt low income families according to a new report by the Center for Housing Policy, a Washington D.C. think-tank. "A three-car family puts a lot of money into depreciating assets, instead of into mortgages and college educations," the report notes.

Entitled, "A Heavy Load: The Combined Housing and Transportation Burdens of Working Families," the study says that governments should encourage infill development and work to reduce sprawl. As for why, the report notes four trends, including increasing housing and transportation costs that are surpassing rises in incomes, faster suburban job growth, a suburbanizing U.S. metro population, and the rising cost of gasoline.