While housing shortages in major cities are grabbing headlines, rural communities are seeing higher rates of growth in housing prices and a silently spreading homelessness crisis.

The term ‘housing crisis’ brings to mind cramped urban apartments and tenants clamoring to sign a lease on an exorbitantly expensive piece of city living, or makeshift encampments sheltering unhoused people under a freeway overpass. But, according to an article in The Daily Yonder by Taylor Sisk and Jan Pytalski, a quieter, more insidious crisis is growing in America’s rural regions, where rising housing costs, changing demographics, and stagnant incomes are pushing many families into homelessness.
Exacerbated by the pandemic, when professionals suddenly free from the confines of the physical office sought affordable homeownership, open space, and a small-town feel away from large city centers and suburbs, rural America’s housing shortage is putting a growing strain on longtime residents and newcomers alike.
Rural homelessness, says Adrienne Bush, director of the Homeless & Housing Coalition of Kentucky, is often less conspicuous than its urban counterpart. “It expresses itself through housing insecurity, folks doubled up with friends or family, people couch surfing because they don’t have a place of their own,” Bush explains.
But the crisis is growing fast: “Nationwide, homelessness rose less than a half percent from 2020 to 2022 but almost 6% in rural communities.” Meanwhile, a dearth of large-scale development in rural areas means the cost of construction is higher, making development less profitable.
The article describes efforts in some rural towns to stem the crisis and provide housing and shelter for residents, such as the Gary Leif Navigation Center in Roseburg, Oregon, a shelter that provides a variety of services for unhoused residents. In Kentucky’s Perry County, Kentucky River Community Care provides mental health services and housing opportunities. Activists in rural communities express optimism that the problem, which is often acute but on a much smaller scale than in larger cities, is largely solvable if given enough resources. However, the uncertainty of the post-pandemic housing and labor market leaves the future of rural housing unclear.
FULL STORY: Tackling Rural America’s ‘Hidden’ Housing Crisis

The Slow Death of Ride Sharing
From the beginning, TNCs like Lyft and Uber touted shared rides as their key product. Now, Lyft is ending the practice.

In Most U.S. Cities, Archaic Laws Limit Roommate Living
Critics argue laws preventing unrelated adults from living in the same home fail to understand the modern American household.

Ten Signs of a Resurgent Downtown
In GeekWire, Chuck Wolfe continues his exploration of a holistic and practical approach to post-pandemic urban center recovery, anchored in local context and community-driven initiatives that promote livability, safety, and sustainability.

California Moves to Limit Autonomous Trucks
A bill passed by the State Assembly and moving on to the Senate would require autonomous semi trucks to have a trained human operator in the vehicle.

Minnesota Budget Includes Significant Transit Investments
After a contentious debate, the state legislature passed a budget that changes how transportation projects are funded and supports increased transit service in the state.

Proposed Land Value Tax Plan in Detroit
Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan proposes hiking property taxes for vacant land and buildings while lowering the rate for occupied homes and businesses in a split tax plan he contends will resolve many of Detroit's blight and high property tax woes.
San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency
City of Orange
City of Charlotte - Charlotte Area Transit
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Montrose County
Wichita-Sedgwick County Metropolitan Area Planning Department
City of Lomita
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.