A Low-Income Housing Program Is Pouring Billions Into Housing Many People Can’t Afford

A federal low-income housing program, the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit, has allocated billions to build affordable housing in cities like Portland, Oregon, but the resulting apartments often cost nearly $1,400 for a one-bedroom, making them unaffordable for minimum-wage earners. Critics argue the program fails to address true housing shortages and instead creates surplus units in markets where rents already align with its affordability thresholds, leaving thousands of subsidized units vacant.