Affordable housing has emerged as a major issue in Johnson County as it has across the country. Since 2000, the county's population has increased roughly 40 percent, while the supply of housing, especially affordable housing, has not kept up with demand, and the number of evictions is soaring. According to the 2023 Johnson County Affordable Housing Report, we have the highest percent of cost-burdened housholds in Iowa, those that spend more than 30 percent of their income for housing: 55 percent of renters and 17 percent of homeowners in Johnson County are cost-burdened. Many households spend more than 50 percent of their income on housing. As one would expect, households with the lowest incomes are more adversely affected. 

This event will bring together Jessica Andino, Executive Director of the Johnson County Affordable Housing Coalition, and two other local experts to discuss the extent of the affordable housing crisis locally; the people most affected by this shortage; current efforts to address the issue; and proposals to make housing more accessible.