Judy Laughery opened her internet browser, and a poll popped up on her screen.
“How concerned are you about becoming homeless?”
“Very concerned,” Laughery, 83, clicked, a response she never thought she would select.
Despite working all her life, planning for retirement and earning $2,500 a month from Social Security, Laughery feels she is on the brink of homelessness.
A retired registered nurse, Laughery said she recognizes some people might not understand her fears about the future, but the reality is that she and thousands more like her in Clark County are making tough financial choices in order to afford housing. Residents across Clark County, including Laughery, pay more than half of their monthly income for rent, a scenario that, according to standard affordability measures, means they are “severely cost burdened.” Across the country, a more acceptable measure is to spend about a third of one’s income on rent.
As rental costs swell across the state — some due to landlords attempting to match fair market rates in the aftermath of Washington’s eviction moratorium — tenants say that without rent increase ceilings they are left living on the edge.
In the past year, Laughery’s rent has increased over $600; in August, she began paying almost $2,000 (accurate with fair market value) for the two-bedroom apartment she has called home for more than a...
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