THE ISSUE
From adequate rentals to starter homes, Comal County lacks enough affordable housing. In 2021, the median market rate in New Braunfels for a two-bedroom apartment was $1,183 per month before utilities. In contrast, Housing and Urban Development (HUD) set the fair market rent for the same apartment at $1,114 per month, including utilities. Assuming rent should be approximately one-third of a family’s annual expenses, an hourly wage of $20.48 per hour ($42,599 per year) is needed to afford the market rate or $21.42 per hour ($44,560 per year) for the HUD rate. Considering the minimum wage in Texas is $7.25 per hour, many working families struggle to maintain housing. This leaves many of our neighbors, who actively contribute to the strength of our economy, making less than half of what they need to afford basic housing.
Our working neighbors who are housing burdened could include:
- retail workers- including some managers
- food and beverage workers
- teaching assistants
- customer service representatives
- secretaries and admin assistants
- construction laborers
- stockers and order fillers
- bookkeepers, accounting and auditing clerks
Average worker making min
wage would need a 182%
wage increase just to afford
housing in New Braunfels
Source: HUD/National Low Income Housing
Coalition 2021 Out of Reach Report
2.5 jobs
Number of full-time jobs a minimum wage earner needs to afford rent
$1,114
Two-bedroom fair market rent
$44,560
Annual income needed to afford a two-bedroom rental
The Inspiration
We envision a community where every child and adult is able to count on something most families take for granted – a bed.
New Braunfels is experiencing one of the fastest population explosions in the country. While new housing is being made available every year, it is not on a level to match those who already live here in addition to the influx of new residents. This has caused a housing crisis that has resulted in inflated rent prices; pushing once-affordable housing out of the grasp of lower-income residents.
Our neighbors in need include:
- people who are couch surfing
- families living doubled up in single-family spaces
- youth aging out of foster care
- seniors on limited fixed incomes
- families stuck in poor building and site conditions that are unsafe, unhealthy, and over-priced
So we’ve started doing something about it. Something big. Something that could break the cycle of homelessness for families for generations.
