The Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University’s 2026  “State of the Nation’s Housing Report” shows severe housing shortages nationwide, particularly for households with low incomes.

Released June 17, this newest annual report describes the fragile state of the current affordable housing portfolio: More than half a million homes finances through the Low Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) could lose rent protections in the coming decade.

For older adults, the stakes are “especially high,” says LeadingAge president and CEO Katie Smith Sloan, commenting on the report.

The findings reinforce “that America’s most serious and intractable shortage is for homes affordable to households with low incomes. It also makes clear that while increasing housing supply is important, it is not enough: public subsidy is necessary. The reality is that today’s development costs make it impossible to produce and operate affordable housing for low-income older adults as well as many of the professionals who care for older adults without public investment. At the same time, housing assistance remains profoundly underfunded, reaching only a fraction of those who qualify, while federal support continues to fall far short of need.”

The report also underscores a clear path forward that involves a federal commitment to expanding housing supply and strengthening public funding behind it.

Read the full report here.