Goal: Cass County residents will have decent, safe and affordable housing.

"An adequate supply of affordable housing is vital to healthy families, communities and local economies.  Concern about affordability is mounting in many communities, especially where affordable housing is disappearing and where growing businesses have trouble attracting workers due to shortages of affordable housing."²¹³

Indicator 45: Housing Cost Burden
"The lack of affordable housing is a significant hardship for low-income households preventing them from meeting their other basic needs, such as nutrition and health care, or saving for their future and that of their families."²¹⁴  

Cost burden is the fraction of a household's total gross income spent on housing costs.  For owners, housing costs include mortgage payment, taxes, insurance, and utilities.  

Cost burden is the fraction of a household's total gross income spent on housing costs.  For renters, housing costs include rent paid by the tenant plus utilities. 

Data Source: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development²¹⁴
 

Indicator 46: Home Ownership Rate
"A high home ownership rate is typically an indication that the housing stock is in at least fair condition and that housing is affordable."²¹³ 
 

Data Source: U.S Census Bureau, Census 2000 and 2005 American Community Survey^{216 217}