Brookings Institution’s Urban Markets Initiative and the Center

Brookings Institution’s Urban Markets Initiative and the Center for Neighborhood Technology launched an interactive mapping website April 9 that allows people to calculate the cost of housing and transportation — by neighborhood — in 52 metropolitan areas across the US. See http://htaindex.cnt.org. When transportation costs are factored in, some places with seemingly inexpensive housing are much less affordable than people think, according to Brookings. Research by the Center for Neighborhood Technology shows that the cost of transportation can vary from 14 percent of the average household’s budget in compact, transit-rich communities to 28 percent or more in spread-out areas far from employment and amenities. Transportation cost is even higher for working-class households (see commentary on page 2).