Housing crisis hits women harder in California, group's research finds

LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- Woman are much more likely than men to struggle with the cost of housing in California, according to a new report.

"It was stunning how extreme the difference is between women and men," said Nancy Cohen, president of the Gender Equity Policy Institute, which produced the report on housing and gender in California.

Researchers found that 49% of women are "rent-burdened" compared to 43% of men, meaning they spend 30% or more of their income on rent.

"Black women are facing the most acute crisis of affordability," Cohen said. "Latinos, single mothers and elderly women, particularly those who are living alone, are really struggling to afford housing in our state."

In Los Angeles County, some of the greatest gaps impact single mothers of color.

In LA County, about 31% of all households spend more than half of their income on rent. For women-led households, it's about 41%. And for households led by a Black or Latina single mother, it's 51%."

The report was conducted at the request of the California Assembly Committee on Housing and Community Development.

Cohen cautions that the data was gathered prior to the pandemic and the cost of housing has only risen since then, meaning the gap now could be even higher than what was reported in the study.