Community Housing Services

The 7,280 Community housing providers in the US offer emergency and transitional housing. Firms may also subsidize housing using existing homes, apartments, hotels, or motels. The industry includes organizations that provide low-cost housing in partnership with the homeowner who assists in construction or repair of a home (Habitat for Humanity) and that repair homes for the elderly or disabled homeowners.

Dependence on Government Funding

The community housing industry is dependent on government funding, which accounts for about 60% of social assistance (over 40% of total revenue).

Shift to Permanent Housing

Government policy that prioritizes ending homelessness quickly has created more permanent housing solutions for the homeless.

Aug 10, 2026 - AMI Use, And Why It Matters

• Many communities use Area Median Income (AMI) when creating community housing policies that may have a significant impact on community housing services, according to Port Angeles, WA, City Manager Nathan West. AMI is the midpoint of household incomes in a particular geographic area. Half of households earn more than that amount, and half earn less. Each year, the US Department of Housing and Urban Development establishes Area Median Income using federal survey data including household income, household size, and geographic location. Many agencies use AMI thresholds to help determine eligibility for affordable housing programs. For example, a household earning 30% of Area Median Income may have very different housing needs and financial resources than a household earning 80% of Area Median Income. Households with lower incomes are also more likely to experience housing cost burdens, meaning a large portion of their income goes toward housing and utilities. Many people who do not qualify for traditional housing assistance may still struggle to find a home they can afford.
• Several state laws that became active in 2026 focused on removing the barriers preventing housing from being built by relaxing zoning laws to allow for new types of development, according to Stateline.org. Some of these laws put the onus on cities to make affordable housing available. The Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation estimates the current housing shortage at about 3.7 million homes. That shortage is more than 7 million rental homes for extremely low-income tenants, according to the National Low Income Housing Coalition. "I expect that (2026) will be a banner year for housing legislation, because many state legislators and governors ran for the first time on a platform that included addressing housing cost inflation," said economist Salim Furth, a senior research fellow and director of the urbanity project at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University.
• East Hampton, NY, officials are considering the creation of a new use under the town code called an "accessory staff housing development" that would allow employers to build housing for their employees. No income restrictions would be placed on residents and rents would need to be "affordable," not exceeding 130% of "fair market rent." Apartments, single-family homes, or even rooming houses with bedrooms as small as 70 square feet, having the potential to accommodate up to 16 residents on a single acre, could be built on employer-owned properties if a law is passed. The housing could only be built as accessory to the principal use on a lot and would need to be built on the same land where the business operates.
• Community housing service industry employment and average wages for nonsupervisory employees increased slightly during the first seven months of 2026, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics. Community housing services industry sales are forecast to grow at a 4.73% compounded annual rate from 2026 to 2030, faster than the growth of the overall economy.

Industry size & Structure

The average community housing provider employs 17 to 23 workers and generates around $2.9 million annually.

• The community housing industry consists of about 7,280 organizations that employ about 145,926 workers and generate almost $20.8 billion annually.
• The industry is highly fragmented; the top 50 companies account for between 26% and 33% of industry revenue.
• Most organizations are small and independent and operate at a local level. National organizations like Habitat for Humanity are the exception. Almost all organizations (over 95%) are tax-exempt.
• The community housing industry is part of a complex network of emergency shelters, transitional housing, permanent supportive housing, and public housing.
• Temporary shelters account for 48% of establishments and 44% of revenue. Other types of community housing account for 52% of establishments and 56% of revenue.
• US cities with the largest homeless populations include Los Angeles, New York, Seattle, Chicago, and Denver.