A new study by TAC, a nonprofit housing and disability advocacy group, has found that housing is unaffordable anywhere in the country for individual SSI beneficiaries. In 2024, SSI benefits are capped at $943 per month for individuals. This equals a mere 17.5 percent of the national median monthly income. This is also significantly less than the $1,398 national average monthly rent for a one-bedroom apartment.
Even in Missouri, the average rent for an efficiency apartment takes up 88 percent of a monthly SSI payment while the rent for a one-bedroom apartment would take 94 percent of the monthly SSI payment. Average rents in the St. Louis metro area for both efficiency and one-bedroom apartments require 98 and 103 percent of the monthly SSI payment, respectively.
Housing costs, and the limited available benefits beyond SSI, are some of the reasons individuals with disabilities are at increased risk of homelessness.
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TAC Housing Study: Priced Out – TAC
