The rich. They crap up everything.
I kid! But this says in cities where income inequality is high, the poor pay significantly more for housing. From Brookings:
Inequality at the local level may be undesirable for a variety of reasons. It may diminish the ability of schools to maintain mixed-income populations that produce better outcomes for low-income students. It may narrow the tax base from which municipalities raise the revenues needed to provide essential public services and weaken the collective political will to make those investments. And local inequality may raise the price of private-sector goods and services for poor households, making it even more difficult for them to get by on their limited incomes.
You can read more here. And thanks, Leftover, for the link.
Dating Jesus 
Three things struck me as I read the Brookings summary:
1) how your neck of the woods (NE) stood out as having the greatest increase in income inequality over seven years–
2) the influence of declining incomes of the bottom 20% of income earners on that increase in inequality–
3) and, despite recognizing that influence, how the Brain Trust at Brookings failed to even mention in its conclusions how addressing on a national level the core issue exacerbating income inequality might be of some benefit to resolving the issue.
We have some of the most unequal neighborhoods, ever. We have great wealth and even greater poverty. We’re the petri dish for growing discord.
Declining income is a huge problem when fixed costs (such as housing) are high. I think it would be helpful to have a more granular understanding of what reasonable income is required to sustain a family, by neighborhood. To be able to label neighborhoods as, “affordable only to families making at least $x per year”, may highlight the issue even more so. Overlay a map of that with others identifying # key services available, school performance, # of affordable/accessible grocery/drug stores, access to public transportation, crime statistics. I’m spit-balling. There needs to be a way to take all this in and deliver undisputable truths that lead to identifying a plan with specific objectives & action items. It’s hard to know what will change what is and what will be if nothing is done.
I’ll add this here on CT living paycheck to paycheck: http://m.hartfordbusiness.com/article/20160118/NEWS01/160119927?utm_term=0_a493d2308d-64e7139a5a-92881253
That’s a great addition. Thank you.